The Great Pottery Throw Down finalist Adam opens West Sussex charity Superstar Arts’ new shop

Ceramicist Adam Johnson, a finalist on Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down, has officially opened West Sussex charity Superstar Arts’ first shop.
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Adam is a trustee of the charity, which runs creative educational projects for adults with learning disabilities from across the county, and was delighted to help showcase the new shop in South Street, Tarring, just up from West Worthing railway station.

He has been working with Superstar Arts for several years and before Covid, would go in once or twice a week to work on different creative projects.

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Ceramic stars on sticks which he worked on with the Superstars are one of the items on sale in the charity shop.

The Great Pottery Throw Down finalist Adam Johnson opens the new Superstar Arts shop in WorthingThe Great Pottery Throw Down finalist Adam Johnson opens the new Superstar Arts shop in Worthing
The Great Pottery Throw Down finalist Adam Johnson opens the new Superstar Arts shop in Worthing

Adam said: “They make the products from concept to cash, coming up with the idea, making it, doing the marketing and selling it.

“I think it is quite nice for someone from the outside perspective to come in and work with them and suggest things they can do. We have learned from each other. They massively push me to think outside the box.”

Superstar Arts is based at West Worthing Baptist Church, just up the road from the shop, so it is an ideal place for some of the Superstars to gain valuable work experience.

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Jo Telling, director and co-founder, said: “This is a very exciting new opportunity for us to provide genuine work experience for our Superstar participants, as well as an exciting way of raising much-needed funds for our projects.”

Egg, Adam Johnson's dog, with the ceramic stars he helped the Superstars to makeEgg, Adam Johnson's dog, with the ceramic stars he helped the Superstars to make
Egg, Adam Johnson's dog, with the ceramic stars he helped the Superstars to make

She said she and co-founder Jo Sullivan had always wanted a shop, from the very beginnings of Superstar Arts in 2012.

Jo added: “We have taken over the lease of the Worthing Cat Welfare Trust shop and will continue to run it as a charity shop but will also be selling Superstar Arts products.

“It gives us a definite place in the community and it is so close to the charity’s base that everyone as an opportunity to work in the shop, on a rota.”

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A crowdfunder was launched on Spacehive on February 19 to raise the money to cover the set-up costs and £5,525 was donated by supporters.

Adam, who is based at Make It 11 in Brighton, cut the ribbon at 11am today.

The charity already has an online shop, selling cards, notebooks, tea towels, tote bags and t-shirts, featuring designs created by Superstar artists, and these will now also be available in store. Visit www.superstararts.com/shop for more information.

The Superstars have also just taking over the running of the coffee shop at West Worthing Baptist Church and will be opening to the public in June.

Jo said: “Our partnership work has been really important and they have enabled us to carry on throughout lockdown.”

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