Open Studio Weekends ––––– drop in and play

OUR NEXT OPEN STUDIO


August Open Studio Weekend ––––––
16 & 17 August
10AM–1PM

With free workshops for families and adults, community making, throwing demonstrations and space to play on the wheels, a chance to ask questions about our workshops and practices, and the best ever (highly biased) cacao cookies.

We are so delighted to offer you all workshops and sessions for free. We will recycle all the clay from these workshops in-house, or, if you wish to take your work away with you, there is a £6 per piece firing fee to pay on the day which covers your materials and firing costs.

All sessions are first come basis, with limited space

DROP IN AND PLAY

Saturday 16 August

10.00–10.30
JOIN US FOR FLORAL TEA AND HOMEMADE CACAO COOKIES

10.15–10.45
SCULPTURE WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN (AGE 2–12)
10 SLOTS AVAILABLE

11.00–11.15
THROWING DEMO

11.15–11.45
THROWING ON THE WHEEL FOR CHILDREN (AGE 4–12)
10 MINS PER PERSON WITH LOTS OF HELP
9 SLOTS AVAILABLE

12.00–12.30
MINDFUL MAKING FOR ADULTS
10 SLOTS AVAILABLE

Sunday 17 August

10.00–10.30
JOIN US FOR FLORAL TEA AND (MORE) CACAO COOKIES

10.30–12.30
ALL–AGES COMMUNITY DROP-IN WORKSHOP

HOW IT WORKS


Welcome to Studio Sessions. Whether you are looking to play, explore new techniques, practice your skills, or create a specific body of work, we warmly invite you to settle in, relax, and make yourself completely at home in our space.

You’ll find some essential information here. Should you have any other wonderings, please reach out here.

  • Studio Sessions are a pay–as–you go practice space, offered to those who are entirely self-sufficient and can work without guidance.

    Whilst there will always be someone at the studio whilst you are working, and you will never be left alone, Studio Sessions are not classes and there will be no teacher present to support you.

  • 12.15–14.45 on Sunday afternoons. You may arrive from midday on Sunday afternoons to begin to weigh and prep your clay. Our Sunday courses finish at 12.15, after which you have access to the studio until 14.45, to include your clean up time.

  • Studio Sessions are £40 per 2.5 hour session. This flat fee includes as much clay as you need for your session (a toasted brown or white stoneware, depending on availability), use of house glazes should you wish to use them, and a shelf area in the studio for storing work in progress.

  • Our four Shimpo RK-3D wheels are so serene and are situated in the front of the studio with the most beautiful light. You’ll have a work-shelf above and a workbench right behind you for prep. You are welcome to bring your own tools or of course, use ours.

    Due to limited availability on the wheels, you must book a throwing slot even if you are only planning to spend some time at the wheel during your Studio Session.

  • Welcome. Our studio is equipped with everything I need for my own sculptural and by-hand practice including modelling tools, heat gun, rolling pins, guides, my own plaster moulds which you are most welcome to use. Should you have a specific project in mind or are curious about anything, please let me know and I will advise.

    Booking a By-Hand slot means you are working on the workbench or low worktable (wherever you are most comfortable). Please assume wheels will be unavailable: this session is strictly for those working by-hand. That said –– if a wheel is available you are so welcome to use it. We just ask that if you need to use a wheel at any point during your session, you book a Throwing slot instead to avoid disappointment.

  • We always encourage anyone using the studio to be critical of their work and mindful of the deeply extractive nature of mining for clays, the intensity of energy to fire work, and to consider that all fired work is non-recyclable. Please only fire work you truly want. We recycle and reclaim all unfired clay in-house.

    Any work you put forward for firing will be weighed at greenware before going into the bisque.

    Firing fees are based on a combination of weight/volume with most things firing for 1.5p/gram of greenware. Exceptions would only be if you’ve made something extremely tall or very awkwardly shaped, we might then look at whether it restricts what else we can fit around it in a firing.

  • Yes –– you can. To avoid contamination, we would prefer you use house clays. If you wish to work with a specific clay or glaze, it will not change the cost of your Studio Session but you are welcome to bring your own.. You will need a small bucket/tub for reclaim and this must fit on your shelf area. You are responsible for reclaiming your own clay. You take responsibility for the results of your own clays and glazes fired in our kilns. You will be asked to provide details and you may not fire clays with large volumes of organic matter or any leaded glazes. If you have any questions, please enquire.

  • By all means. A Studio Session slot is per person so each person in attendance will be required to book a slot, with a maximum of four people to a Throwing slot and six people to a By-Hand slot.

  • Yes, absolutely. Responsible children who respect the quiet atmosphere of our studio space and others within it are most welcome. A Studio Session slot is per person so please bear that in mind when booking. If you are unsure if this is suitable for your child, please get in touch.

  • Never ––– you are welcome to book as many or few slots as you need. They can be a stand alone single session or a block of your choosing. Please bear in mind you’ll need a week for production, perhaps a week for finishing if you are throwing so you can trim/turn work, and then a week to glaze if you are doing so.

  • Yes, we offer a firing service subject to availability, please get in touch for pricing.