* Current availability in Edinburgh. Enquire here

In our Edinburgh based ceramics workshop we match the content of courses to your own learning aims. Small group sizes provide space to adapt to different styles of making and give appropriate support at the right moment. Alongside this you will gain a broad technical knowledge relevant to your first hand experience in the ceramic craft.

Learners will often adopt a skills building approach initially. Focussing on specific making techniques such as wheel throwing or hand building. New skills advance quickly meaning that specific design ideas can be accomplished.

A project based approach often arises, as incremental decisions build around the creative possibilities the material. Meaning that new ideas can be generated with a natural pace, alongside particular inspirations, in respect of form, surface texture, tone and hue.

Technical support is readily available where needed due to our limited group sizes of up to three persons. While each person enjoys sole use of their potters wheel for the duration of each ceramics workshop. The ceramics studio is a bright workspace housed within a building of art studios close to the centre of the city of Edinburgh. 

See the Process notes for a brief outline on the stages of wheel practice.

The Beginners course is structured to give you the foundational skills of ceramic wheel throwing. Offering a rich starting point from which to begin enjoyment of this exciting and relaxing ceramics practice. The specific direction being determined by your own path of curiosity.

Participants will first develop the fundamental wheel throwing skill of creating the cylinder form. By centring, opening out and lifting the walls of the pot. From where a wide array of other forms can be reached.  Leading onwards we think about surface approaches through coloured slips and glazes. As the ceramic surface can be approached in myriad ways, with marks added or removed, a surface can be discovered through feel and a natural progression of aesthetic decisions. This may lead to surfaces giving way to expression, illustration or may be clearly minimal. 

With group sizes limited to a maximum of three participants there is ample space for specific support while making. 

The beginners course is priced at £210 per person for six weeks. Each weekly session is two hours in duration. The course fee includes all materials and high temperature firings in our kiln. 

This link can be used to book a Beginners course.

This course focusses on a personal creative approach to design, advancing your skills in ceramic practice. Participants will move towards more ambitious wheel thrown forms. Experiencing multiple ways that cylindrical forms can form a basis for advanced forms.

With new skills in ceramic practice the possibility of taking direct inspiration from other ceramicists opens up. The various stages of drying in clay offer great opportunities to further transform your pieces during this course. Such as making additions and creating texture. Decorative engagement will be advanced further, learning from past experience with coloured slips, glazes, and surface decorative strategies.

With limited group sizes of a maximum of three participants there is plenty of space  for one-to-one tuition and discussion. 

The culmination of the course will see participants take away all ceramic pieces they have completed during the course.

This intermediate course is priced at £210 per person for six weeks. Each weekly session is two hours in duration. The course fee includes all materials and high temperature firings in our kiln. 

This link can be used to book an Intermediate course.

The purpose of the taster session is to give hands-on experience of making wheel thrown ceramics. Getting a sense of the studio and the range of possibilities presented by the clay material. You will have a practical introduction to the basic elements of wheel throwing, focussing on the fundamental form of the cylinder. Participants will be guided on how to centre the clay, open the form, lift the walls and how to manipulate the clay to create your finished work.

With group size limited to three participants there is plenty of scope for one-to-one tutored assistance, giving a good pace to development. Pieces will be twice fired after the session and can be collected from the studio on completion.

The two hour wheel throwing taster session is £60 per person. This is inclusive of clay, glazing, other materials and high temperature firings in our kiln.

Please get in touch to discuss our current availability for sessions.

This link can be used to book a taster session.

The Double Taster session builds upon the work made during the single Taster session, introducing the core skills of centring, opening up, lifting the walls and adapting the form. While giving extension into the subsequent processes of wheel trimming and textural surface design.

Wheel trimming adds a finished foot and refines the shape of the pieces made during the first session. When complete there is the option to add surface design in textures or carved elements, along with adding coloured clay slip decoration. Finally we will spend some time considering glazing options through seeing samples of a range of possible glazes. 

Participants will receive a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of wheel throwing followed by wheel trimming. Through clear and concise demonstration and description of the process. With further technical guidance on hand to help overcome any challenging aspects. 

With group size limited to three participants there is plenty of scope for one-to-one tutored assistance, giving a good pace to development. Pieces will be twice fired after the session and can be collected from the studio on completion.

The double two hour wheel throwing taster session is £120 per person. This is inclusive of clay, glazing, other materials and high temperature firings in our kiln.

Please get in touch to discuss our current availability for sessions.

This link can be used to book a double taster session.