3rd european woodfiring conference

From 25 August to 1st september 2018, the Ceramists of La Borne and the ‘Centre de Céramique contemporaine’ will play host to the European Conference of Wood-Firing. These conferences were begun in Germany in 2012, and were then held in Denmark in 2014. Every three years, these conferences bring together those involved in wood-firing, to take part in conferences, firings, film projections, demonstrations and exhibitions in a setting of traditional ceramic craft. Hence in 2014, the organisers selected La Borne to host the next event.

The village has been home to potters working with stoneware clay since the 17th century with no break in the tradition, and today La Borne counts around a hundred potters/ceramists/sculptors within a radius of 30 km around the village, which is located in the department of the Cher (18). Since the 1950s, many foreign ceramists have moved here after choosing to work in clay and using wood-firing techniques. As a result, around 10 different nationalities can be found here, the majority of the ceramists firing with wood in different types of kilns (direct or inverted flame) and in kilns of varying size.

Throughout the week, we will be inviting professionals and the general public alike to meet up and visit the workshops, following the loading, firing and unloading of the kilns. As is the case for our week of the ‘Grands Feux’ which generally take place at the end of October, a few kilns will be working. Alongside this, in La Borne there will be speakers from all over Europe, and professionals will be able to present their experiments and productions, and share their practical techniques.