Open Studio

At Lancaster Pottery Studio we have an Open Studio membership programme for people who have completed two 6-week courses with us (one course if you want to join as a hand builder).

This monthly subscription gets you access to the Studio during set windows during the week to work independently on your pottery skills. You will be allocated to a particular slot, during which time you have guaranteed wheel access, but you are welcome to come in during other sessions to glaze, hand build, attach handles etc..

All Studio members are given their own shelf, and are free to use the materials and equipment in the Studio including the wheels, tools, glazes, slips, oxides, extruder and slab roller - if/ when you start producing more than a few items a month we do ask that you look into getting your own glazes, but we do have a base range you can use.

The current Open Studio slots are:

Tuesdays 1-3pm

Tuesdays 7-9pm (hand building only)

Wednesdays 7-9pm (currently wheels all full)

Thursdays 1-4pm (currently wheels all full)

From September we will be opening up a new session - Wednesday evenings 5-7pm.

You would be welcome to stay on into the 7-9pm session but would need to vacate your wheel if required by someone who was part of the 7-9pm group.

The current cost of Open Studio is £40.00 per month, this does not include firing charges which are charged at the bisque stage and start at around £2.50 for a mug/ £3.00 for a cereal bowl.

If you have completed two 6-week courses with us and would like to sign up to Open Studio then please fill out the form on this page to join the waitlist and we will contact you when space becomes available. At that stage we will send you payment information and a info pack of rules/ expectations for using the studio which you will be asked to sign in your first session.

We ask that everyone wanting to join Open Studio has completed at least two 6-week courses for joining as a thrower, or one 6-week course to join as a hand builder - this is so we can be confident that you know how to use the equipment and that you understand the culture and rythms of the Studio space. If you are an experienced thrower looking to move studios, we still ask that you complete one 6-week course with us for the same reasons.

Open Studio is not suitable for production potters.