From securing funding to transforming an empty space, Urban Foundry has helped Swansea Pottery Collective create an accessible ceramics studio at Urban HQ, bringing new opportunities for creativity and community connection to the city.
Good ideas deserve the space and support to grow.
That’s exactly what we’ve been able to provide for Swansea Pottery Collective, a growing creative community making ceramics more accessible and affordable for people across Swansea.
With support from Urban Foundry, the Collective has secured £20,000 in National Lottery funding and transformed a space at Urban HQ into a fully equipped ceramics studio.
The result is a welcoming new home for a creative community that has already grown to 100 members, with a waiting list of people eager to get involved.
From an Idea to a Creative Space
Creating an accessible ceramics studio takes more than finding a suitable building.
Specialist equipment, plumbing and the facilities needed to work with clay can make setting up a studio expensive and challenging, particularly for a community-led organisation.
That’s where Urban Foundry was able to help.
Our business support team, led by Lauren Howlett, worked with Swansea Pottery Collective to secure £20,000 from the National Lottery, helping turn their ambitions into reality.
We also identified a suitable space at Urban HQ, with Tara Tarapetian and Hannah supporting the work needed to transform it into a functioning ceramics studio, including plumbing and wet room facilities.
It’s a practical example of how the right support, funding and space can help a community project take its next steps.
Making Creativity More Accessible
Ceramics can be expensive to pursue, with equipment, materials and access to facilities creating barriers for people who want to learn or develop their skills.
Swansea Pottery Collective is helping change that.
By providing shared facilities and a supportive creative environment, the Collective is making ceramics more affordable and accessible to people of different abilities and experience levels.
With 100 members and a waiting list, the demand demonstrates the value of creating spaces where people can learn, develop their skills and connect through shared interests.
The new studio also adds to the growing mix of creative businesses, organisations and activities based at Urban HQ, bringing more life and opportunity into the heart of Swansea.
Helping Good Ideas Grow
At Urban Foundry, we believe that supporting people and businesses to develop their ideas can have a lasting impact on the places around us.
Swansea Pottery Collective is a great example of that approach in action.
By connecting funding, business support and the right physical space, we’ve helped create something that supports creativity, strengthens community connections and contributes to Swansea’s vibrant cultural scene.
We’re also proud that members of our team are personally involved in the Collective, with Susie Johnston serving on its committee and both Susie and Hannah active members.
It’s exactly the kind of project we love supporting — helping good ideas grow into sustainable initiatives that make our towns and cities better places.
Have an idea for a business or community project? Get in touch to discover how Urban Foundry can help you take the next step.
