Mashiko Exchange with St Ives School

In May 2023 a group of 10 students and 2 staff from St Ives School travel to Mashiko in Japan.

The Leach Pottery was co-founded by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada in 1920. After three years in St Ives, Shoji Hamada returned to Japan and eventually established his own workshop in the town of Mashiko. Mashiko has grown to be one of the most well known ceramic making centres in Japan and the Leach Pottery and Mashiko Potters continue to learn from each other as the legacy of Leach and Hamada’s friendship continues.

The Leach Pottery also has ties to St Ives School. 1934, when David Leach visited St Ives School looking for apprentices for the Leach workshop. William Marshall, a boy of 14, raised his hand becoming the Leach Pottery's first apprentice. Progressing to Foreman, over the next forty two years, William Marshall was responsible for overseeing the standard ware, as well as the training of the young apprentices.

As part of the Leach 100 project, funds were raised to support a group of St Ives Students to travel to Mashiko, Japan, to visit Shoji Hamada’s pottery and meet students in Mashiko.

The Leach Pottery would like to express our sincere thanks to the wonderful staff at St Ives School who arranged the trip, Koi Isaka from the St Ives Gallery in Tokyo for his generous sharing of time and knowledge and the students and their families from St Ives being part of the exchange.