Facing Eviction

We are facing a crisis following the City of Unley’s recent decision to abruptly exclude the club from long-standing renovation plans for the Edmund Avenue Cottages. The council’s decision leaves APC facing eviction despite its integral role in the local arts scene for 75 years. We are calling on the public to demand the Council reverse this decision, which threatens the club’s future and the cultural vitality of the City of Unley.

Since 2016, the Council has been developing its vision for the Edmund Avenue Cottages. During the first stage, three cottages were renovated and repurposed as a business hub, completed in 2023. The second and third stages promised an Arts Precinct, incorporating the APC, the Unley Museum, and activation of the village green. For most of the planning period, the APC was included and actively consulted—until August 16, 2024, when the Council suddenly informed the club that they would no longer be part of the project.

We have rented the premises at 84 Edmund Avenue since 2001, and before that spent 53 years in nearby Parkside. For almost seven decades we have been an integral part of the City of Unley’s cultural life, making the Council’s decision all the more shocking.
 

How can you help?

· Contact the City of Unley Councilors, Mayor and CEO - to voice your concern and ask them to reverse their decision. It could be as little as ‘I support having the Adelaide Potters’ Club stay in Unley’. (email addresses attached)

· Write, talk & email about your experience at our open days, exhibition openings or being able to pop in at the weekends to buy a gift

· Share your support on social media

· Call in to the club and sign our petition

· Attend our exhibition openings and open days

· Tell others about the Unley Council’s decision, we would appreciate any help.
 

We will be presenting our case at the City of Unley’s council

meeting on Monday 28th October at 7pm.

We would like to fill the public gallery with supporters, please attend if you can
 

We are a valuable part of the Unley community in so many ways, offering six evening classes each term throughout the year, led by highly experienced professional potters. Demand for these courses is high, with 70 people currently on the waiting list. The club also hosts four major exhibitions annually during the Adelaide Fringe, South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival, and in collaboration with the Ikebana Society of South Australia, drawing high-profile guests to open these events.
 

The club’s Open Studio Day events, held four times a year, each attract 80-100 visitors, providing the public with opportunities to participate in Raku firings and observe demonstrations in wheel throwing and handbuilding techniques. In addition, the club’s retail space is open every weekend, showcasing and selling work made by local member artists. APC has also played a key role in city events such as Parks Alive and has fostered a longstanding relationship with the Broken Hill Potters Society, hosting collaborative exhibitions and firings.

The benefits of engaging in creative activities such as pottery extend far beyond the artistic realm. Participation in pottery fosters mental and physical well-being, while the club’s community spirit provides vital social connections for individuals who may otherwise work in isolation. For many, the APC has been an irreplaceable space to develop skills, share ideas, and connect with fellow artists. The recent resurgence in demand for locally made pottery speaks to the club’s enduring value.
 

We are calling on our supporters to help in any way they can and would appreciate it if you could spread the word and let the council know how valuable the club is to Unley.

Thankyou for your support!