Happening for the very first time this September is the Days of Ceramic Art and Clay event in Ayia Napa. Organised by the municipality in collaboration with the Association of Potters-Ceramists and the Aroma Association – Friends of the Ayia Napa Sculpture Park, a series of ceramic-focused events and activities will unfold next month, all about Cyprus’ ceramic tradition.

From September 19 to 21, Ayia Napa’s central square will host a wide array of events, touching on traditional and contemporary clay expressions. Get ready for three days of exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and technique demonstrations that promise to bring the fascinating world of ceramics closer to the public.

A Ceramic Art Exhibition at the Giorgos Seferis Cultural Centre will mark the official opening of the event on September 19 at 6pm. Activities will spread around Ayia Napa’s cultural institutions with the Ayia Napa Municipal Museum Thalassa hosting a screening on the Saturday. Paschalis Papapetrou’s documentary Cypriot Medieval Glazed Pottery will be shown at 11am, followed by a lecture by Dr Dimitra Papanikola-Bakirtzi titled Byzantine Glazed Pottery: The Technique of Incising.

Back at the square, interactive workshops and demonstrations on pottery wheel techniques, large ceramics on the wheel, live sculpting and the Raku firing technique will be offered to visitors. Special clay workshops will also be available for children and adults, offering a hands-on experience for families.

Beyond the artistic practice, the event aims to shed light on ceramics as both a utilitarian craft and a fine art form that continues to evolve in Cyprus today, by bringing together traditional craftspeople and modern ceramicists.

Festival visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase unique works of art and take ceramic pieces home with them from the Handmade Ceramics Market, which will run throughout the event featuring the works of local makers.

“We highlight our rich cultural heritage and give both residents and visitors the chance to engage directly in an art that connects past and present. Ayia Napa once again proves that it is a centre of culture, creativity and tradition,” said Ayia Napa mayor Christos Zannetou.

Days of Ceramic Art and Clay

1st edition of a three-day event with exhibitions, workshops, lectures and markets. September 19-21. Central square Giorgos Seferis, Ayia Napa. Free entrance. www.agianapa.org.cy