Summer Intensive Pottery Short Course

A 6 evening course spread over 3 weeks for those wanting to hone their skill level over the summer with Clay Talk's very own Sergei Shatrov. Running from 6-9pm in the evenings, this course will cover aspects of wedging, throwing, turning and glazing influenced but not exclusive to the Japanese school of pottery. Sergei will assist and push boundaries that will help you explore your potentials. On the last evening, a raku firing to tickle your senses! In all, 18 hours of intensive pottery learning - a term class compressed into 3 weeks!

Sessions 1 & 2 : 12 & 13 December

* Throwing - demonstrations & techniques

* Joining forms/ composite throwing/ distorting form

* Spouts, rims, lips for pouring

Sessions 3 & 4: 18 & 19 December

* Turning, trimming

* Handles

* Slipware

Session 4: 27 December

* Glazing & Decoration 

Session 5: 28 December

* Raku Firing with glazes provided

* Completing unfinished works

Other upcoming course dates: 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 18 & 19 January 2024

This course includes:

* FREE 10kg stoneware clay of your choice

* FREE 2.5kg of glaze firing. After that its $15/kg for bisque & glaze firing

* FREE use of all underglazes and glazes.

* FREE Raku firing including using the glazes! (doesnt include raku clay)

Please note:

* This course is a pottery wheel focussed course.

* This course is NOT suitable for beginners! You need to have a few years practise of basic throwing and turning skills to get the most out of this course.

* Please read our terms and conditions below before committing. We are generous under certain circumstances.  Once committed to the course, we dont offer partial refunds if you cannot attend class. Transfers and make-up classes if you cannot attend due to illness are available within our schedule.

* If numbers are not adequate to run the course 5 days out, Clay Talk will cancel the class and offer transfers, credit notes or refunds minus a small admin fee for all placements.

Why Clay Talk?

Our class size is limited to 10 people so that you can develop your skills with a lot of one-on-one tuition, find your individual style and learn at your own pace. Clay Talk Ceramic Centre at Montsalvat is spacious and beautifully designed ceramic studio that will guarantee tapping into your creativity.

Please note that this course is predominantly a wheel throwing course. Handbuilders are very welcome and will also be an important aspect to this course.

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About your tutor, Sergei:

Born in Sydney and firing and making pots in NSW for 30 years, Sergei brings a strong Japanese aesthetic and approach to making pottery. Trained at the ANU's Canberra School of Art and having studied in Japan and North Carolina as both an apprentice and artist-in-residence, Sergei brings the natural found world and environment in his pottery. Sergei is dedicated to giving and helping all students and participants find their heart in pottery no matter what skill level you might be at, everyone is treated with dignity and respect making the Clay Talk studio environment a  very relaxing and inclusive space to be at. You can find some of Sergei's work at muddymoonface on Instagram.

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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 DOWN TO CLAY TALK

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 2.5kg 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.
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• 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.

Nestled within Montsalvat—Australia’s oldest continuously active artists' community—our studios offer a diverse range of creative outlets. Clay Talk is one of several studios, providing ceramics classes in wheel throwing and hand building for all levels, alongside specialised programs led by established artists. 

In addition to ceramics, we also offer classes in drawing, painting, and mosaic, with an expanded repertoire of educational offerings planned for 2025. This dynamic environment supports learners across various disciplines, all within the inspiring setting of Montsalvat, where art is created, taught, exhibited, and experienced.