The origins

ACC was born out of the will of a small group of ceramicists, professionals that shared common goals, and wanted to be known by the administration and let know their necessities and merits, as well as to show interest in carrying out promotional acts, as well as to embrace a space that would allow accessibility to diverse estates either public or private. This little group was formed by Joan Aroní, Carles Batallé, Manel Diestre, Teresa Gironès, Núria Pié I Xavier Oliveras, whom gathered together. From this reunion onwards, did spring the steady will of creating a professional group that was properly legalized.

This initiative had an extraordinary eco, and in a short period of time was joined by the collective of ceramicists of Sants, as well as by the Grup Coure from Girona. This answer, obviously, required in short an properly organized collective structure. For this reason, it was organized a first meeting, inviting everyone, at the Cotxeres of Sants.

The year 1985 under the slogan “For an association of ceramicists” on October 26th, gathered at the Museum of Ceramics of Barcelona about 200 people linked to this field. After heated and vital arguments they agreed to create the ACC; it was a succeed.

In 1986 was constructed by 60 members.

It was built a first Board, having as a president Jaume Toldrà and as a vice-president Teresa Gironès, within a concrete premise: the need to build an association of a cultural nature and with a non profit aim. The name that it was given, after of course of a big debate, was Association Ceramicists of Catalonia.

During this first stage, the Association released a catalogue with the works of the members, a necessary tool at the moment to let themselves get known, at the same time there were organized activities as the “Autumn Workshop” where started exchanges with ceramicists of other countries.

The first social venue at street Ecuador number 2 the year 1986, small as it was still our association, covered the necessity that we had. It was an space for encounters, with a small secretariat space, to start a database that nowadays has story. It was just opened twice a week and counted with the precious collaboration of Cristina Alabert that during 12 years would be the nexus of communication between the directive board and the memberships.

Our association did grow and we did need a venue that would fit all of us, and would be able to carry out courses, exhibitions, etc. And an ideal venue was found, at the neighbourhood of Gracia, at Plaça del Nord where we moved the year 1993 and during 7 years was our headquarter. From an agglutinated perspective had the ideal characteristics: a big open patio that allowed recreational and gastronomically meetings, as well as casting courses, raku, etc. In Gracia were carried out diverse collaborations with the neighbourhood, alongside the federation entities and the association of neighbours something that has remained our print at the Plaça de la Revolució in terms of a children game adjacent to the floor.

The year 2000 we did move to the street Doctor Dou, where we currently still remain. We wanted our own media space where to carry out exhibitions, have a library, bookshop, and even a possibility to open a shop that formed part of a cultural centric space, not difficult to locate.

Here you have a brief resume of our history in images: