**SUBMISSION 27 February — https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k8k9s07oIyauRA3YAkh0HVjijxAhlGNH**
PROPOSAL 29/01/25
Created with the intention of creating collaboration between communities and creative fields, Testing Corner was built with the motivation to grow a space where people can develop their own tools, reclaim knowledge, and cultivate autonomy in the practice of ceramics and beyond.
This project allows each one of us to access freely to the knowledge of making a kiln and learn the ingredients and methods used to build, with the motivation to make us more independent while connecting with the community of ceramists, makers and other curious minds looking to make a start in this craft.
As a living experiment in self-sufficiency, Testing Corner is a space where we build our own tools, share knowledge, create networks, and develop participatory processes. It brings together potters, ceramic enthusiasts, and food lovers who seek to contribute to a commons-based approach—one where self-reliance is nurtured through collective effort, and traditional knowledge is reclaimed and expanded.
Its first project, Testing Oven, was inaugurated at the Public Art Park for the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2022.
Testing Oven is an experimental wood-fired ceramic kiln, collaboratively built following a step-by-step guide.
[Image poster here]
At the core of this project is a simple but powerful belief: to share is to care. The participatory construction of this kiln has created an open space for experimentation and exchange, where autonomy is fostered through shared learning. By spreading the knowledge gained—through kiln building and ceramic firing—we hope to make this craft more accessible, ensuring its survival across generations.
By looking back at centuries of ancestral oven designs, we reconnect with long-standing traditions of self-sufficiency. Understanding these designs allows us to reimagine and adapt them to our present needs, reinforcing the idea that the tools we use can—and should—be built by us, for us. Through this process, we actively contribute to a growing archive of ovens, reclaiming the ability to create with our own hands.
In 2024, the project evolved into a workshop at the Gentler Futures Festival, offering a direct exploration of autonomy in oven-making. The workshop introduced fundamental kiln design principles, equipping participants with the essential knowledge and methodologies to construct their own ovens. The aim was to make this practice as accessible as possible while reinforcing the role of self-sufficiency within the festival’s broader context.
This latest outcome weaves together all the core intentions of the project, highlighting the importance of public interaction in sustaining and evolving creative practices. The more opportunities we create to share, learn, and build together, the more this project—and the community cultivating self-sufficiency in craft—can thrive.