Short courses I recommend

For part-time potters in the UK

I've not had a formal education in ceramics, but over the years I’ve done a number of short courses, which have hugely benefited me - learning much quicker than I would with just a book or practice. I’ve tried to build my own “curriculum”, focusing on learning different skills over the years.

I thought it might be useful to share these courses - what I found useful and how I balance work and pottery. Taking part in wood firings has me chatting to more potters, and I'm realising that there's really no clear route into clay - everyone works it out their own way, so here's mine.

Courses and classes

Timeline of my studies

2010

2015

2016

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022, 2023

2025

I’ve been hooked on clay since 2010, when I took a random evening class to get away from my desk as a web designer. I’d been hitchhiking to Morocco, and wanted to build my own tagine because I couldn’t carry one home! Morley College had some incredible teachers who got me into the basics of handbuilding. After a couple of years, I found Kayleigh at the Islington Arts Factory which was less hands-on teaching and more self practice.

My partner and I travelled to the US for his work, and I signed up to a class at the Multnomah Arts Center - Advanced Glazing.

Returning to the UK, I realised I wanted to find a way to be in the studio more often, so I made the leap to Turning Earth, an open-access community studio, where I could pop in most days, and spend Fridays there. I started with an 8 week evening throwing course, and then joined as a member. The space is so serene - a plant filled railway arch - and the shelves were filled with beautiful work from very talented makers, it was very inspiring.

We moved out of London and I set up my own studio in Brighton. It seemed like a big commitment, paying rent on my own private space and kitting it out with all the equipment. I was lucky to find Coachwerks - there was a studio space previously used by a potter who was happy to lend me her wheel. Turning Earth had generously given me the recipe of two of the glazes that I used most, so I jumped in to the world of glaze making.

I had very inconsistent glaze results when layering - my goal was a floating blue. I signed up to the famous Ceramic Materials Workshop course - Understanding Glazes in Summer 2019. The course is hard, but really rewarding. It’s a proper university level course and gives great clear advice for improving glazes. So useful, that I signed up straight to the Advanced Glazes course - this time with labs. I’d highly recommend this course for all wanting to learn more about glaze chemistry!

I had returned to making mugs as a way to test my glazes, and during 2020 I developed the form of my mugs - the teacup shape. I experimented with handles, feeling them in use and iterating version after version.

Out in the US again in 2021, I met Sam (@Suayceramics) through the Community Studio I signed up to, Morning Ceramics. When Sam and Maya (@Maya.Elin.1) set up a glaze course out at the wood fired soda kiln in East Creek, I signed up. We fired from early morning Saturday until Sunday afternoon in six hour shifts - but with so many of us it was actually quite busy! I got some beautiful results.

Back in the UK in 2022, I managed to join a group firing with Dan and Symy at the last minute in October at the Oxford University Kilns. We did a reduction cool - which meant throwing in bits of bushes and wet wood after top temperature. It was so much fun and I hope to do many more wood and soda firings!

Wanting to do more wood firings, I jumped at the chance to join Jack (@thebeakerfolk) on a kiln build and fast-fire wood firing near Brighton. We built the second kiln on woodland, and fired them both simultaneously! We got some great results.

Oxofrd University Kilns site