Daizy Stevens said she had a “dream job” working alongside Cutmore at Denby, after she joined the company as an apprentice in 2021.
“You grow up being told you’re not going to get a stable job as an artist. [Working at Denby] was one of those things that I couldn’t believe, I was so lucky to get,” she said.
The 23-year-old, from Ilkeston, said she could “genuinely have worked there forever” but was informed of her redundancy on Tuesday.
“It was literally heart-breaking. I felt like my world had shattered,” she said.
Stevens added: “Having to then deal with all these redundancy claims and protection services is like rubbing salt in the wound, as I’m sure anyone who’s been made redundant knows.”
Despite the redundancies, both workers said they were hopeful of continuing to use their pottery skills in future employment.
“I’m hoping to start my own pottery business, so I’m going to do exactly what I was doing at Denby, in my own studio, somewhere near Belper hopefully,” said Cutmore.
