ÖйúPÕ¾

Course intent

This beginner-friendly pottery course introduces essential skills for working with clay, from basic handling and design techniques to understanding firing and glazing processes. You'll learn the fundamentals of pottery, including throwing and turning on the wheel, while gaining the creativity and confidence to express yourself in the studio.

What will I learn?

You will learn:

• Material Knowledge Understand the properties of clay and how to handle it effectively for both hand-building and wheel-throwing.
• Design Techniques: Develop your design skills to create unique, functional pottery that reflects your creative vision.
• Production Process: Learn essential hand-building techniques such as pinching, coiling, and slab-building to create your first pieces. Discover the basics of throwing on the pottery wheel, from positioning the clay to shaping your pieces.
• Craftsmanship: Learn how to finish you pieces to a high standard. Gain insight into the firing process and how to apply glazes to enhance the beauty and functionality of your work.
• Studio Practice: Understand the importance of a safe working environment and H&S requirements.

  Who is this course for? Is there anything I need to know before joining?

  Stage 1 - This stage is for learners who are new to their chosen subject area. With the focus on introducing individuals to basic materials, tools, and techniques, and to inspire confidence in creative expression.

  What do I need to bring to the first class? Will there be any extra costs?

  You need to bring:

• A notebook and pen/pencil
• Sensible, closed toe shoes
• An apron or wear old clothes

Additional Costs/Information:

• Materials and Technician Fees: Basic materials and technician costs are included in the course fee.
• Firing Limitations: We are only able to fire pieces that are produced during class time, using materials provided by SAL. Pieces larger than 30cm x 30cm x 40cm cannot be fired in the kiln. Please keep this in mind when planning your projects.

Attendance:

• Learners can only attend the sessions they are signed up for. Unfortunately, missed classes cannot be made up in another session.

If you have any queries, please email the tutor at adultlearning@surreycc.gov.uk

What can I do when I finish the course?

In discussion with your tutor, you may like to progress onto Pottery & Claywork - Stage 2, Pottery & Claywork Workshops or further Arts & Crafts courses at SAL.

Additional Information

We welcome learners with additional needs and disabilities. When you enrol, please let us know if you would like to discuss your extra support needs with a member of the Supported Learning Team who will then contact you as soon as possible. If you are enrolling within 10 days of the course start date, we may not be able to contact you before your first class.

We value and support equality, diversity and inclusion by promoting fairness and respect at all times.

How to enrol

You can't currently enrol online for this course, so please call 0300 200 1044 to express your interest or to make an enquiry for further information.

Find another course

If this isn't what you're looking for, then we've got plenty more courses to offer!