Plum Club members tell stories in clay

IT was very fitting that the first group to take part in the HeArt of the Sperrins project were members of a community that sits right in the bosom of the rugged mountain range.

HeArt of the Sperrins is an older peoples’ project, funded by Arts Council NI lottery, throughout the Derry and Strabane district. It targets older members living in rural communities areas across Derg, Sperrins and Faughan Wards.

Twelve members of the Plum Club, a community group based in the village of Plumbridge, enjoyed the opportunity to take part in a six-week craft class, in which they developed the art of ceramic-making with local potter, Leona Devine.

These Plum Club ladies, who frequently travel from across the picturesque Sperrins to enjoy lunch and the company of their peers, spent six consecutive Thursday mornings using slab clay building methods to create a pottery village, decorating their creations in their own unique styles.

Under Leona’s skilled tutorship, each woman learnt the basics on a small scale before implementing their newfound talents on a grander scale, creating and decorating houses, churches and lighthouses, which they then took home to share with their families.

And these weren’t random houses of their imagination, no. These miniature clay walls hold many of these women’s histories, telling stories of shops and workplaces that defined their childhood.

Leona referred to it as “storytelling in three dimensions”.

Talking to the ladies toward the end of the course, they spoke of how much they enjoyed their first experience of working with clay, and with the artist, Leona.

Laughing, they excused their reluctance to chat, saying, “We are so intent on getting our pieces ready for biscuit-firing, decorative painting and the final glaze.”

But it was clear they were all, rightfully, proud of their handiwork, and they hope the general public will get a chance to see it on display at the Summer Jamm in Strabane in mid-June.

HeArt of the Sperrins is running for six months to encourage people over 60 years to participate in the arts and culture.

• Anyone wishing to learn more about the project or think they may be eligible to participate should contact Jean Smyth by calling 07730900610,
or send her an email at jean.smyth@derrystrabane.com.