A workshop devised in response to William Cobbing’s exhibition Social Substance at Airspace Gallery, as part of the British Ceramics Biennial.

Using textured plaster moulds taken from around Stoke-on-Trent to create experimental slabs with coloured slips and terracotta clay, participants were shown how to use the moulds, build surface texture, apply slip and oxides, and make slabs. This technique is intrinsically playful and loose, and participants were encouraged to experiment with the materials available. The slabs then took on various forms.