CLAY COUNTRY

LOOPED SCREENING

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN RICHARD WENTWORTH AND IVOR BOWDITCH

In this film by Yusof Abdul-Rahman, artist Richard Wentworth and historian Ivor Bowditch explore Cornwall’s China Clay industry and how, to this day, it shapes the landscape and culture of the area around St Austell. The film is the outcome of a series of meetings and conversations initiated by CAST and by journalist Kate de Pury.

The conversation between Richard Wentworth and Ivor Bowditch represents a meeting of two men of similar age, their lives led in different spheres, whose dialogue sparks new connections and insights. Wentworth, one of the UK’s most influential artists and sculptors, has always been fascinated by materials and by how things are made. Bowditch spent his working life in the China Clay industry near St Austell, starting as a young man supervising the work of extraction in the pits and ending in a senior management role, a career of nearly fifty years that gave him an exceptional overview and understanding of the changing industry.

Friday 12 to Saturday 27 January
Open 9.30am – 4.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday
The film is 41 minutes long and will run on a loop
Free admission, all welcome

Film still Clay Country, CAST, 2023.