A PROUD tradition of pottery in Headington Quarry has been revived ahead of Artweeks.

Victoria Hallam has been busy crafting clay heads of residents at Barclays Bank. And the Quarry Road artist has joined a 2,000 year-old tradition of pottery in the area.

Kilns dating back to the Roman era were previously found at the site of the Churchill Hospital.

Mrs Hallam said: “I have a garden full of homemade heads that I have created.

“I thought that it was quite nice to continue a tradition in Quarry Road.

“They made pottery here originally and then they made bricks. We are really continuing on the tradition.”

The mother-of-four, grandmother and great grandmother is very proud of her latest clay head which is based on her daughter Jane Cooke.

She also has designed heads of her three sons Peter, Paul and Christopher and hopes to have her collection ready for the start of Artweeks.

It can take Mrs Hallam up to three months to complete one of her models, but she smiled that it is all worth it in the end.

She started making sculptures two years ago and also creates small figures which stand at 30cm to 50cm tall.

She was awarded a 2:1 in ceramics and print-making from the West of England College of Arts.

Festival coordinator Jean Wykes said: “We are trying to make it a bubbly art place. There is lots of arts and community groups going on in Headington which seem to be split up into little places.

“I’m trying to bring all the different areas and community groups together.”

Ten schools from across Headington and Marston have designed posters of heads of Headington which will be displayed over the whole month.

Headington Girls Primary, Quarry Foundation, Rye St Anthony’s Primary, St Andrew’s Primary, Windmill Primary and Woodfarm Primary will have their posters on proud display at Barclays Bank on London Road from Monday May 12 until Monday May 26.

Pupils from the New Marston, St Michael’s and St Nicholas’ primary schools have designed colourful heads which are now on display at the John Radcliffe Hospital until the end of the month.

Ms Wykes, from Kennett Road added: “I’m trying to give a voice to all the different artists and bring them out into the open.

“Hopefully we can use art to get people more involved and to enjoy life.”

Kids can have a go with clay on Saturday May 17 from 10-12am at Barclays Bank to kick-off the start of a week of festivities.