From mums and babies to couples, families and dementia groups, Francesca Ball's Clay and More is bringing pottery painting - and a little creative escapism - to Altrincham Market.
For Francesca Ball, the appeal of pottery painting has always been about more than simply decorating a plate or mug.
It’s the chance to put down your phone, concentrate on something creative and, for an hour or two, switch off from everything else.
Now the 28-year-old is hoping to bring that experience to Altrincham with Clay and More, her pottery painting business which opened at Altrincham Market in July.
“I think what we’re trying to do is bring creativity and community together,” says Francesca. “If you’ve never tried it before, it’s a new experience and it really helps you to calm down and switch off.”
Francesca’s own route into pottery painting was less conventional. Having studied art at Runshaw College and fashion at university, she went on to work in marketing as a social media manager for interior brands.
But she had always wanted to run her own business and, having enjoyed pottery painting as a hobby, spotted a gap in the market in Bolton.
She opened the first Clay and More studio there just over a year ago and its success encouraged her to expand into Altrincham.
Customers choose from a range of blank pottery – including plates, mugs and jugs – before settling down to create their own design. Once finished, Francesca takes each piece back to Bolton, where it is glazed and fired in the studio’s kiln, ready for collection a few weeks later.
The attraction, she says, crosses generations. There are mums and babies creating hand and footprints, children’s parties, couples, groups of friends and older customers. In Bolton, Clay and More has also welcomed charity and dementia groups.
One regular customer with dementia visits with her carer every few weeks and is currently painting individual Christmas presents for members of her family.
Others come to create birthday or wedding gifts, meaning there is often a personal story behind the finished piece.
And despite the intention of many customers to combine painting with a good catch-up, Francesca says things don’t always go to plan.
“They come in for a catch-up and then they don’t speak to each other because they’re so concentrated on the painting!” she says. “People feel like they can switch off, put their phone down and relax.”
Altrincham Market has proved an ideal setting. Painters can collect their pottery and paints before finding a table and ordering food or drinks from around the Market while they work.
Francesca is also developing a programme of events, from mum-and-baby sessions to collaborations with other local businesses. A recent event with Charlie Bakes combined cake decorating with painting your own cake plate, while Clay and More will also offer parties and team-building sessions for businesses.
Last month, Clay and More relocated within Altrincham Market to a spot closer to the main seating area. Francesca says the move makes it easier for her to help painters as they work and provide a more convenient collection point for finished pottery.
It is all part of her ambition to recreate in Altrincham the community that has grown around the original studio.
“We have people who come on their own and paint,” she says. “It can be a healthy, safe place for some people. I’d just love to bring that here.”
Clay and More is open for walk-ins whenever Altrincham Market is open, with booking required for events and parties.
For more information, visit clayandmore.co.uk, email hello@clayandmore.co.uk or follow @clayandmorestudio on social media
