(6 Week Taught Course)

For complete beginners and intermediate potters

Thursdays
12.30 -3 pm

THE COURSE DATES:

May 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13, 27 (Break week June 20)

Please note there is a break for the week just before the final glazing session. This course is run as a 2-hour class per week on your selected day.

This course is not appropriate for under 16’s.

Description:

This 6-week intro to ceramic sculpture and handbuilding course is great for learning to produce ceramic art and pottery without a potters wheel. Handbuilding courses are very useful foundational courses for sculpture and for broadening glazing/decoration skills. Participants will learn to glaze and finish their pieces with coloured slips and oxides and to use essential equipment like the slab-roller, extruder, and moulds.

Pieces are currently limited to about 12 in. in height and width.

We begin with simple hollow animal/figurative sculpture, so please bring ideas of what you might like to produce - recent students have made piggy banks, hare garden sculptures and penguins for example (aprx 6 - 8 in.). We will discuss projects for weeks 2-6 in the first session.

Techniques and equipment used: Pinch pottery, coiling, slab building, slip layering, moulds, extruder, slab-roller

Further info:
Absences: Because of flexibility and rescheduling needing to be reserved for absences relating to health/serious incidents, and the inherent challenges of working with pieces over several week periods, other absences (i.e. work disruption, holiday etc.) will not be able to be accommodated outside the set practice times outlined at the beginning of your course. Because the classes look at a week by week progression it is important to try not to miss any sessions unless absolutely necessary. Catch-up will be incorporated into the set nights booked.

It is unlikely there will be additional flexibility to switch nights of the week unless there is particularly low turn out on a specific evening.

Please check our cancellation policy.

Covid has made it so we now operate on a short-course format over 6-8 week periods. Those wishing to continue may pursue a further 6 weeks to continue to develop their skills. After this point, those comfortable may be able to join the open-studio program to carry on working in untutored sessions.

Firing Charges:
The first 4 projects are included in the course.
Production beyond this incurs additional charges for firing pieces to account for energy, packing, firing and glaze costs.
Charges are: £1 per 1lb of clay used. This includes a bisque and glaze firing.
General costs come to aprx. £1 per mug or bowl.
This is subject to change, with notice, reflecting the variability of firings.

Pots by Krishna Alageswaran