Oxpots - East Oxford Community Centre

When I arrived in Oxford in 1986 I looked for a ceramics studio, one like I had enjoyed for many years when I lived in Cardiff. Eventually, I found two, small, dilapidated and therefore unused rooms in East Oxford Community Centre
[1] [2].
However, the rooms needed considerable maintenance before they could be used for anything. Water was entering through a ceiling and as a consequence the electrics were unsafe, then there was a whole host of other jobs requiring attention before potting could commence.

[3] [4] Drawings showing preliminary plans for the development of the two rooms . The completed studio includes benches suitable for a person in a wheelchair. Funding for the building conversion and ceramics equipment was obtained from several sources including; Oxford City Council, Oxford County Council, ITV Telethon Trust, the National Association of Community Centres and others. I estimated it could take up to three years to complete the maintenance and the job of fitting out the pottery studio. With a lot of anxiety and frustration, the project came in on time. The workshop is still used on a regular basis by two artists in residence who manage small groups and operate these workshops under the name Oxpots.