Potting with Clare
Supportive, fun workshops in pottery, permaculture & sustainable living, with a focus on one-to-one guidance and hands-on learning.
Meet Clare: Raglan studio potter, permaculture designer, changemaker
Clare Wimmer is a studio potter with over three decades of production and teaching expertise. She is deeply committed to empowering individuals to embrace more mindful, sustainable lifestyles through creative self-expression, emotional wellbeing and community cohesion. Clare actively implements Permaculture and Hua Parakore Principles on her self-sufficient, one-hectare lifestyle block in the beautiful Waitetuna Valley, Raglan. She has also spent the past twenty years working to drive systems change around environmental stewardship and climate change adaptation.
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Pottery
Clare refined her craft at the Portland School of Art and the Dunedin School of Art, mastering both wheel-thrown and hand-built techniques. Drawing inspiration from her travels around the globe, where she learned various approaches to pottery from expert artisans in New Zealand, Germany, Spain, the USA, and Australia, Clare brings a diverse and rich perspective to her work. Inviting guests into her pottery studio, nestled within her organic lifestyle block, Clare cultivates an atmosphere of community and shared learning. With qualifications in psychology and participatory facilitation, she carefully tailors her workshops to each participant's needs, prioritising self-expression and fostering a supportive environment for growth.
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Permaculture
Clare is deeply passionate about the environment and actively works to combat climate change by helping reconnect people with the land and fostering community connections. Holding a Permaculture Design (PDC) and Teacher Training Certificates, she implements these principles on her self-sufficient Raglan lifestyle block where she hosts intern woofers for a month at a time. Clare is driven to help others integrate permaculture into their lives, as seen by her previous role as Chair of Permaculture in New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to making permaculture accessible to all New Zealanders through education, job opportunities, and community networks.
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Kai Oranga
Clare's journey into Kai Oranga was driven by her deep respect for Māori worldviews, relationships and culture and the acknowledgment of permaculture's roots in Indigenous wisdom. Clare immersed herself in a dedicated course with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi to further explore the Hua Parakore principles, which now form an integral part of her lifestyle. Through this programme, Clare gained insights into diverse perspectives, recognising the varied lenses through which the world can be viewed. With this knowledge, Clare integrates these principles into her sustainable practices, fostering community connections, promoting holistic well-being, and supporting food security.
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Systems change
Fuelled by a desire to enact real change, Clare furthered her knowledge by completing courses through MIT on leading profound social, environmental, and personal transformation alongside a sustainable leadership program at Otago Polytechnic and a Post-Graduate in Business Research through the University of Waikato. Additionally, for the past 13 years, she has collaborated with ClimSystems to provide climate data and assessments that empower individuals, organisations, and communities to adapt to the risks associated with climate change.
Clare takes a hands-on approach to teaching. Physically guiding participants, their hands moving together with the clay, this promotes learning through kinetic touch and embodied understanding. Clare’s personalised approach fosters a sense of calm and grounding while unlocking creative potential, leaving participants with a sense of accomplishment and a renewed connection to themselves and the material world.
Tactile, individualised teaching approach
Drawing on her background in psychology, Clare cultivates a welcoming environment where everyone is accepted just as they are. It’s an opportunity to leave your daily worries at the door and embrace the freedom to be yourself. Through playful exploration and personalised guidance, you'll discover the joy of working with clay, de-stressing in the present moment, and rediscovering your unique creativity. Come play, express, and connect with yourself and others in this supportive and joyful space.