Renu Mathew is a teacher at Ècole Olds High School who will be sharing her creativity on CBC’s new television show ‘The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down’.  

“I loved my experience on the show,” said Mathew, who also said the show was filmed in Vancouver over an eight week period during July and August 2023. “I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was like summer camp for adults. I learned so much and really enjoyed meeting everyone on the show. Each artist had something unique to offer; I loved learning from other artists.” 

Mathew added that working with ceramics can be a bit unpredictable.  

“Working with clay is always humbling. No matter how good you are, there are often technical issues. But just learning from everyone around you is what makes it so good.” 

Before being on the show, Mathew used a similar British series to teach her students. After seeing the show come to Canada, she applied immediately. The skills she learned from being on the show have also translated to techniques she can share with her students.  

This is the second television show she has appeared on after appearing on the Food Network’s Great Chocolate Showdown in 2020. At Olds High, she teaches a chocolate class, ceramics, art, and cosmetology. 

Since her experience on ‘The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down’ Mathew has been invited by other participants to travel to New Brunswick this summer to be an artist in residence.  

Principal Meaghan Reist said, “Ecole Olds High School staff and students are proud to call Ms. Mathew our own, and we are incredibly excited to watch her on The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown! Her participation on the show is a true testament to her skill as a ceramic artist. Olds High students are blessed to learn and benefit from her many skills, including the learning she has now gained from the show. Her Olds High school and community cannot wait to watch and cheer her on together.” 

The show will be premiering on February 8, 2024 on CBC.