Skill level: Beginner

Beginners

WED afternoons 2.30-5pm, 15 hrs over 6 weeks
DATE: 07 Jan to 11 Feb '26
Tutor:  JULIA TOy

THU evenings 6pm to 9pm 18 hrs over 6 weeks
Date: 08 Jan to 12 Feb '26
Tutor: Verran townsend

This course is best suited to the complete beginner or those who are very new to working with clay. The sessions are structured to give you the ground-work in pottery skills to help you to work more independently on projects of your choosing at a later date. Materials are charged at £5 per kg of clay See full Terms and Conditions for more information.


6 weeks
Cost: £220 /  £262

Book Now

A Sustainable Approach

The Clay Yard strives to carve a path of sustainability through everyday processes, the education programme and the responsibilities we have to reach our net-zero goals.

Be Discerning | Efficient Firing | Respect the Materials

We aim to engage a practice that uses where possible, the clays that are quarried and manufactured in the South West. We hope that this will enable us to reduce our carbon footprint by lessening the use of transport systems to deliver our products to The Clay Yard.

Our Sustainability Strategy

What’s Covered on this Course?

Hand
building

Working to shape the clay by pinching, coiling and rolling, you will learn the fundamentals of hand-building to construct a range of ceramics.

Throwing

Learning how to centre the clay on the wheel and to shape simple cylinders by lifting the clay. Following on with turning to refine and shape the form.

Glazing

You will learn how to dip and pour glazes on to bisque fired work in order to produce the decorative finish to the pots.

Lucy, Ceramics for Beginners.

“The tutor pitched it perfectly. We all enjoyed fun, learning and we all felt a great sense of achievement.”

Embroidered The Clay Yard Organic Cotton Apron

£34.00

Meet Your Tutors

Alison Hannah

TUTOR
An experienced teacher and practicing ceramic artist, Alison brings practical and theoretical learning to the Clay Yard.
Julia Toy

TUTOR
Julia has taught Art and Ceramics in both schools and in a studio setting. An experienced thrower, hand-builder and forager of clay.