6-week pottery wheel course

Price: £260

Join local expert potter Jess Stiles for 6 weeks on the potters’ wheel learning and perfecting the traditional craft of throwing. Suitable for complete beginners to those who’ve attended throwing classes before and are looking to practice and improve their technique. Your expert tutor Jess will demonstrate in each session and will be on-hand to give you plenty of support and direction whilst you practice your technique.

Thursday evenings 6.30pm-9pm, running from March 6 to April 10, 2025.

During the course you will learn the whole throwing process from start to finish:
+Preparing the clay including wedging and balling-up ready to throw.
Centring and basic cylinder shapes learning and perfecting how to throw simple forms. This will then give you the foundation to move onto shaping into bowls, mugs and vases.
+Turning and trimming your pots to your desired shape and how to use a range of tools to achieve this.
+Learn about the potters’ wheel and how to operate safely, as well as cleaning down your wheel and tools at the end of each session as part of your studio practice.
+In week 6, spend some time learning about glazing your work ready for firing.

What’s included:
+ 15hrs pottery wheel time with expert potter tuition to help you learn and practice traditional throwing techniques
+ Small class size of just 6 students so you’ll get plenty of tutor support during the session
+ Tuition, materials, tools/equipment use and stoneware firings – no hidden extras!
+ Decorate your 8 best pieces for firing – work collection is several weeks after the final session once work has dried and been glaze fired.
+ Free secure parking at venue

Your tutor will be the amazing Jess Stiles.
Jess is a skilled small-batch potter who revels in atmospheric firings such as wood, soda and raku. Jess’ work focuses on traditional thrown forms and she leaves the surface decoration to wood-firing and ash glazes to weave their magic. Jess also runs her own pottery business Towpath Pottery where she has been teaching and selling her stunning pots from the UKs canals for the past 4 years. You can see more of Jess’ work here and here.

Price:
£260 per person

More information:
+ Adults 18yrs+ only
+ Suitable for complete beginners to those who’ve attended throwing classes before and are looking to practice and improve their technique
+ Please bring your own apron and hand towel. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting mucky!
+ Wear some warmer layers for the winter months – we have heating but you will be seated so warm thin layers work well.
+ Please inform us at the time of booking if you have any accessibility requirements (such as being differently abled, reduced mobility, neurodiverse etc.) or health issues that we need to be aware of (such as balance issues, low blood pressure, allergies etc.)
+ Courses are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Please check you can attend the date/time before booking as mistakes cannot be rectified afterwards, and we can’t reimburse you or offer catch-ups for any missed sessions. We are a small business and need classes to run at full occupancy so we can keep the lights on and our bellies full!