***NEW TIME: 2.30pm - 5.00pm***

Term 1 2025: FEBRUARY 8 - MARCH 29

Term 2: May 3 - June 28 - Mid-term break - May 26-June 1

Term 3: July 26 - September 13

Term 4: October 11 - December 6 - Mid-term break - November 3-November 9

Tutor: Tracey Marsten

Placements are limited to 12 per class. 

**NDIS is now available under "Request Private Date & Time"** This function is still developing with We Teach Me and any questions or need assistance how this function works please email us at claytalk@montsalvat.com.au

Spend your Saturday afternoons, in the creative space of our mud brick studio, being introduced to the pottery wheel. Our experienced, engaging and friendly tutor, Tracey Marsten, will help you discover (or perhaps rediscover) the art of forming ceramic vessels. This course runs for 8 weeks, for two hours on Saturday afternoons.

Initially you will be taught to understand the basic nature of clay as a material with an easy-to-understand scientific basis. Then quickly move onto the techniques of wedging, centering on the wheel & correctly using the tools and resources in the studio.  You will be taught to make the foundation forms of cylinders and bowls, how to finish your work by turning and trimming and finally the art of decorating and glazing your pots.

Why Clay Talk?

Our class sizes are designed so you can develop your skills, find your individual style and learn at your own pace. Clay Talk @ Montsalvat’s spacious and beautifully designed ceramic studio is a great space to tap into your creativity.

You get:

* Free 10kg white stoneware clay

* Free $150 or 5kg of glaze firing

* Free use of all glazes and underglazes

About Tracey Marsten:

Tracey majored in ceramics in the 1990s whilst studying fine arts at James Cook University and QUT in Queensland.

About Tracey Hollis:

Tracey Hollis majored in ceramics in the 1990s whilst studying fine arts at James Cook University and QUT in Queensland.

Tracey has been teaching pottery in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne for the past 10 years at Community Arts Centre’s, as well as through her own studio, and loves the functionality of wheel thrown and hand-built pottery. She enjoys seeing the positive benefits that working with clay provides and loves helping others learn and express their creativity through pottery.

Tracey appreciates the importance of the creator's hand marks on pottery and takes inspiration from Asian and European influences as well as noted Australian potters such as Owen Rye and John Dermer.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

To secure your place in a class, course or workshop we require full payment at the time of booking.

Bookings are only accepted through our online portal at www.

Payment of class, course or workshop fees can only be made through our online portal at  www.

ACCESS

Clay Talk studio is located on the grounds of Montsalvat. For this reason, there are security measures in place to prevent trespassing and maintain your safety. Upon booking you will receive an Information Kit which has instructions on how to access Clay Talk studio. Please read this before coming to class.

REFUNDS / ABSENCE / TRANSFERS/ CANCELLATION

• We do not offer refunds if you change your mind after you have made the booking. Please be sure you are able to commit to the class, course or workshop dates and times prior to booking.
• Transfers are done upon email request and subject to available spaces only. Failure to transfer successfully will mean receiving a credit note or being transferred to a later term of the same class.
• If you are unable to attend a class, please contact us at claytalk@montsalvat.com.au on the day of your class. In exceptional circumstances, we can make alternative arrangements to compensate for lost class time.
• Retrospective requests (a request for a make-up from last term for example) for class make-ups are not accepted. We request you make contact via email or phone to Clay Talk as soon as you can’t make class so that we can make alternative arrangements for you.
• Clay Talk reserves the right to cancel a class due to unforeseen circumstances such as insufficient enrolments or illness or for maintenance works. You will be notified prior to the class if cancellation of the class is deemed necessary, or if there will be another date scheduled, or if a pro-rata refund will be provided.

ILLNESS

If classes and workshops are cancelled due to illness of a tutor, and the inability to find a suitable replacement, Clay Talk will endeavour to provide rescheduled dates for classes and workshops.

In the event that students cannot attend the rescheduled classes, students must email claytalk@montsalvat.com.au as soon as possible prior to the commencement of the rescheduled class or workshop.

If a student is unable to attend the rescheduled classes or workshop Clay Talk may, at its absolute discretion, provide either a credit note, or a pro-rata refund (minus an administration fee of 10%).

 GIFT VOUCHERS

Gift vouchers are only available through our online portal www. Gift vouchers can be purchased for a minimum of $20 and are valid for 3 years from purchase.

Gift vouchers can only be used for booking classes, courses and/or workshops at Clay Talk through our online portal. Gift vouchers can be applied at check out when booking a class, course or workshop.

FIRING OF WORK 

Most workshops and classes include firing and glazing of a specific number of pieces. Check the workshop listing description on our online platform.

We take extreme care with your work however accidents do happen, and we are unable to guarantee fully that your work will be successfully fired. Clay Talk takes no responsibility for failure or breakage of work.

Term classes:

Firing of 5kg of finished work per student is included in the term class fee.

Students can make and fire more work over this limit however additional charges apply.

Students must label each of their pieces with their Makers Mark (your Makers Mark is made up of the initials of your first, middle & last name and your class code e.g. John Adam Smith = JAS). No Makers Mark could mean losing your pieces.

If a kiln shelf is badly damaged from your work due to materials brought to Clay Talk from elsewhere, you will be charged for the cost of replacing that shelf.

Incorrect glazing or wrong clay body type in the wrong firing type will incur a penalty fee for damages.

• If your work damages the interior walls, burners or elements of the kiln, you will be required to pay for the damage to be determined by the Clay Talk Studio Manager.

COLLECTION OF WORK

• Firing, glazing and packaging of your work takes approximately 2-4 weeks after your class/workshop.
• You will be notified by a written or digital notification, an email, or the Clay Talk Newsletter when your work is ready for collection.
• Clay Taster & Kids School Holiday programme students have 30 days to collect their pieces from the time they received notification of their pieces to be collected before uncollected works are repurposed elsewhere.
• Non-returning term student work must be collected on the last Friday before term classes begin.
• Non-returning term students must talk with their teachers to understand the process of collecting their work and clearing student shelf items on the last day of their class. 
• Uncollected works, bisqued pieces, items on student shelf including tools and clay - unless the student notifies staff at Clay Talk that they wish to make alternative arrangements to collect their work - will not be guaranteed safe keeping or storage and will be re-purposed.
• EMAIL / SMS NOTIFICATIONS
• Clay Talk takes no responsibility for students not reading or checking their messages, emails or checking their spam/junk mail regarding work collection.