ON OUR RADAR

Black History Month pottery, poetry and song

Ceramicist Lili John and Devon Development Education are hosting a celebration of the life of 19th century potter, poet and slave David Drake.

Leigh Curtis

Ceramicist Lili John and Devon Development Education are hosting a celebration of the life of 19th century potter, poet and slave David Drake for Black History Month on Thursday 20 October.

An interactive workshop at Exeter Community Centre will begin with a spiritualist song and the story of David Drake’s life. Lili John will then help participants to write poetry about their own lives before creating hand-built pottery inspired by their efforts.

Black History Month pottery poetry song workshop Thursday 20 October 2022 Exeter Community Centre Ceramic pot by David Drake, dated 1862. Photo: Wikimedia.

David Drake, also known as “Dave the Potter”, was an American potter and enslaved African American who lived and worked in Edgefield, South Carolina. Born on a plantation, he was one of 76 enslaved African Americans to have worked in the town’s pottery factories.

His earliest recorded work is a pot dating from 1834. Scholars believe that David Drake made more than 40,000 pieces over his lifetime. His pots, jars and jugs were often inscribed with poems during a time in which it was generally forbidden for African Americans to read and write.

Drake became a free man after the American Civil War, which ended in 1865. He died sometime in the 1870’s.

Lili John ceramic Ceramic art by Lili John. Image: South Hams Arts Forum.

Lili John is a contemporary mix media artist, arts tutor and author from Totnes. Her work is influenced by her dual Celtic and African heritage and her love of nature.

She is a trustee of Daisi, an Exeter not-for-profit arts education organisation, and founder of a co-operative which promotes work created by Devon women artists.

Subscribe to The Exeter Digest - Exeter Observer's essential free email newsletter

Your personal information will be processed and stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy

Celebrating Dave Drake: Slave, Master Potter and Poet is at 6-8.30pm on Thursday 20 October 2022 at Exeter Community Centre.

The event is free. More information and bookings via Eventbrite.


Democracy doesn't work when people don't know who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.

Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the independent public interest journalism our local democracy needs.

Upgrade to a paid Exeter Observer subscription to support our work and get access to exclusive premium content and more.

More stories
2024-25 Devon County Council locality budget community grants allocations by Exeter councillor

Heavitree & Whipton Barton community groups miss out on £14,600 after Danny Barnes fails to sign funding agreements

Voluntary sector grants now lost following 12% councillor attendance record highlighting need for by-elections in absentee cases.

Suspended Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Will Kerr

Criminal investigation into suspended Devon & Cornwall Police Chief Constable dropped

Will Kerr to remain suspended while IOPC resumes previously paused conduct investigation and interim chief constable James Vaughan continues to lead force.

2024 duration in hours of monitored spill events at water company overflow sites bar graph

South West Water bills rise by a third following worst performance in sector with 550,000 hours of sewage spills

Tariffs increase as Environment Agency publishes damning data after South West Water owner Pennon Group issues £24.5 million in dividends to shareholders.

Devon & Torbay Combined County Authority inaugural meeting 19 March 2025

Devon & Torbay CCA sets sail for regional democratic deficit with £500,000 crew

Combined county authority throws public accountability overboard as future regional strategic governance body ratifies constitution at inaugural meeting but fails to explain why so many staff needed to deliver so little at such colossal cost.

Exeter Post Office in Guildhall Shopping Centre WHSmith

Sidwell Street Post Office to close as WHSmith shops sale raises risk of Exeter city centre counter service disappearance

Closure follows loss of Exeter’s last Crown Post Office in Bedford Street, since when all city branches operated by franchisees or independent businesses.

Exeter local elections campaign materials

Help hold Devon’s political parties and politicians to account during the 2025 local elections

Send us any campaign materials you receive so we can fact-check candidates’ claims and hold them to their pledges after the votes have been counted.