Bringing Dacorum’s stories together through clay

Ceramic artists Emma Przygrodzka and Jolijn Bronneberg have been awarded a Heritage Open Days Grant from Dacorum Heritage Trust to bring their project, A Common Ground, to life. The community ceramic project explores the everyday stories, places and experiences that make up the heritage of Dacorum.

Drawing on the area’s historic Penn tile tradition, Emma and Jolijn wanted to create an artwork that reflected the many different connections people have with the local area.

As part of the project, they held a hands-on tile-making workshop at the Autumn Festival in Boxmoor on 20 September. Festival visitors were invited to create their own sgraffito tiles, taking inspiration from Dacorum’s buildings, landscapes, wildlife, stories and everyday life, as well as objects from the collections of Dacorum Heritage Trust.

Participants began by sketching their ideas before transferring them onto clay tiles coated with coloured slip. They then scratched and carved through the surface to reveal the clay beneath, creating their own individual designs. Sgraffito is a straightforward yet expressive technique, making it a great way for people of all ages and abilities to produce something personal.

The workshop was a great success, with 100 tiles carved and decorated in just four hours.

The finished tiles reflect a wide range of local interests and memories. Some were inspired by particular heritage objects, while others featured local buildings, wildlife, landscapes and personal experiences. Together, they create a colourful snapshot of how people see and connect with Dacorum today.

The tiles are now being fired before the final stage of the project. Once ready, they will be assembled into a collaborative mural and installed at the Dacorum Heritage Centre, where the individual tiles will become part of one larger artwork.

For Emma and Jolijn, A Common Ground is about more than creating a mural. The project has provided an opportunity to bring people together through making, encourage conversations about local history and explore how individual stories can become part of a shared piece of art.

They are now looking forward to seeing all 100 tiles assembled and finding their new home at the Dacorum Heritage Centre.