Posted: 3rd July 2018
On 15 June The Clayrooms and Ashbourne Festival and launched their project ‘Our Game’ in St Oswald’s Church, Mayfield Road, Ashbourne DE6 1AS. ‘Our Game’ is the culmination of 4 months work involving over 1000 school children and hundreds of adults from communities in and around Ashbourne. Between them they have created 5000 individual small clay figures representing the players and spectators of the annual Shrovetide football game. These have been installed in the church and will remain there until September.
Where and how we live are intrinsic to the way we feel about the world around us, the closer we get to home the more we become rooted in our own traditions and community. In a fast changing busy world some communities struggle to retain their identity; however Ashbourne is a place where tradition, community and pride come together every year for Shrovetide Football. This unique event unites the town on many levels, from the shopkeepers and schools who close for 2 days to the players who train in all weathers during the build up to the game and the spectators who follow them.
The project represents the thousands of people who attend the game who can be seen in the figures that have been created; from the mums carrying babies, the hug players or the followers. Each figure is unique and has its own character.
This ambitious project was developed for the Ashbourne Festival by The Clayrooms pottery in Ashbourne. Local ceramicists and teachers Helen Cammiss and Sarah Heaton, who founded The Clayrooms last year, originated the idea for ‘Our Game’. The 5000 small figures, representing the crowd and players, have been created by the schoolchildren, local residents and visitors during school visits, ‘pop-up’ workshops and in The Clayrooms studio. It represents the sense of community involvement and inclusiveness and, of course, the pride in celebrating ‘Our Game’ shown by every maker of every figure.
To top off the centrepiece of the ‘hug’, a special ‘Our Game’ ball has been painted by Shrovetide ball painter Tim Baker.
The ClayRooms offers workshops, courses, memberships and bespoke events If you want to contact The Clayrooms call Sarah Heaton 07725362329 or Helen Cammiss 07595095512 or email us hello@theclayrooms.co.uk
www.theclayrooms.co.uk
