Pottery Workshops
Workshops are changing for 2026 and dates will be available very soon.
This years workshop programme will concentrate on courses to enable those of you who have already taken the plunge into clay to develop your skills on the pottery wheels. If you have already tried clay and know how it feels to create and perhaps throw a pot but it all still feels a mystery then try the beginners course. Or, if you are part of a class already or a community studio and feel you need some extra input, particularly in consistency, moving your work forward or upscaling, try our improvers course. For those of you disappointed not to find taster sessions, scroll down to discover a recommended potter who can give you that fun filled messy experience.
Pottery Courses
These small group courses are particularly designed for those of you who have already chosen pottery as a hobby. Pottery throwing skills do not happen overnight so these courses give a you a boost to develop and focus on technique and grow your confidence.
Both the beginner and improver courses will have guided tuition for your ability stage, an electric pottery wheel to use for the duration, all the clay you require and demonstrations. The teaching style will be relaxed but hands on and with guided practice sessions so you should see improvements in your throwing style over the duration. The course will also cover a degree of trimming, decoration, handle making and bringing your pots into use.
If you are not sure which course suits your ability stage please read the guidance below or get in touch to ask any questions you have.
£ 510 per person
Includes:
-
Firing of up to 8 completed items
Beginner Course: 2026 dates announced soon
Improver Course: 2026 dates announced soon
Which course is right for you?
To get most out of your time at the studio you do need some small previous experience with clay, and some awareness of what physical demands pottery requires. Here are some things to be aware of before you book. Hopefully there's nothing too surprising, but if you've any questions get in touch with the button below.
Clay is an amazing medium, but it can be cold, messy and it dries out your skin. Some people simply do not like the feeling of it. When throwing, you need quite a bit of arm, hand and upper body strength to prepare and control the clay on the wheel. There is a lot of repetitive actions and our hands will be constantly in wet clay. We will be using sitting electric wheels with a foot pedal. Some people find this a difficult position to sit in for long periods especially if you have back issues. We will try to move about as often as possible but you know your own back so please look after it.
So what previous experience do I need?
Beginners Course
It is helpful to have had some small experience with clay to know that you enjoy handling it. Previous participants have been on a taster session, or tried a hand building class or taken part in some wheel classes before but have had no chance to practice since.
Improvers Course
Join this course if you have attended a beginners course previously and have practiced since to know you can throw cylinder shapes. Or, if you have your own wheel, or are part of a community pottery, practice often, feel confident in throwing a cylinder or bowl shape but want to move forward from that or achieve consistency.
Pottery Wheel Taster Sessions
Taster sessions continue to be popular but due to various demands on time this year I am not going to run these pottery experience workshops.
They are however, a lot of fun and perfect if you simply want to try it out for an afternoon with a pal or family member to throw a pot or two. There quite a number of places now running taster sessions so I am sure with a quick internet search you can find somewhere local to you. If you are in the north Glasgow/east Argyll area then Linda Newman over in Bowling near Dumbarton might be ideal for you. She has recently opened up a workshop studio and is currently taking bookings for taster sessions. You can find her dates at www.lindawnewmanceramics.co.uk/pottery-lessons
Continuing into 2026...
Kiln Hire
Kiln space is available to local budding potters who enjoy making at home but need a kiln to fire their work.
7.00 per shelf 28x40cm with height of up to 10cm
9.00 per shelf 28x40cm with height of up to 15cm
Firings are usually the last week of the month.
Glazing Sessions
To save transporting bisc ware to and from home, you can bring you glazes to the studio and hire space for 3 hours blocks. Dates and times must be arranged.
50.00 per 3 hour block
1-2-1 Development Sessions
Stuck, repetitive issues, self taught or needing some solid tuition to get you over the throwing rut you find yourself in? Development sessions will analyse your throwing technique and improve your skills by working together with tailored sessions for your stage and abilities. Suitable for anyone who loves throwing pots and has a keen enthusiasm to take it to the next level.
80.00 - 1.5hr session