The beauty of ringing*
22 June – 28 June 2025
Course leader: Anabelí D González
Welcome to experience the beauty of rolling in mud! The technique has been used since ancient times all over the world and is still used today. Rolling clay is about exercising patience, finding balance in form and finding the right pace in the work process. The technique itself is very simple; rolls are made of clay which are then joined together by pressure. The possibilities are great - you can ring "anything" and in principle any size, but you must not be afraid of failure. This week we create through intuition and in the practical work we acquire knowledge of the material. Based on the course leader's experiences with the clay, you will receive tools that will help you move forward in your creative process, regardless of whether you work with utility ceramics or just sculpture. At Capellagården, we get inspiration from each other and the surroundings.
Course fee
The course fee is SEK 5100
The course takes place in collaboration with the Authority for Vocational College, Art and Culture, which means that the course fee can be kept lower than other courses.
If Capellagården has to cancel the course, you always have the right to get back the course fee you have paid. If you need to withdraw your offer due to obstacles or illness, a refund will be made with 50% of the course fee.
Please note that board and lodging are not included in the course fee, but are booked and paid for separately after admission. Material costs for individual works may be added and paid on site.
Application and admission
Who can apply for the course?
You who apply for this course must have knowledge of clay as a material, you have e.g. attended evening classes, have ceramics as a hobby or have clay as your favorite material.
You who search Capellagården's summer courses must be 18 years of age, except for the children/youth courses.
How do I apply?
Link to application form.
ATTENTION! When you have submitted your application, you will only receive a confirmation on the screen. You will not receive an automatic confirmation of your application via email, but you have the option to fill in that you would like a copy of your application via email in the application form. After you have submitted your application, you will be redirected to Capellagården's website.
How is the selection of course participants done?
We apply continuous admission. When a course has enough applicants to fill course and reserve places, we close the possibility to apply for the course. Some courses quickly receive a large number of applicants. The selection for the course is based on your motivation in the application and the desire to have a spread in the group.
When will I receive a response to my application?
We will provide feedback on an ongoing basis. That is, the time it takes to receive notification can vary. Notification is sent via email. The first e-mails with notifications will be tentatively sent out during the month of February. Upon admission, information is given about payment and confirmation of course place. In case of non-payment, we offer the course place to the next person in line. In connection with admission, it is possible to book and pay for board and lodging.
Why is there a delay in answering my question?
Send your questions and concerns to sommarkurser@capellagarden.se. We will reply as soon as we can, so please be patient if it takes a few days.
Board and lodging
In connection with admission, you are offered possibility to book and pay for board and lodging during the course week. There are about ten different houses on the "storgården" with close proximity to workshops and the Vingårdsalen. The rooms are varied with a simple standard. The houses have access to a shared kitchen, shower and toilet. Many houses/rooms thus have shared bathrooms. Full board is included for everyone who lives at Capellagården and our shared meals are largely based on vegetables from our organic garden.
Cost of board and lodging in a single room:
Board and accommodation for one week: SEK 5,300
Bed linen is included in the fee.
If Capellagården has to cancel the course, you always have the right to recover all fees for board and lodging. In case of cancellation, we charge an administrative fee of SEK 500.
We are usually able to offer rooms to anyone who wishes, but unfortunately cannot give any guarantee. If we are unable to offer you accommodation during your course period, you will receive information about this in your acceptance letter.
If you have arranged your own accommodation and want to eat together with your coursemates, it is fine to buy individual meals. The price is then:
Breakfast SEK 85, Lunch or dinner SEK 130, Cheese tray (end) SEK 160.
Coffee and shared coffee are included in the course fee
Bring to the course
Bring your own tools and an easel if you have one, otherwise they are in the workshop. You can borrow simple tools such as cutting wire, a sponge, a metal rail and a couple of modeling sticks. Apron and soft shoes (there is a concrete floor in the workshop). Cardboard boxes and packaging materials such as newspapers and bubble wrap. This is to be able to pack up and ship home the items you ring during the week. We don't have time to burn during the course. It is fine to ship items that are not warped, provided you pack well. Bring an old sheet to put over the items we rotate during the week, so they dry slowly. Also bring old terry towels. We will cut strips of them to put around the edge of our swirled items during the process.
Course start and end
Sunday, course start
On Sunday, the course starts for everyone. Arrival time and check-in takes place from 15.00 – 16.45. Meeting place in the school courtyard in front of the yellow mangård building. Afterwards, a simpler dinner is served in the Vingårdsalen. Roll call and joint start together with everyone on your course takes place at 18.00, also in the courtyard.
Course week
The course day starts at 8.30 and ends at 16.30. On certain days, you may be invited to a joint meeting/lecture in the morning or evening. Work in workshops and the garden is also permitted outside of teaching hours according to our workshop policy, which you will get well in place.
Friday, the last day of the course
During the day, workshop cleaning and course evaluation are included, followed by a joint tour of the workshops. The course ends with a joint final evening in the courtyard.
Saturday, the return day
Breakfast is served and check-out takes place no later than 11.00.
Language
The language of instruction on the course is Swedish. However, summaries in English may appear.
Photographer: Bertil Hertzberg
Anabelí D González
Anabelí lives in Kalmar, has attended Capellagården and studied ceramics at HDK – Valand, University of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg. In 2016 and 2017 she received the IASPIS (International Artists Studio Program) to go to Jingdezhen, China, in 2021 she received a two-year work grant from the Artists' Council. Anabelí sees her activity as research into the power of the artistic process; about scale and size. "I explore clay and burning by challenging myself. How big can I build, how big sculptures can I burn? What happens to presence and feeling when a sculpture becomes so big that I can't even embrace it?”
The first time Anabelí's hands met the clay was in Northern Norway in the 1990s. She was in her 20s and it had been several years since she left her hometown of Mexico City. She didn't have any thoughts about ceramics when she was growing up, but eventually the power of clay hit her. "When I wasn't tied to the cylindrical thing at the turntable, things got bigger. It became more sculptural and figurative. I hadn't done that before. I love the turntable, but nothing beats swirling. It's what I feed my soul with."