For the first time ever, we see the legendary bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent in S01, Ep01 of The Great Pottery Throwdown.
To meet the 10 home potters featured in Season 1 Episode 1 of The Great Pottery Throwdown, check out our post on Season 1 with a bio of all the Potters, Hosts and Judges.
Great Pottery Throwdown Season 1 Episode 1 Information:
Originally Aired: Nov 3, 2015
Channels aired: BBC Two, Channel 4
Streaming Available: HBO Max
If you’re interested to catch up on current Great Pottery Throw Down Episodes, The Great Pottery Throw Down airs for streaming on HBO Max.
Main Make Challenge
For the first main make challenge of the series, Potters need to create 5 stackable kitchen bowls, thrown on the wheel over 4 days, using Earthenware. Potters have the choice between white or red clay depending on their desired end result.
For the throwing portion of the challenge, potters are given 2.5 hours to throw the 5 bowls. Following the throwing time, Potters are also given 3 hours to trim their 5 bowls. Throwing and Trimming happens on the same day with 7 hours in between the trimming stage so the pieces can dry.
Judges asks: Design with clarity (minimal or maximalist) as long as there’s a clear idea.
Rekha had issues with the throwing. Sally Jo had issues throwing bowls with different profiles but was able to correct this in the trimming phase. Matthew applied too much white slip to his wet thrown bowls which added too much moisture to his larger bowls, causing large cracks. Jim’s bowls had cracks made by the wet slip, as well, that were exacerbated in the bisque firing.
Final Results of the Main Make
Joanna’s pieces had some stress cracks and knicks in the base and her cobalt was slightly too thick on the surface of her pots. Tom’s pieces showed a good weight and a lovely tie between the internal and external design. Jim’s bowls, despite the cracks, were well received by the judges because of the brush decoration but the cracks were called a “stupid”, “school-boy error” as a result of not wedging the clay enough. Rekha’s bowls didn’t receive a ton of feedback besides some hesitation to like them. Matthew’s bowls were not decorated enough according to the judges. The judges really liked the painterly nature of Sally Jo’s bowl decoration.
Jane received Keith Brymer Jones’ first ever tears on the history of the Great Pottery Throw Down in Season 1 Episode 1, during judging Keith said, “out of the ten of you, I could see that you were so nervous, and you’ve just excelled”.
Spot Test
Potters have 90 minutes to pull and attach a total of 20 handles to 20 pre-thrown mugs. They need to create 2 sets of 10 identical handles where 1 set is Contemporary and 1 set is Traditional. The judges asked that the potters ensure the handles are consistent, balanced in proportion and well-attached.
Sandra was the only potter who did not attach handles to all 20 mugs, which caused her to place last in the Spot Test.
The ranking for the Spot Test in Season 1 Episode 1 is:
10: Sandra
9: Rekha
8: Nigel
7: Jane
6: James
5: Matthew
4: Joanna
3: Sally Jo
2: Jim
1: Tom
Throw Down Challenge
For the throw down challenge, potters must throw off the hump for 20 minutes, using 5kg of clay, to create as many egg cups as possible in that time.
10: Joanna – 18 Egg Cups
9: Rekha – 19 Egg Cups
8: Sandra – 20 Egg Cups
7: Nigel – 23 Egg Cups
6: James – 23 Egg Cups
5: Jane – 28 Egg Cups
4: Matthew – 28 Egg Cups
3: Sally Jo – 31 Egg Cups
2: Jim – 32 Egg Cups
1: Tom – 36 Egg Cups
Potter of the Week: Great Pottery Throw Down Season 1 Episode 1
Tom
According to the judges, the winner showed great connection between the concept of their design and the final product and excelled in all the challenges.
Potter Sent Home: Great Pottery Throw Down Season 1 Episode 1
Rekha
According to the judges, it was her technical skills that held her back.
If the Great Pottery Throw Down Season 1 Episode 1 has inspired you to take your first pottery class, check out our post on What to Wear to Your First Pottery Class.
