Frankie's Ceramics steps up into Hadleigh high street to provide creative hub for independent artists

A ceramics maker has taken the next step up in her fledgling career, with the launch of a new high street shop that she hopes will become a hub for artistic talent.

Frankie Atkinson is opening her new retail outlet in Hadleigh this month, following a soft launch in January, to showcase the wares she began making over the county border four years ago.

After starting out making pots, the independent artist founded Frankie’s Ceramics at Ardleigh Studios in Essex, selling products online and hosting a variety of classes for both adults and children.

However, after a unit became available on Hadleigh High Street, Frankie said she decided it was an ideal time to expand her reach, by setting up in a more accessible location.

“I never really enjoyed selling online, and the courses are a good way to meet people, but it wasn’t that accessible, so a shop was always preferred,” she told Suffolk News.

“I did a pop-up around Christmas. I could see the building in Hadleigh had lots of potential.

"It’s great being in a bigger town because it’s more accessible. It’s a really nice high street, with lots of small businesses.

“I had my first Saturday morning workshops, which were very popular. We had two groups and lots of people left really lovely reviews afterwards.”

As of this month, Frankie’s Ceramics is open four days a week, with a range of sessions for different age groups lined up throughout the coming months.

Upcoming workshops include children's hand building on Saturday at 10am, flower arranging on February 11 at 10am, and adult's hand building on February 18 at 6pm.

Click here to find out more about Frankie's Ceramics in Hadleigh.

Frankie added that she is speaking to other artists based in the area, with the aim of providing a space in her new outlet to display their work alongside her own.

“I want to focus on making it a collaborative arts and exhibition space, which is open to local artists and craft makers,” she said.

“I want it to be a creative hub, so that people can drop in and find that it’s just a lovely place to be.”