About

Beverley Sommerville is a studio potter and ceramic artist, originally from the East Coast and now based in Cheshire. Her practice explores ideas of material and place, gathering elements from locations or events that hold personal or historical significance. These materials are incorporated into clay, creating ceramic works that capture the essence of time and place, embedding memories and narratives within the objects themselves.

During her residency at Alice Billing House, Beverley applied this approach to explore the building’s heritage and history. The Grade II listed building in Stratford was built in 1905–1906 to house the West Ham Fire Brigade. Its South Block opened as artist studios in 2024, and the North Block is set to be renovated in 2026 to create additional studio spaces. Beverley spent several days on-site, exploring the building, often working in low light with torch in hand, collecting soot, ashes, debris, and fragments of brick, slate, glass, and metal. These materials formed a material archive, which became central to her creative process.

During London Craft Week, Beverley will exhibit the resulting body of work. The exhibition presents the ceramic collection alongside the material archive, revealing the connections between the building’s past, its present, and its future.

The week will culminate in a participatory workshop, where visitors are invited to create their own ceramic pieces using the materials Beverley gathered from the building. Drawing inspiration from 21st-century symbols, from smartphones to coffee cups, participants will craft works that reflect contemporary life and contribute to a collective Time Capsule Project. This hands-on experience offers the community a chance to leave their mark, celebrating Alice Billing House while weaving the building into the stories and culture of the 21st century.

Through this project, Beverley Sommerville combines heritage, materiality, and community engagement, turning the story of Alice Billing House into both a ceramic archive and a living, participatory artwork.