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Our 23rd-year show

“ Edible Conversations “ it is our most ambitious and personal show to date.
The installation is presented so you will get a glimpse of the “15 Days” experience.
Put simply, clay is the medium through which our interactions flow. Powered by cake and our chats which have occurred over a 23 year period.

This formula is like alchemy and has transformed many lives. The show Edible conversations is the collective “us” at 15 Days in Clay wanting to share it with YOU.
We welcome you to sit for a while in the space and visually partake in our banquet. Words of affirmation are adorning the food.

The statements are sustenance to the soul… what we consume we are and we need to be mindful of the messages we tell ourselves and each other. These are the words as told by the artists. Validating, confirming, positive and funny we “psychologically” watch what we eat at 15.

So please “ fill your bellies!” And consider a spiritual take out. Present…..but not invited to the main space we have left our “ Worry Monsters “ to one side. We accept and recognise as humans we all have our shadows, dark sides and issues. 15 Days is not immune to life.

However with kindness, we contain our monsters “ fragile” and “ handle with care” ceramic packing tape takes care of this. We bring these parts of ourselves into the light and we accept them for what they are. Thoughts, wounds, generational trauma and every day real life struggles. By manifesting them into clay, we make the invisible visible and in doing so transform our monsters. Humorous, candid, heartfelt and real … this is us.

Finally the animal totems and the under pinning spirit of 15 Days in Clay. Each animal holds the space protects and brings its own unique essence and quality. The totem animal waiters provide the safe space for people to come, create and just be. To know that they are enough and for this short while believe that at some level all is well. These totems represent what we are at 15 days, Horse strength ,Owl Wisdom, Kingfisher Courage and Peace, Hare Magic, Fox Intelligence, Dog loyalty, Elephant Family, Chimpanzee Laughter.

We invite you to share in our show by asking yourself “ what would my monster look like” And “ Would it have a name”

Please feel free to name your beast and write it on a piece of paper to join our anonymous suitcase of emotional baggage! Which post show will be sent packing.

If tea ( and cake) makes everything better then please suggest “What you would like to add to our brew of Posativi-tea?”

Please write your suggestions/ observations on a tea bag to be included on our bunting line of blessed brews. A big thank you to Dorset Tea for supplying delicious Posativi-tea.

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Poetry by Shaine Singer.

We are so privileged to collaborate with Shaine Singer — poet, author, and former star of Channel 4’s The Undateables. Shaine has taken the artists’ words and woven them together with his own to create a series of heartfelt, powerful poems inspired by the voices of the artists and Edible Conversations.

I am Shaine, a singer, poet, writer, and actor from Bournemouth. I am 45 years old and live with autism and dyspraxia.

My poetry is often philosophical and witty, although not always at the same time—you never quite know what to expect! I began writing poetry as a way of expressing myself after experiencing many years of bullying.

The library played an important role in my journey. Through reading, I discovered ideas, stories, and voices that inspired me to become somebody within the arts. Literature showed me the power of creativity and encouraged me to follow my heart.

I would like to thank this amazing group of artists for their words, poetry, and clay pottery. Their creativity has been truly inspiring and has given me much food for thought.

Everything I create comes from the heart, and I hope my work encourages others to reflect, imagine, and connect through the arts.

Monsters inside of us or the mind!!

Oh my, oh ye creatures of darkness, like dark clouds, they are bursting to somewhat a task or challenge, like a storm of an empress in our mind’s eye. What and why? The words of gasp and terror proceed. Can I do this? I have pain that I’m used to. I feel numb. I feel a presence that clouded my judgment.

Who or what are you? Were the monsters in your head the feelings stopping us, judging us? We’re stuck in an eddy, like we’re stuck in an absolute giant black hole or somewhere in a vacuum in space. Ah, an outrage. Leave me.
Go away.
I feel like argh. Rage against it.
You can’t do this.
We will try.

I feel broken, sad, lost, losing my faith, my pure soul. Can we get through it? Oh bother, stop it. The monsters of no emotions, fear, like goffink or bogeyman, or even goblins.

Go, go.

By Shaine Singer 2026

Tea cups and Tea Pots

The wonderful cherished goods of tea, priceless in making memories and joy we have.

To share and compare, share the memories, the joy, the precious moments that we have. Be kind, that’s a lesson we all need to take. Take time to know our own, be there for others. No need to bother, but care. Make a stand, be counted, be part of this world. Be happy and blessed with humour and love, kindness throughout. Make a shout, not really, but a tad to make the people stand and see what you can do. Share the cake, or to bake; they’re probably the best things ever. Grinds flock like birds of a feather. We can, we show, we do help, have fun, personals in the sun.

Teapots are quaint, chirpy souls, like friends who come in to say hello and ask, “How are you? How is your day?” Truly be there. Smiles to be a part of something special, improving to inspire any shops of tea and friends for hire.

Oh, and cheers, or yacky dar in Welsh for cheers. Have a thrilling day, and a bash and wonderful ball.

By Shaine Singer 2026

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15 Days In Clay as featured in the Dorset Echo.

Edible Conversation, on display at the Fine Foundation Gallery in Durlston Country Park, Swanage, from September 22 to October 8, marks 23 years of 15 Days In Clay, a Poole-based ceramics project for adults with learning difficulties and additional needs.

Janna Edwards, ceramicist and founder of 15 Days In Clay, said: “The words are statements of sustenance for the soul that validate and confirm their outlook.”

Ms Edwards launched the project in 2003 with a 15-week funded course, and it has since grown into a programme that supports up to 40 artists, some of whom have been involved since the beginning.

The exhibition features hand-built animal totems around five feet tall, representing values such as love, loyalty, laughter, strength, courage, magic, and family.

These totems serve as guardians of the space and carry a banquet of clay food items adorned with positive affirmations.

Ms Edwards said: “There are some fun pieces – the pie in the sky has clouds and suns coming out of it, there’s a stargazy pie with fish poking through, our fish finger sandwiches are made of fingers with fishtails – but other things are upsetting.

“One of the artists was told they were ugly.

“They felt judged, as if they were not ‘beautiful’ or ‘acceptable’ to society, so they made a piece using those words that shows them wearing a judge’s wig.”

A standout feature of the exhibition is a four-foot-high ceramic cake on a revolving stand, telling the 23-year journey of the project through elements from its previous group shows.

Ms Edwards said: “Over this time, the work has become more and more ambitious, larger scale, with a clear narrative that evokes a genuinely emotional response from viewers.”

Visitors are invited to enjoy a cup of ‘positive-tea’ courtesy of Dorset Tea, served from a clay tree trunk teapot.

There is also a ‘suitcase of emotional baggage,’ where visitors can write down and post their own worries.

The exhibition also features poems by award-winning poet and author Shaine Singer.

He wrote: “So, pull up a pew and enjoy the view,

“And welcome to Edible Conversation, our 23-year brew.”

For more information, visit the 15 Days in Clay and Durlston Country Park websites.

Article from Dorset Echo,

15 Days In Clay as featured in Dorset Life

As featured in Disability Arts On Line

15 Days In Clay, a Poole-based ceramics project, has transformed the Fine Foundation Gallery at Durlston Country Park, Swanage. Overlooking the sea, the gallery is currently home to the exhibition, Edible Conversation. Here we showcase some of the featured works.

15 Days in Clay has been offering adults with learning disabilities and additional needs the opportunity to explore their creativity and develop as ceramic artists since 2003. Initially based at Livability Holton Lee, the project was funded, for one class per week for 15 weeks – hence its name. It has now grown to four days a week, with over 40 people attending, all made possible by a dedicated team of teachers and volunteers.

Edible Conversation is the projects most ambitious and personal exhibition yet. At its heart is a series of hand-built animal totems, each standing about five feet tall, that act as guardians of a safe and welcoming space in which to let go of worry. Each animal totem represents words chosen by the artists to describe the significance of the group to them including love, loyalty and laughter, as well strength, courage, magic, and family.

The totems are there to distribute a banquet of food items made in clay decorated with words of positive affirmation. These totemic ‘waiters’ stand in contrast to a series of constrained ‘worry monsters’ that represent the artists’ lived experiences and the internal thoughts and feelings that can often be overlooked.

“The words are statements of sustenance for the soul that validate and confirm their outlook,” says ceramicist Janna Edwards, who founded 15 Days In Clay
Each animal brings its own unique essence to the space and, collectively, the totems represent what we are at 15 Days In Clay.

 The ‘worry monsters’ are arranged in the exhibition on rusty paint cans and old chains. They create a riot of chaos and misery, but even there, in the middle of it, is a sea of positive affirmation coming to flush them away.

There are some fun pieces such as the pie in the sky with clouds and suns coming out of it and a stargazy pie with fish poking through plus fish finger sandwiches made of fingers with fishtails. But other things are upsetting. One of the artists was told they were ugly. They felt judged, as if they were not ‘beautiful’ or ‘acceptable’ to society, so they made a piece using those words that shows them wearing a judge’s wig. Another was trolled online and told they deserve to die; others have been told they cost the system too much money and shouldn’t be here

More than ever before, Edible Conversation offers a glimpse into the 15 Days in Clay experience, reflecting the project’s extraordinary impact. Through clay, creativity and conversation, people who are often marginalised have found confidence, connection and recognition as artists in their own right.

The centre piece of the exhibition is a four-foot high ceramic cake on a revolving stand that tells the 23-year story of 15 Days In Clay by depicting elements from the seven previous group shows – Boats, Clocks, Talking Heads, Totems, The Gathering, Covid Heads and Seed.

Powered by cake and tea, our conversations have taken place over 23 years, with clay as the medium through which our interactions flow. With Edible Conversation, the invitation is there to come in, sit awhile and partake in our banquet. This formula is like alchemy, so please fill your bellies – and consider a spiritual take away!

Visitors to the installation can enjoy a warming cup of positive-tea, kindly provided by Dorset Tea, poured from a tree trunk teapot made by the group. Completing the installation, a suitcase of emotional baggage is available for visitors who would like to commit their own ‘worry monster’ to paper, name it, and post it inside.

The work on show has been created by up to 40 different artists, six of whom have been coming to 15 Days In Clay since the start, along with several volunteers of more than ten years standing

“We could not operate without the support of our talented, selfless, amazing volunteers,” adds Janna.

“The guys have been amazing, they always are, but they’ve had to get to grips with new techniques such as working with white clay for the food. That has to be absolutely smooth, otherwise it doesn’t look right. I’ve even watered it down in consistency so that it will pipe for the icing.

“There’s been a bit of ‘sorry we’ve got to make it again’ that can be hard to take, but we have to respect the ceramics, that’s what we’re about as artists. The detail is meticulous, the fine lines, the words, everything is just right.

“Well, almost everything – if you look closely you’ll find the word ‘bourbon’ on the teapot has come out as ‘bourbum’!”

Award-winning poet and author Shaine Singer has written a collection of poetry, inspired by by conversations with the artists and their chosen words, that capture the spirit of Edible Conversation.

“So, pull up a pew and enjoy the view,
And welcome to Edible Conversation, our 23-year brew.”

15 Days In Clay – Seed – our 20th anniversary exhibition