Wheel thrown porcelain

Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July 2025

Summary

This five-day workshop will focus on throwing a variety of vessels in porcelain. Through practice and with Chris’s guidance students will improve their throwing skills and develop their techniques in turning, applying handles and altering their thrown shapes.

the course in detail

Throughout this week-long course Chris will talk about his own practice and share the techniques he uses to create his work, as well as explaining and demonstrating the ideas behind the forms that students will be exploring.

Students will be using Audrey Blackman porcelain and the course will cover throwing, turning, and the application of handles applied to the making of several functional forms including cups, bowls, jugs, and pots for flowers.

Chris will guide students in making a group of pots that possess formal similarities across a range of functions. There will be time to discuss how the forms students make can relate one to another across their functional purposes to make a coherent body of work.

Each student will have their own wheel and will receive plenty of one-to-one attention.

Course Breakdown

Day 1: Students will start with the throwing of cylinders and will then go on to explore other "upright" forms such as mugs, beakers and bud pots/vases. When working on mugs, the making of handles will be demonstrated as and when the pots are turned.

Day 2: Students will examine "enclosed" forms which require the clay to be thrown wider and then collared to make the desired form - eg. rounder forms, bottles and lidded pots, possibly including teapots.

Day 3: Students will continue throwing "open" forms, including bowls, dishes, plates.

Day 4: Students will continue to work on and refine their pieces from previous days. During day 4 students can also make requests if there is something particular from Chris’s range of forms they would like demonstrated.

Day 5: The last final day of the course will see students finishing their pieces. At the end of the day the students will have the opportunity to talk to the group about the work they've made.

FIRING

This is an intensive making and refining course and there will be no specific kiln firing during the week, however, we will encourage students to keep, and finish, just a few carefully selected pieces.

Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces. Details of our firing charges can be found in our Student Contract.

Please read our Student Contract here.

Please also note, we do not offer a glazing service.

About Chris

Having originally trained as an actor Chris decided to change direction in his mid-thirties when he began an apprenticeship with artist and writer Edmund de Waal. He established his own London studio in 1998 and specialises in beautifully glazed thrown functional vessels using Limoges porcelain.

Specialising primarily in mugs, cups, teapots, pourers, beakers, lidded pots and pots for flowers, Chris also creates pieces for interior spaces – designed for functional use and for decoration.

He also enjoys throwing a series or groups of pots or ceramic forms that veer away from functional, often incorporating an interactive element.

Chris’s work has been exhibited widely across the UK and internationally. Held in the permanent collections of several museums including the V&A, the Ashmolean and the Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art in Japan, he has also undertaken residencies in the UK and Japan and has been teaching ceramics since 2011.

THE SCHEDULE

DAY 1 - Arrive 9am Monday 30th June
Welcome breakfast (from 9am - 10am). The session will start at 10am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.

DAY 2 - Arrive 9:30am Tuesday 1st July
On the second day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.

DAY 3 - Arrive 9:30am Wednesday 2nd July
On the third day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.

DAY 4 - Arrive 9:30am Thursday 3rd July. On the fourth day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.

DAY 5 - Arrive 9:30am Friday 4th July
On the final day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 4pm.

A two-course lunch is provided every day. Please inform us of any special dietary requirements at the time of booking.

PAYMENT

This cost for this four-day course is £1,200. This cost includes all necessary materials, tools, refreshments, a superb two-course lunch every day and a Welcome Breakfast on the first day.

You can pay in full or pay a deposit by clicking on the ‘Book Now’ button above. If you choose to pay a deposit we will contact you to arrange paying the remainder of your balance in instalments.

Before you book a course, please make sure you read our terms and conditions page here.

Please also read our Student Contract here.

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION

The Ceramic Studio is located on a beautiful orchard in Brenchley, and there are lots of lovely surrounding towns and villages offering numerous places to stay.

We are happy to arrange transits to and from your accommodation to the studio for the duration of your course. Please get in touch to arrange this. Please email the office team at info@theceramicstudio.co.uk. To see examples of local accommodation, click here.

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS COURSE YOU MAY FIND THE ANSWER IN OUR GUEST POTTER FAQ SECTION

Date: Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July

Duration: Five-day workshop

Venue: The Ceramic Studio (Brenchley)

Class Size: Maximum 10 students

Level: Some experience in throwing would be useful.

Clay type: Porcelain

Cost: £1,200 (pay in full or in instalments)