The familiar and our popup workspace
Our homewares popup shop
Looking back, some of the most meaningful moments I’ve had working in teams didn’t happen in meetings or formal settings. They happened around a shared table, over lunch, or side by side at a workbench. Not structured conversations, not outcomes-led - just time spent alongside one another, getting to know the person rather than the role.
That interest in informal, shared activity has shaped how Sunken Studio developed from the outset. One early example was a pop-up shop at Carousel in Headingley. Alongside a small selection of ceramic objects, the space gave us a street-level presence and an opportunity to talk with people about the studio and the role making might play in their working lives.
The pop-up was simpler than our permanent studio, but that simplicity made it flexible. Without the full infrastructure of a ceramics workshop, we were able to host larger groups and run introductory handbuilding sessions more frequently. The focus wasn’t on production, but on bringing people together through making - often as a pause from their usual routines.
During that period, I also hosted a workshop as part of a team away day. The group regularly chose to meet outside their normal working environment, and it was striking how quickly they settled into the activity. Working with clay gave them a shared point of focus, making space for conversation and connection without the pressure of performance or problem-solving.
These experiences are still relevant. Working life now often asks people to do more with less, and to stay in constant motion. Creating moments where teams can slow down, work with their hands, and spend time together in a different way feels increasingly important.
It raises questions I’m still interested in exploring through the studio: how do organisations look after the people within them? What space is made for connection beyond roles and responsibilities? And what happens when time, attention, and shared activity are treated as something worth protecting?