Join us for an immersive two-day workshop where you will learn to create your own whistling vessels, clay instruments rooted in prehispanic traditions across Latin America and connected to wind-based ceramic instruments found throughout Aotearoa and the Pacific.
Day 1
- 4.5 hours (includes a short break)
- Introduction to the cultural context and history of whistling vessels from Latin America
- Connections with clay and wind instruments from Aotearoa and the Pacific
- Coil making session - you will learn to make their own coils by hand, using an extruding tool and developing spiral building to create two small bottles that will form the main chambers of the instrument.
Day 2
- 4.5 hours (includes a short break)
- Trimming and cutting the bottles
- Hand building a connecting cylinder/tube using slabs
- Pinch-pot technique to create the hollow sphere that completes the whistling system
- Assembly of all components
- Optional carving, burnishing or surface decoration.
Your finished pieces will be unglazed to honour the raw, rustic character of the form. We work with black clay for its depth, texture and traditional qualities, encouraging natural tool marks and handmade surfaces to remain visible.
By the end of the workshop, you will have created a functional whistling vessel - an object that carries sound, breath and cultural lineage.
Once the vessels are fully dried, we will take them through the first firing (bisque 900°C) and then to a second firing (cone 6 glaze firing 1200°C) to ensure proper vitrification and a fully sealed structure. This final stage is essential, allowing you to fill the vessel with water and hear the soft whistle created as the piece rocks side to side.
Between 3-4 weeks later you will be able to collect your piece from Corban Estate Arts Centre and listen to them whistling!
For adults 18+.