The aim of the Manual on how to start ceramic workshops for the development of psychomotor skills, in the frame of C.A.R.E., is to analyze how ceramic processing and the implementation of ceramic workshops can boost both the psycho and the psychomotor wellbeing of young people in Europe. Recent studies have shown that ceramic processing and the so called “Clay Art Therapy” improve the psycho-emotional state of those who practice it, raising awareness of their personal value and abilities. Ceramic has a lot of neurological effects (linked for example to the development of concentration and self-reflection using hands and touch) and neuromotor effects too (related to motor coordination, posture and ergonomics, the use of limbs), thus increasing the motivation and self-esteem of individuals.
The implementation of ceramic workshops for young people also represents an excellent opportunity to strengthen team building and collaboration, thus developing not only technical and manual skills (related to the processing of ceramics) but also social skills, linked to interaction with others.
Particular attention will be paid to how visually impaired young people can be involved in ceramic workshops, in order to develop their artistic-manual skills and at the same time promote their social integration and personal fulfilment. The processing of ceramics will allow them to increase their sense of self-esteem and autonomy, fighting anxiety and insecurity. Ceramics is in fact a very innovative means of communication to bring feelings and emotions from individuals, in a non-verbal way.
However, the Manual is intended for a wider audience and therefore for young people in general, regardless of their specific conditions or visual impairment.
Specifically, it will include and merge the results of three main activities carried out by all partners in C.A.R.E.:
Ceramic making methodologies in the European Union: a comparative study. This is a comparative study at European level, aimed at analyzing how the role of artistic disciplines and ceramics is widespread and promoted in the different countries. Specifically, the comparative study focuses on the different training programs on ceramics existing in various countries and how these national programs and initiatives (specific for ceramics) can promote the social and labor integration of young people.
Moreover, the study summarizes the results of two types of research: desk research and fieldwork research that the partners carried out individually, by conducting interviews with different professionals, psychologists, social workers and ceramics experts who provided useful feedback on how to implement non-formal activities with young people based on artistic practice and pottery.
Definition of criteria and selection of approaches and adaptation into methodologies and activities to strengthen. The partners elaborated and collected a series of lesson plans, containing detailed and step- by-step instructions on how to carry out 100 hours of ceramic workshops. The collection includes various lesson plans, divided into macro thematic areas focusing on how to improve personal and professional skills when shaping clay.
Collection of non-formal education practices for the development of interpersonal and personal skills. The partners collected a series of non-formal and informal activities aimed at increasing cooperation and team building among young people, thus increasing dialogue and trust in These activities can be easily integrated into ceramic workshops and pottery processing. Ceramic activities promote learning by doing and they can be carried out in groups, thus stimulating the sharing of experience and active learning by young people. The latter will become the direct explorers in a learning path based on exploration and cooperation with their peers.
To facilitate the implementation of ceramic workshop for young people, the partners in C.A.R.E drawn up a series of lesson plans including 5 macro thematic areas (1. mind; 2.body; 3.ceramic & hands- on technical skills; 4. professional artistry; 5. safety at work; 6. labor market integration opportunities) and related subtopics including activities and detailed step-by-step lesson plans. These lesson plans have been designed to cover 100 hours of ceramic workshops with young people. These workshops will be implemented from February 2024 in all partner countries in C.A.R.E and they could be reproduced in other formal and non-formal educational contexts and in other countries too. In this regard, the manual contains a series of practical instructions, tips and recommendations (what to do or not to do) that can help teachers, educators or other stakeholders to implement tailored ceramic workshops for young people.
Table 1. List of lesson plans
| Macro Area | Topics |
| Mind | Psychological aspects, cognitive health, and soft skills |
| Body | Posture, movement, perception of space, touch (tactile sensations) and other senses |
| Ceramic (hands-on technical skills) | materials and tools, composition and chemistry, environmental sustainability |
| Professional Artistry | Creative habits, identity, statement of purpose, usefulness of the artwork, forms and aesthetics, rethinking objects |
| Safety at work | risk assessment, prevention, problem solving |
| Labor market integration opportunities | Entrepreneurship and employability |
Introduction to the lesson plans
Mind: this thematic area has been explored by FRAME (Poland) as part of its contribution to the following manual within C.A.R.E. Specifically, a series of lesson plans have been developed whose objective is to understand how ceramic processing helps to know oneself better (explore one’s feelings, values, and one’s perception of identity), developing a series of positive perceptions and emotions, on a mental level. The processing of ceramics also helps the development of specific mental faculties such as imagination and creativity.
Body: this thematic area has been explored by SIGMA (Greece) as part of its contribution to the following manual within C.A.R.E. Specifically, a series of lesson plans and proposals for tailored activities have been developed on the following aspects: 1.
Perception of one’s own body, 2. Use and development of one’s own senses, 3. Perception of emotions, emotional intelligence and how to express emotions using one’s own body, while shaping ceramics (including the development of manual skills). All the psychophysical and psychomotor benefits that can be developed during the implementation of ceramic workshops are therefore analyzed in detail. Aspects such as: perception and orientation in space, posture and ergonomics are explored more under the thematic area “body”.
Ceramic (hands-on technical skills): this thematic area has been explored by CSI (Cyprus) as part of the contribution to the following manual within C.A.R.E. The goal is to make the participants in ceramic workshops aware of the properties and characteristics of the different tools, to know how to use them for the right purposes and with the right security measures when implementing ceramic workshops. Please note that ceramic workshops will be based on observation, research of materials, experimentation of techniques and materials, and therefore the learner will have an active role in building his/her own learning experience based on exercise and artistic-manual practice.
Professional artistry: this thematic area has been explored by PRISM (Italy) as part of the contribution to the following manual within C.A.R.E. Specifically, under professional artistry the artistic manual skills related to the processing of ceramics are deepened, giving a series of instructions and advice on how to improve both manual skills (passing from the simple shaping of clay to the creation of a more elaborate product) and aesthetics. The aesthetics include the choice of suitable materials, the technical properties and aesthetic aspects, the choice of colors and how to combine them to obtain a nice product. Particular attention is given to decorating, which also requires study and in-depth knowledge of the techniques and properties of each color.
Safety at work: this thematic area has been explored by IERFOP (Italy) as part of the contribution to the following manual within C.A.R.E. Specifically, this macro area explores all those aspects related to the safety of places and people (including how to prevent physical hazard) when implementing ceramic workshops. The lesson plans presented for “Safety at work” focus specifically on: 1. General rules of conduct, how to behave during the implementation of ceramic workshops; 2 safety of materials and their use (during ceramic workshops powders and very sharp objects are handled, as well as the high temperatures of the ovens); 3 safety and conformity of spaces (spaces adapted to the needs of all learners, including young disabled people); 4 conditions and criteria to manage indoor spaces (e.g. a ceramic lab). In “safety at work ‘great importance is also given to the physical motor aspect, focusing on any risks to the physical health of people (risks also in terms of ergonomics or because of inhalation of dust, which can affect physical health).
Labor market integration opportunities: this thematic area has been explored by ARDMORE (Ireland) as part of the contribution to the following manual within C.A.R.E. Specifically, this macro thematic area highlights the importance of promoting young people’s entrepreneurial skills, supporting their ability to develop innovative ideas and products. In this specific case, partners focused on how to design a ceramic product that will therefore be imagined, designed, and realized to then be used by an audience. During the “labor market integration opportunities” workshops, young learners will become aware of how to conceive, develop, and promote a product, thus improving their entrepreneurial skills and expanding their opportunities to find a job in the field of ceramics, thus developing specific skills and expertise in the sector.
Clay provides a unique and expressive way for individuals to explore and process their emotions and improve their skills. Therefore, the lesson plans reported in this Manual focus on how to boost a series of individual (intrapersonal) and collective (interpersonal) skills that young people develop by participating in ceramic workshops. To facilitate the analysis, the competences that emerged from the lesson plans were grouped into 2 macro groups (A. skills for life and B. skills for me)
- Skills for life: transversal skills emerging while running out of ceramic workshops, and referring to the interpersonal skills, such as communication with others. Specifically, ceramic workshops promote empathy, communication, problem solving (understanding, managing, and solving a problem), critical thinking, resilience (also linked to the management of stress, error and failure), emotional intelligence also linked to the perception of one’s own and others’ emotions. Generally, “hard skills” (linked to the ability to create ceramic objects and technical manual expertise) are combined with the so called “soft skills” or “skills for life” listed above in this document. From the union of the two, the young person who participates in the ceramic workshops will get more chances of finding a job, thus improving his/her employability.
- Skills for me: increasing confidence in oneself and in one’s abilities, self-awareness, self-esteem, self- autonomy, self-efficacy as well as improve motivation
With reference to the expected benefits on those who participate in the ceramic workshops in and out C.A.R.E, the main benefits will be:
A. Motor benefits
Better dexterity and improved sensory perception and the use of the senses, including touch
Improved muscle strength and control
Improved posture, ergonomic benefits
B. Benefits on emotional psychology
Ability to perceive one’s emotions
Ability to express one’s emotions in a less traditional way, no longer through written or oral verbal language but through the manual practice of ceramic processing and using the 5 senses
Ability to express one’s emotions
Ability to manage emotions: managing emotions in such a way as to achieve a set of goals and be able to positively manage our own emotions and those of others (avoiding the sense of personal frustration and the possibility of generating conflict with others)
C. Benefits of neuropsychological aspects:
Increased concentration
Ability to manage stress
Ability to improve self-esteem
Development of autonomy and independence
Fulfilment in achieving one’s goals
D. Social benefits:
Increased interaction between individuals better known as social connectiveness, connecting with others and so to develop empathy and perspective taking (while creating together and interpreting each other’s clay creations)
Employability, as the acquisition of hard and soft skills will increase the chances of finding a job.
Sustainability in ceramics workshop
Nowadays, innovative environmentally friendly practices are adopted in ceramics and sustainable ceramics production focuses on minimizing waste during manufacturing and reusing or recycling materials whenever possible.
Ensuring sustainability in ceramics is important for several reasons, as it addresses environmental, social, and economic concerns. Specifically, many ceramics are made from non-renewable resources like clay and minerals. In addition, the manufacturing process generates a lot of wastes and consumes a lot of energy, causing a big carbon footprint.
How to ensure sustainability and proper waste management within a ceramic workshop?
During the ceramic workshops, clay is manipulated and its dust can also be very dangerous for human health if inhaled for a long time. Therefore, both the trainers and the trainees in ceramic workshops should be informed of how to properly manipulate it. To this end, this Manual will illustrate the general safety rules to be applied within clay laboratories, ceramic workshops, and which concern specifically how to handle and dispose clay, thus ensuring a correct waste management.
To avoid excessive consumption of clay and generate extra waste, clay can also be reshaped, for example, starting from pieces of broken pot or other waste materials, to help reduce the environmental impact. The same thing can be done for the various colors and enamels, which can also be reused. Remember to carefully handle these colors and enamels that can be toxic for human health. Where possible, use fewer toxic elements and choose eco sustainable colors. Finally, remember that ovens to cook clay can be even less polluting if, for example, wood scraps and carpentry waste are used for their combustion. You can also increase or decrease the temperature of the ovens, to save energy.
Some tips on how to properly handle clay, reduce waste and ensure environmentally sustainable practices can be found at the following links:
https://juliannakunstler.com/ceramics1.php
https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/stories/ho w-make-your-pottery-practice-greener
Suggested readings:
Artists using sustainable ceramic practices
Environmentally responsible ceramic studio tips