Who we are

In 2023, after a long career in Financial Services, Jenni Dawson was made redundant. It was a pivotal moment – as these things often are. Knowing she didn’t want to return to the corporate world, she took a break to explore some of the passions that had been on hold for, well, decades.

A lifelong lover of crafts, Jenni began experimenting with new creative pursuits she had always been curious about but never had time to try. From quilling, mosaic, silver and more, the more Jenni allowed her artistic expression to have free reign, the more inner peace she felt. One of those was pursuits was pottery. From the moment she picked up her first lump of premium sanded buff clay, she was hooked.

She started with a short course, then another, and another – until it became clear that occasional classes weren’t enough. To improve at any craft, you need practice. Maybe not the famous 10,000 hours, but certainly more than a handful of sessions. So, Jenni became a member of her local community studio.

Over time, she realised that although the studio was well-equipped with wheels, what she really needed was space for hand-building – her true passion. She’s always preferred the character and form of hand-built pots. With just a table, some clay, and a bit of determination, anyone can make something beautiful. No wheels required – and that accessibility really mattered to her.

Another real love was mosaic. Whether that was traditional mosaic techniques or more free-form techniques such as pique-assiette, the possibilities became more and more apparent as her skills grew.

One of the real benefits that Jenni discovered with mosaic was the feeling of being completely absorbed in whatever project she was working on. The word mindfulness did not feel enough to describe the sense of peace and inner calm she derived from allowing her artistic expression free reign. And, as with pottery, mosaic was an extremely accessible passtime.

Something clicked with Jenni. She knew she had to find a way to make these creative pursuits available to everyone, and lower barriers such as knowledge, space, cost and availability.

In 2024, Jenni found the perfect location – just across the way from her current studio. She signed the lease for Unit 5, Station Road Studios, part of the Makespace building in Didcot. Work began in earnest. And now, in April 2025, Parkway Arts is open!

We currently offer not only hand-building, but also Silver Metal Clay courses and mosaic workshops – with even more crafts and classes planned. Studio memberships are also available for those ready to take their practice further.

Parkway Arts is here – and we’d love for you to be part of it.
Explore our memberships and courses to see what’s on offer – and come join the creative ride.