NOVEMBER 2019

October half term saw a busy week for Wheal Martyn, with a series of creative workshops for the local community.

In the lead up to the much anticipated Celebration of Light and Clay on 5 – 7 December, we hosted a series of free activities, giving the community the opportunity to create decorations that will feature in the magical UV woodland wonderland and light trail. Visitors enjoyed creating glow in the dark decorations and sculpting clay lanterns with renowned local ceramicist Jenny Beavan: “Thank you for a wonderful workshop. We’re looking forward to coming back for the light show!” and “It was lovely to play with clay again – I haven’t done this since school’.

The Celebration of Light and Clay will transform the Wheal Martyn landscape with light to form the centrepiece of an after dark event, including laser light shows which will feature animations inspired by the museum’s collection.

The event and associated half term activities are being delivered with the support of public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and from the Feast programme, which makes great art happen in Cornwall with investment from Arts Council England and Cornwall Council.

Nikita Brown, Exhibition and Engagement Officer at Wheal Martyn, said: ‘It was great to see so many people getting involved with creating beautiful clay lanterns and neon, glow in the dark clay decorations for our Celebration of Light and Clay event on the 5th, 6th and 7th December. We want the celebration event to be for the community and it was important to us that members of our community had the opportunity to make their own creations to be installed. We hope that all those who participated in the events will come back to spot their artwork. Don’t forget to visit St Austell’s Torchlight Carnival on Saturday 16th November, for our first surprise…you will get to see our ERF lorry in a whole new light!’