A WORLD renowned sculptor has opened Falmouth’s first community pottery at The Poly, after an 18-month fundraising campaign.

Tim Shaw has close links with Falmouth, previously studying at Falmouth School of Art and later, becoming a visiting lecturer at Falmouth University.

A disused scenery painting workshop at the rear of The Poly on New Street has been transformed into a working pottery complete with kilns, throwing wheels, and a studio space, ideal for a wide range of courses.

In addition, The Poly Pottery is helping to grow the local ceramics community with studio spaces available for makers - offering a commercial kiln firing service and organising exhibitions, enabling Falmouth’s ceramic heritage to thrive.

To mark the opening, a free ceramics exhibition is now on display at The Poly until March 9.

It showcases the work of local potters who donated work for the ‘Power the Pottery’ fundraiser, as well as behind the scenes photographs, documenting The Poly Pottery build.

Jane Smith, Poly guild manager said: “I am hugely excited that after a lot of hard work and our ‘Power the Pottery’ fundraising, The Poly Pottery is officially open! As a potter myself, I am so pleased we are able to offer a space for makers and the wider community to create their very own works of art.

"We want to give a huge thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this possible, including artists and ceramicists who donated pieces for our fundraising auction, Falmouth University technical staff, and the dedication of The Poly team and volunteers to bring this creative space to life.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about The Poly Pottery and the available courses can visit thepoly.org/whats-on/workshops