EVENING CLASSES

The Great Pottery Throw Down has encouraged us all to experiment and get messy with clay. Join a small group, have fun, and produce your own ceramic masterpieces, learning both hand building techniques and throwing on a potters’ wheel!

stuff to know:

For ages 18+ only.

Includes clay, materials, & firing.

The total class size is 8-12 people, but you can book a maximum of 4 people per booking, as we like to encourage people to make new friends!

The session lasts about 3 hours. Please arrive on time; sessions start promptly after a 5-minute grace period.

Return to paint what you make after 3 weeks (see pricing info), or get it clear glazed shiny white and collect after 4 weeks.

Remove jewellery/watches, and trim long nails for ease. Clay will wash out of clothes.

Please read our FAQ before booking as it will answer lots of important questions you may not have even considered and is required to book.

All of our sessions are BYOB! No corkage charge - we just ask you take away any bottles/cans. We have glasses you can use.

session times:

Select Thursdays each month!

6:00pm - 9:00pm

if you are a group of 6-12 people who would like to come on a weekday evening (excludes Thursdays!), we may be able to offer a private session - depending on staff availability, email us help@paintingpotterycafe.co.uk at least a month in advance with some dates in mind.

pricing:

All classes are £50 per person and includes the items listed in each description.

If you make any extra pieces in the class you can pay £5 extra per piece to have it fired.

If you would like to return to paint your pottery after 3 weeks, you can pay £10 per person to come back on a weekend or during school holidays, or you can pay £5 per person to come back on a weekday during term time.

We run evening painting sessions on selected Thursdays of each month from 6pm, perfect for you to return to paint and decorate your pieces. Please book this separately.

To secure your space, you pay the full balance on booking.

There is a firm 48 hour cancellation + refund policy, we require this much notice before the start of your booking for any changes to offer rescheduling/refunds.

A large wooden table set for a group activity with paper and markers, decorated with bowls of snacks and cups, in a room with a brick wall, colorful stained glass window, and creative wall decorations.
Four colorful hand-painted ceramic mugs with nature-themed designs on a wooden surface against a green wall.

woah, my love, my darling...

woah, my love, my darling...

firing your pottery:

Please be aware that very occasionally clay items can break, or at worse explode, in the kiln.  We try to control for these events but it is not always possible. Sometimes your pottery may not look exactly as it did when you did the throwing session. We rely on our customers understanding that this is not always an exact science but we will always do our best. It is the charm but also the frustration of working with ceramics, so we encourage you to embrace any wobbles or small imperfections in your pot/s. We cannot offer refunds for this but will offer you something of ours as a replacement if your piece is no longer fit to function.

Meet your host for the evening - Freya!

Freya is a graduate of 3D Craft and Design at Brighton University and has been working with clay for over 8 years. She loves to hand build, throw, and make all sorts of wonderful creations. She’s a pro at helping beginners understand the basics of making out of clay and ensuring you come out of the session with something unique and functioning!

A young woman with wavy brown hair wearing a black jacket and a maroon and pink dress, standing next to a display table with colorful ceramic pots, with seascape photographs on the white gallery walls behind her.
Three women participating in a pottery class, each working on a pottery wheel in a ceramics studio with colorful storage bins and a large, painted wall mural of pottery vases with flowers.

2025
Classes

£50 per
person

11th September 6-9pm:
Learn how to make a Lantern and Tea Light Holder

Using a combination of pinch pot sculpting and throwing techniques, you will leave this session with a lantern (perfect for the incoming autumnal season!) and a small tea light holder. Return on or after 2nd October to decorate.

18th September 6-9pm:
Learn how to make a Mug and Bowl

Using a combination of pinch pot sculpting and throwing techniques, you will leave this session with a mug and a small bowl. Return on or after 9th October to decorate.

9th October 6-9pm:
Learn how to make a Trio of Bowls

Using a combination of pinch pot sculpting and throwing techniques, you will leave this session with a trio of bowls. Return on or after 30th October to decorate.

16th October 6-9pm:
Learn how to make a Mug and Bowl

Using a combination of pinch pot sculpting and throwing techniques, you will leave this session with a mug and a small bowl. Return on or after 6th November to decorate.

13th November 6-9pm:
Learn how to make a Christmas Tree/Star Dish and Small Bowl

Using a combination of pinch pot sculpting and throwing techniques, you will leave this session with a festive shaped hand built serving dish, and a small thrown bowl. Return on or after 3rd December to decorate.

20th November 6-9pm:
Learn how to make a Mug and Bowl

Using a combination of pinch pot sculpting and throwing techniques, you will leave this session with a mug and a small bowl. Return on or after 11th December to decorate.

Colorful, hand-painted ceramic cups and mugs with various designs on a wooden table, with a brick wall in the background.

HOW IT

WORKS

Step 1.

Your tutor will do a demonstration, talking you through the steps of hand building and throwing on the wheel.

Step 2.

You’ll then all get stuck in with your creations, as step-by-step, you work the clay to make your own pieces. Remember, if it’s your first time making with clay, what you make might not be perfect, but it will be one-of-a-kind!

Step 3.

Once you’ve finished and refined your pieces, place them on a board to dry with your name on a slip which will be carved into the bases.

Step 4.

Leave it with us to fire. If you would like your work clear glazed, it will all be ready 4 weeks later. If you want to paint your work, return after 3 weeks.

A group of people gathered around a table for a pottery painting activity in a cozy, decorated room with string lights and brick walls.
Two people, a man and a woman, are sitting at pottery wheels shaping clay into bowls. They are focused on their work, with the woman pointing at her pottery. There are colorful bowls and mugs on shelves behind them, and a pink bowl of water in front of them. The setting appears to be a pottery studio or classroom.
Children at a pottery wheel learning to make ceramic bowls in a pottery class.

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