OMGGG* - even more classes and events for you!

With more clout than Clay Gulgong and more prestige than Portage, the most hotly contested pottery event of the year is just around the corner! It’s the WSP’s own Mighty Waikato Pottery Throwdown. Kicking off at 10am on Saturday the 6th of July, this event is fun, frivolous, FREE, and open to all WSP members.

We’ve got a bumper crop of competitions for you to participate in, so there’s something for people of all ages and abilities, using all techniques. And this year we’re sponsored by CCG who have provided some sweet wee prizes, so get your game on and get into it!

Here’s the range of events that will be happening on the day, join in as many or as few as you’d like:

• Tallest structure – an individual hand-building challenge, build the tallest piece you can in 10 minutes with your allocated piece of clay.

• Blindfolded Hand building – no limits, other than you can’t see what you’re doing. You have 10 minutes to build anything you’d like.

• Tiniest teapot – how small can you make a teapot? Can you make it functional? Can you win a prize for your tiny, functional teapot?

• The Two Person Throw – two people, using one hand each, making a pot together. Will it end in triumph or trantrum?

• The Blindfolded Throw – you get to use all your hands, but you can’t see what they’re doing. Have a go at throwing a pot to the same size and shape as the demo piece.

• The Transformation Challenge – take a pre-thrown bowl and have at it, get as creative as you please and transform it into your own masterpiece.

• The Clay Bouquet – make a pottery posy, pretty as a picture.

• The two person handle pull – how many potters does it take to pull a handle? In this instance, two!

• The Throwing and Hand Building Mash-up – Hand builders grab your wheel thrower, wheel-throwers grab your hand builder. One of you will throw a pot, the other will alter and decorate it.

• The Scariest Thing – get wild, get dark and give the judge nightmares.

• The Tag Team Bonkers Build – it’s all hands on the clay for the team collab challenge. Choose your starting team member, then pass the build onto the next person in the team to add their creative flair. The catch is you only get 2 minutes each.

Eternal glory awaits! As does a shared kai – please bring a plate to share, if you are able to.

With huge thanks to pottery supply company CCG for supplying prizes for the day, and to local potter and legend, Janet Smith, who will be judging all your crazy and clever creations.