clare e. potter appointed as RCTCBC’s next Artist in Service (2025–26)
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC) Arts & Cultural Service is delighted to announce that Clare Potter has been appointed as the next Artist in Service, continuing the development of this pioneering programme that places artists at the heart of civic and community life.
About the Artist in Service Programme
The Artist in Service programme is a groundbreaking initiative designed to explore how artists can meaningfully engage with the people and places of Rhondda Cynon Taf. Developed in consultation with The Experience Business as part of the Designing Public Value with Purpose programme, it provides an opportunity for a local artist to evolve their creative practice through conversation and collaboration with communities across the area.
The position itself lasts for 9 months, from October 2025 until June 2026. During this time the artist is introduced to the wider family of local authority services and supported to connect with individuals and groups of residents across the county borough area. They are encouraged to pursue their own interests and explore how existing or emerging themes in their practice might meet the needs of those they encounter during the programme.
Unlike traditional residencies or commissions, there is no expectation of a final product or a series of workshops. Instead, the focus is on curiosity, connection, and mutual exchange — valuing the process as much as any potential outcome.
Following the success of Artists in Service Harriet Fleuriot and Rhys Slade-Jones (2024–25), this new phase builds on their learning and continues to champion open-ended, community-rooted artistic engagement.
About clare e. potter
Clare loves poetry in her local woods by the ash and sycamore. As a trainee poetry therapy practitioner, she facilitates creative wellbeing workshops, motivated by the belief that poetry can be a force for personal and social change. She presents radio including ‘Max Boyce, The Tools are on the Bar,’ and ‘The Poet’s Poet’ which was nominated for a Celtic Media Award; she directed a BBC Wales documentary, ‘The Wall and the Mirror’ about her village barber, which encouraged community action to save the local miners institute in Cefn Fforest.
Clare mentors and is mentored by other artists and collaborates with community groups to make site-specific work. She won the John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry and translated for the National Poet of Wales. She was a Hay Festival Writer at Work and is this year’s Royal Society of Literature/Jerwood Poetry Award winner for Cymru. Her current Cymraeg poetry pamphlet Nôl Iaith follows her collection Healing the Pack. She was an ambassador for the Welsh language at Llif a European languages retreat with focus on ecology, climate emergency and culture.
Clare on her appointment
"I'm very humbled to be appointed as Artist in Service for Rhondda Cynon Taff. I l feel a great deal of affection for where I live and am looking forward to deepening my knowledge and appreciation for our county. We're incredibly lucky in RCT to have an abundance of talented artists and community groups who are making this place a better place to live and thrive in. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside these artists, to meet more people, and explore the beautiful landscape. To be in service to creativity born of this area"
From RCTCBC Arts & Cultural Service
“We’re delighted to have Clare join us as the next Artist in Service for Rhondda Cynon Taf. Whilst this is only the second iteration of the role, the programme has already garnered significant interest both inside and outside the local authority area. We know that across the sector our relationship with artists needs to change, and we are proud to have the support of our communities, peers from across the local authority and elected members to explore how that might look. Clare has already impressed with her passion for the culture, people, places, and languages of RCT. I am excited to see how her innate curiosity challenges and inspires us!”
Jesse Briton, Arts & Community Engagement Manager
Further Information
For more details on the programme please contact jesse.briton@rctcbc.gov.uk