I read that “the reason many people feel & think that they are not creative is that they have not found a medium that excites their imagination, a medium in which they think best.” This is something that has stuck with me, as looking back to school days clay was that medium for myself.

Over the past decade, Neil Boyle has focused a significant part of his ceramic practice on working with both children and adults in the further education sector and wider community. This experience has reinforced his belief that everyone possesses remarkable creative potential. He asserts that the only reason some people think they are not creative is because they have yet to discover the medium that sparks their imagination. For Neil, that medium is clay.

Born and raised in Derry, Neil Boyle’s creative journey began with his studies at art college in Belfast, where he graduated in 1998 with a BA Hons in Fine & Applied Arts, specializing in ceramics, from the University of Ulster. He honed his skills as a production potter at Craftworks Pottery School in Derry, which led to positions working as a potter at Terrybaun Pottery in Mayo and Colm de Ris Pottery in Dublin.

After three years working in Ireland’s craft industry, Neil moved to Kilkenny in 2002 to participate in a pilot residency program with the Craft Council of Ireland at their Ceramic Pottery Skills School in Thomastown. Under the mentorship of Gus Mableson, he deepened his knowledge of glaze technology, kiln theory, and production techniques.

In 2003, Neil returned to Derry and began working as a ceramicist in the education sector, engaging with both children and adults while continuing to develop his personal ceramic practice. By 2010, teaching became the central focus of his career, prompting him to pursue a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Today, Neil is an Associate Lecturer in Art and Design at North West Regional College, balancing his time between teaching in further education, supporting community initiatives, and continuing his ceramics practice and ever-evolving journey of exploration and creativity in a medium that continues to inspire him.