The Findhorn Pottery opened its doors in October 1971. It was created through a vision experienced in 1969 by Eileen Caddy, one of the founders of the Findhorn Spiritual Community. She "saw" four cedarwood buildings being built to house hand crafted arts and crafts. The Pottery was the first of the four studios to be built and it opened to the public on 2nd October 1971 after a blessing dedication ceremony, dedicating the studio to Apollo and the muses.
At this time, the Pottery was an integral part of the community, producing all the ceramic needs of the community's kitchens, dining rooms, as well as light fittings and artistic and decorative ceramics to adorn the different sancturies and areas within the community. In Eileen's vision, it was also clear that the arts and crafts would be the vehicle for building bridges between the community, its neighbours and eventually the world. With this in mind, in its first years the Pottery opened to the public on weekends sellings its products to visitors as well as by mail order. Thus bridge building was inaugarated.
Until 1990, the Pottery and its potters were wholly supported by the community. It was a "work department" of the community and participants in education workshops run by the community as well as community members could be assigned to work in the Pottery. The underlying working and creative ethic was that each artist/potter was to create from their own inspiration and from communion with their inner voice as well as with Nature forces, thus lending their unique expression to the Findhorn Pottery range. Many people found their creative voice through the clay and working in the studio and have gone on to become artists/potters in their own right.
In 1990 the community reorganized and restructured itself and the Pottery became a semi-independent business. Brian Nobbs, (see who we are) one of the original team who designed, built and worked in the studio in its first year of operation returned to the community to take on the studio in its new manifestation. No longer receiving financial and other support from the community, the Pottery ceased to be a work department and Brian took the courageous step to guide the Studio into its present form. The works ethics, philosophy and vision of the original founders and artist/potters were maintained and working with our own inner voice and Nature Forces to find new forms of communication through arts and crafts continues to be the underlying philosphy of the studio and its potters today.
2005 saw Brian retire from running and leading the studio and the business was transferred to Belia Biesheuvel (see our potters). A protege of Brian's, Belia has studied and worked in the studio since December 1996. An apprenticeship undertaken not only in learning the art and craft of ceramics, but also in the art of managing and running a large studio. Belia is committed to continue the tradition and philosphies of her predecessors and to follow the dreams and visions of the founders of the community and of potters past.
At present there are a number of people studying and working in the studio and each add their own unique inspiration to the Findhorn Pottery range and to the vibrancy of the Studio.
