Thanks to a raft of public sector funding, one of Cornwall's influential heritage sites has open edits doors once again with a new pottery training and business incubation facility, education resources and a showcase gallery, all of which will celebrate the life, work, influences and legacy of its famous creator.

Born in the East and educated in the West, Bernard Leach was one of the most influential figures of the craft movement in the 20th Century. The establishment of the Leach Pottery in St Ives in 1920 led to the development of his reputation as a key pioneering figure in the international world of ceramics.

The transformation has been made possible by funding and support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, Arts Council England South West, the Rural Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Partnership, Penwith District Council, Cornwall County Council and St. Ives Town Council. Significant funds have also been raised from trusts and foundations, membership subscriptions and by the local Leach Pottery Support Group.

Taking up residence at the new facility as the new Lead Potter will be Jack Doherty, the chairman of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain and the organising committee of Ceramic Art London. His work is exhibited widely, winning gold medals at international exhibitions and his involvement with the education and training of potters includes lecturing, specialist conferences, mentoring and leading workshops in many countries.

Jack will take up residence in Bernard Leach’s old studio and will direct the educational and developmental work of Leach Pottery as well as creating and showcasing his own work. Joining him as Director of the Pottery is Julia Twomlow, formerly a creative industries Consultant with Perfect Moment Consultancy and Director of the Acorn Theatre in Penzance. In 2004 Julia was awarded one of the first Fellowships on the Clore Leadership Programme, set up by Dame Vivien Duffield and run by Lord Smith of Finsbury.

Through a partnership with University College Falmouth, the new development will enable students to work alongside established craftspeople to develop their techniques, and Leach Pottery will provide a high level of skills training in a supportive atmosphere. All aspects of the potter’s trade will be covered including design, production, marketing and exhibition. Leach Pottery will also mentor business start-ups and provide studio space for emerging talent.

The redevelopment of the new site has sympathetically restored the Leach cottage and old pottery; both Grade II listed buildings. The climbing kiln, a scheduled monument, is now fully protected from the elements by a carefully restored roof and the original workshops have been preserved. The soot-blackened roof over the kilns, the fireplace beside which Bernard Leach gave his critiques and all the equipment, including the chart of test tiles, remains almost untouched. Drawing on Japanese influences, the new pottery studio building on its stilts and simple cube gallery, connected to the historic buildings with wooden walkways, link the pottery's past with its future.

Bernard Leach trained first as an artist in London and then as a potter in Japan. He became fascinated by the two cultures that seemed so different. His continued work and experience in Japan and Korea and the establishment of the Leach Pottery in St Ives in 1920 led to the development of his reputation as a key pioneering figure in the ceramics world. Collaborating with a young Japanese potter, Shoji Hamada, Leach built the first oriental climbing kiln in the West. Over the course of fifty years Leach taught, wrote and trained other potters in the great art, combining Japanese and European aesthetics through his work. Today, many international links are still in existence between Leach Pottery and Japan in particular.

Leach Pottery is expected that the rejuvenated pottery and visitor attraction will host up 30,000 visitors per year.