4 WEEK SHORT COURSE Tuesdays 6:30pm - 9:30pm

INTERMEDIATE 4 WEEK SHORT COURSES THROUGHOUT 2024

Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm.

Tutor: Sean Aitken

Placements are limited to 10 per class. 

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Intermediate Wheel Throwing with Sean Aitken

What Will You Learn in This Pottery Class?

This 4-week short course is designed for intermediate-level potters looking to elevate their pottery wheel throwing skills. Under the expert guidance of Sean, you will build on the fundamentals and push your techniques to new heights.

Clay Preparation: Master the fundamentals of clay preparation and spiral-wedging (homogenizing) for effective centering on the wheel.

Advanced Throwing Techniques: Explore and strengthen your ability to create classical shapes such as bowls, tall cylinders, and vases. Sean specializes in teaching how to throw forms with less water, enabling you to scale up your work.

Glazing: In the final session, learn to glaze your creations using the studio glazes for a reduction firing.

Throughout the course, you will experience the full pottery cycle—from making and trimming to glazing and firing.

What’s Included:

- FREE 10kg Stoneware Clay

- FREE 2kg Reduction Glaze Firing. Fees apply past 2kg ($15/kg for Oxidation and $30/kg Reduction)

- FREE Use of All Studio Glazes & Underglazes

Join us in the spacious and beautifully designed ceramic studio at Montsalvat, and explore your creativity in a relaxed and inspiring environment. Sign up now and let your pottery journey begin with Sean!

Why Choose Clay Talk?

At Clay Talk, we prioritize your learning experience by keeping our class sizes small. This allows you to develop your skills, find your unique style, and learn at your own pace. Our spacious and beautifully designed ceramic studio, located within the serene environment of Montsalvat, provides the perfect setting for you to tap into your creativity.

Join us at Clay Talk Ceramic Centre and immerse yourself in an inspiring and supportive community of fellow pottery enthusiasts.

Am I an Intermediate Level Potter?

This is a common and sometimes challenging question that many students and aspiring potters ask themselves. If you can confidently perform the basics of centering, throwing, and turning with minimal supervision, then this course is likely suitable for you.

Another good indicator is if you have completed previous pottery courses. As a general rule of thumb, having at least 12 months of basic pottery throwing experience is recommended before advancing to the intermediate level.

About your tutor, Sean Aitken 

Sean established Aitken Ceramics studio in Fitzroy North in 2015 where he both teaches and works. Like all potters his practice is one of creating and refining. Sean's focus is on elegant, functional and non-functional ceramic forms and the glazes that enhance and elevate these forms.

Follow Sean on Instagram @aitkenceramics 

With a degree in Graphic Design and a background ­producing Early Learning programs for schools, Sean enjoys creating a supportive teaching and learning environment where people of diverse backgrounds and experiences can try ceramics as something new, creative and enriching, build skills together and while discovering their own style. 

He understands the process of developing a new creative practice and the invaluable advice and skills gained in learning within an established ceramics community. 

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 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.
• 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.