On 11 February 2023, 21 Alumni and their guests gathered together for a pottery handbuilding workshop at Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle, the only active dragon kiln in Singapore! The workshop was conducted the weekend just before Valentine’s day and it was heartening to see that most of the participants were couples who might have been seeking a bonding activity to do together or simply making a pottery piece as a gift to declare their love for each other. Personally, I attended the workshop with my fiancé, looking to create unique pieces of pottery as additions to our new home, coming (hopefully) in the next few months.
The session started with the instructor showing us how to make a basic cylindrical shape and attaching its base, followed by forming a mug handle, DIY designs, and thereafter painting the completed piece. I loved that the session offered our imagination and creativity free rein. The pottery pieces are all customisable, allowing us to choose and make anything out of the basic cylindrical shape. In fact, we were free to mould whatever shape or item we wanted!. All the designs and colours were also entirely up to us. The highlight for me was the demonstration that was done using a projector, similar to the old-school OHP machine we used in our Primary and Secondary School days. It brought back so many nostalgic memories!
“Mugs” of satisfaction by our alumni!
The instructors were extremely patient as they checked on everyone and guided us on how to improve our personally crafted pieces, including how to ensure that our DIY designs were attached securely.
On the right, our youngest participant for the day, the crowd favourite! On the left, the workshop saw several adorable couples, taking this workshop as an opportunity for a pre-Valentine activity.
One of the participants was a 4-year-old girl and it’s safe to say that she quickly became a crowd favourite! The instructors were extremely engaging, making jokes and helping her, every step of the way alongside her mum. Before we knew it, it was the end of the session and there was a video on the pottery jungle, as well as a tour of the dragon kiln for participants to understand and appreciate the rich history of pottery and the place.
It was truly an enriching and insightful experience that I would love to attend again if the opportunity arises. I believe that alumni can look forward to more of such engaging and interesting events in the future!
Our alumni participants for the day!
