Ceramics workshops aren’t new to London, but in recent years more and more studios formerly closed to visitors have begun to open their doors to those keen to create handmade wares. Pottery classes vary according to skill level, and while most of the studios we’ve reviewed offer taster sessions (one-off days aimed at providing an overview of the craft), the longer courses, often lasting a month or more, are a canny option for those keen to quickly learn how to work unsupervised at the wheel.
1. Kana, Hackney
BEST FOR: beginners finding their flare
Established in 2012 by Ana Kerin, Kana’s East London-based studio offers classes ranging from single sessions to courses running across three evenings in a given month – plus retreats in overseas locations for those looking to really immerse themselves. Choose a longer course and you’re likely to come away with an entire set of glazed crockery. We recommend starting with a clay taster session on a Saturday to find out where your skills lie. Tools are included and classes are limited to 10 people, which is great for ensuring some one-on-one time with the tutor. Be aware of the fact that all classes are handcraft-only, there are no wheels and the focus is on creating organic pieces in smaller batches – we went for the Tableware Taster and came away with a plate, bowl, salt spoon and pot, all usable but lovingly gnarled and slightly askew.
Address: Kana London, 5A Gransden Avenue, Hackney, London E8 3QA
Telephone: +44 20 8985 7670
Website: kanalondon.com
Price: Classes from £55
2. Jess Jos, Stepney
BEST FOR: perfecting the glaze
There are courses across the capital that will give you the techniques required to throw ceramic ware, but Jess Jos’ plant-filled studio is set apart by the lovingly taught (and rather awe-inspiring) glazing classes offered in her Stepney Way site. Any pieces crafted during the regular taster sessions will be glazed for you in a natural speckle – or, if you’re keen to have a go yourself and improve your knowledge of the finishing stages, there’s a follow-up session (for £25), during which you can choose between 10 different glazes, each one a unique recipe to the studio. It’s unbeatable for those looking to perfect their pieces, as well as enjoy one of the aspects of making ceramics that’s often not an option to those at beginner’s level.
Address: Jess Jos, Stepney City Farm, Stepney Way, London E1 3DG
Telephone: +44 7984 994361
Website: jessjos.com
Price: Classes from £55
3. Turning Earth, Walthamstow
BEST FOR: mastering the art at a higher level
One for those looking to take their artistry to the next level, Turning Earth has opened its larger ceramics centre, a huge space covering 8,500 square feet across the top floor of an old hardware factory. The studio only offers longer-term courses (six or 12 weeks), so is best suited to those aiming for a career in the craft (or, at the least, an active, ongoing hobby – beginners are welcomed too). Courses teach both handcraft and throwing on the wheel, and run on Wednesdays and Fridays. Once you’ve managed to master the art, there’s an option to become a member, which includes access to the facilities for 15 hours a week plus use of the studio’s equipment and firing ovens.
Address: Turning Earth, 11 Argall Avenue, Walthamstow, London E10 7QE
Telephone: +44 20 3325 1912
Website: turningearth.org
Price: Courses from £150
4. Skandihus, De Beauvoir
BEST FOR: creating ceramics unaided
Skandihus is one of the better-known studios, so a visit requires prior planning as many classes are often booked weeks in advance. Don’t be put off though – its popularity indicates the talent and teaching abilities of the team, and you’re likely to progress to being able to work unaided at one of the drop-in sessions that take place every Thursday and Sunday in both the De Beauvoir and sister Clapton studios. Hand-building taster sessions run every weekend, and you’ll have your final piece (or pieces, if time permits) fired and ready for collection the following week. We recommend investing in one of the longer six or 12-week courses, which, while costly, will equip you with the skills required to pop in for an afternoon of crafting undisturbed.
Address: Skandihus, 90 De Beauvoir Road, De Beauvoir, London N1 4EN; 4 Tilia Road, Clapton, London E5 8JB
Telephone: +44 7707 857304; +44 7707 857341
Website: skandihus.co.uk
Price: Classes from £455. Crown Works Pottery, Bethnal Green
BEST FOR: working on the wheel
Tucked away in an old Victorian mews behind Bethnal Green, Crown Works is a large studio run by potter Guilietta Hextall and her team. The cavernous space is home to potters working full-time on site, crafting collections to go on sale in the shop. They also teach classes throughout the week. The one-day sessions (running from 11am until 5pm) offer an invaluable insight into the techniques needed to throw clay on the wheel – from weighing and balling the clay to centring, pulling and shaping. You can expect to create anywhere between one to five pieces across a day, ready for pick-up usually about three weeks later after they’ve been carefully glazed and fired.
Address: Crown Works Pottery, 11 Crown Works, Temple Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 6QQ
Telephone: 07774 155703
Website: crownworkspottery.com
Price: Classes from £55
THE ONES TO WATCH ELSEWHERE
Getting us fired up is Marrakech-based designer Laurence Leeneart, aka LRNCE, whose distinctive hand-painted vessels are characterised by bold geometry and Picasso-like faces. Similarly figurative are the sculptural pieces influenced by typical Ukrainian pots and decorated with thick black brushstrokes by artist Masha Reva for Nadiia Shapoval’s homeware brand Nadiia.
In Kuala Lumpur, Hungarian Felícia Sugár produces painterly bowls and plates inspired by the colours of the Rajasthan desert and the Himalayas, while in Barcelona, artist Rosa Rubio works with local makers on the Los Objetos Decorativos project, combining 3D modelling with traditional techniques on retro wave-shaped vases and seashell trinket boxes. In Nottingham, Aimee Bollu adds undervalued materials such as a hotel bell spring and Elastoplasts to her terracotta and porcelain objects, while London-based Florian Gadsby keeps his 276k Instagram followers hooked with videos demonstrating the processes behind his crackle-glaze tableware.
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