Fired Up!
B.A.R.C. Books
Teenagers in Bexhill-on-Sea are using clay to express themselves, learn new skills, and gain a sense of independence.
This publication brings together the work of Chris Mayne's Year 10 GCSE Ceramics class at Bexhill Academy. In 2026, Flatland and photographer Jorge Antony Stride, visited the school to document a selection of the students' ceramics, offering an insight into the important role of ceramics within state-funded arts education.
Combining photographs of the work with the students' own words, this publication explores the thoughts of young people making with clay. It also includes words by Chris Mayne, Head of Art at Bexhill Academy, alongside an interview with Carla Wright, Common Clay Founder, who has worked with many of the featured students through projects beyond the classroom.
Together, these contributions reflect on clay as a material for self-expression; a way of working through uncertainty, building confidence, and discovering what is possible.
£5 for over 25s
£3 for under 25s
Size: 148mm X 210mm
Pages: 31
Published by: B.A.R.C books
Design by: Amy Mock
Photographs by: Jorge Stride