Creativity is catching on in Camborne.
Thanks to the vision of two women, hundreds of people are now discovering the head space and happiness that art craft can provide.
And they’re not doing that in one of Cornwall’s artistic hot spots but in a town best known for its world-class mining past.
Create CIC is the brainchild of Angela Hatherell, who trained in architecture, and ceramics and glass artist Jane Smith. Both were working at The Poly in Falmouth six years ago when Jane was offered some redundant glass kilns by Falmouth University. Keen to use them for community benefit, the pair started looking around for the right place to house them.
An investment plan was being drawn up in Camborne at the time to bid for up to £25m of Government Town Deal funding and that prompted Tonia Lu, business advisor with Creative Kernow and a Camborne Town Deal board member, to get in touch. She suggested Angela and Jane look at the Donald Thomas Centre – a Grade II listed building in dire need of repair that had originally been constructed as the Institute for the Dissemination of Useful Knowledge to educate local men in the nineteenth century.
“It immediately stood out for its heritage, history and location and, with Tonia’s help, we developed a proposal that was then included in the Camborne plan,” said Angela. “The town was awarded £23.7m in total and, as one of eight projects given Government approval, we were delighted to get £470,000 to buy the Donald Thomas Centre and start the renovations. Since then, we have been awarded a further £900,000 from Town Deal and £248,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to spend on refurbishment.”
Six years and four phases of development on, Create CIC is a thriving contemporary crafts hub that now includes purpose-built pottery, glass and jewellery studios, a library, foyer display area and the most original toilets you ‘re ever likely to come across.
“They’ve become quite famous,” said Angela. “Someone even heard about them whilst on the beach at Portreath and made a special trip to come and see them.
“The walls are covered by an amazing mosaic that tells the history of Camborne by following the course of the Red River. It was made by mosaic artist Alec Rice with the help of local people and is an astonishing piece of work that really sets the tone for what we are doing.”
As well as running a wide variety of courses in pottery, glass and jewellery making, the hub offers kiln hire, free workshops and children’s after school, Saturday and holiday activities. It can also be used as an events venue.
“We’ve recently hosted a birthday party for a three-year-old who made pottery animals with her friends and another for a 100-year-old lady who made silver clay jewellery with members of her family,” said Angela.
The fifth and final phase of the hub’s development is well underway with work being done to clean and renovate the exterior and create a public sculpture garden.
“Our aim as a community interest company has always been to break down barriers and make contemporary crafts accessible to everyone, not just the privileged few,” Angela continued. “The sculpture garden will be called Park Gwel – meaning ‘creative park’ in Cornish – and is intended to help bring the outside in. Current creations will be featured on the plinths we are designing and there will be benches adorned with mosaics for people to sit on whilst enjoying their surroundings.”
Margaret Pearce,73, and Val Kelynak, 76, are Create CIC members who are busy crafting at the hub at least three times a week. Both are retired teachers and both are justifiably proud of what they are achieving.
Margaret’s passion is glassmaking and Val loves pottery.
“I signed up for pottery to start with and did beginner and improvers’ courses in that before trying glass,” said Margaret. “I walk from home and love experimenting with different colours. I’ve made so many different things – including earrings for friends.
“As a firm believer in creativity feeding the soul, I’m in awe of what has been done here.”
Describing her work as ‘quirky’, Val says unique approaches to potting are a source of fascination.
“Regular challenges are set that give us a theme,” she said. “A recent one was to make a tulip vase and each of us taking part did something different. We learn from each other -as well as from our tutors – and every day is a new experience.
“I’ve been coming to the hub since it first opened and honestly think it’s brilliant. So much so that I also volunteer.”
Angela Hatherell brings her eight-year-old dog Artie to work and says that, as part of the team, he’s proved a very good icebreaker.
“He’s very friendly and when children don’t want to talk to an adult, they talk to him,” said Angela.
“Watching kids who hate school get absorbed by what they’re doing and seeing people of all ages blossoming into creatives is beyond anything Jane or I could have possibly imagined when we started all this during Covid.
“We couldn’t have done it alone though and are incredibly grateful to Camborne Town Deal for their support in getting our project up and running and to the many people and other funding bodies who have helped along the way.
“Crafting can be for anyone and everyone. That’s what we’re about.”