Pottery classes, ceramics workshops Melbourne Special Offer
from AU$595.00

Form & Surface

Hand Built Pottery & Ceramics - mixed levels

Next Available: Thu, 02 May 10:00AM (AEST)
(+5 more dates)
2 hours x 8 Weeks
Over 500 people have attended this class

Description

You  have been re-directed to the booking page for Form & Surface courses. Please see the website for latest info about Covid restrictions and refunds. 

Choose your class time carefully please! It can be confusing on our booking page! 

This course is one of our trilogy of foundational courses designed to introduce you different aspects of working with clay. The other two courses are our Porcelain Small Objects course and our unique Slow Clay Wheel course.  It does not matter which of the three you start with. Once you become a student with us you have priority to continue with us and move into a different course each term until you have completed the three introduction courses. Thereafter, you can continue to develop to a high level in one area if you wish. The content for the 8-week course can be found on our website www.slowclay.com.  

We look forward to welcoming you to Slow Clay Centre! 

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What you will learn

  • Beginners learn many different ways to make clay shapes and forms by hand and explore an exciting array of options for decorating surfaces
  • All students learn to finish and glaze their pieces
  • Intermediate level students explore forms and surfaces at a deeper level and start to develop their own strong pathways

What you will get

  • New knowledge, skills and your own creations!
  • Tuition from an experienced teacher and ceramic artist
  • Optional access to our Studio Access Times (offered 4 days per week)

What to bring

  • Notebook and pen
  • Camera if you wish
  • Apron and towel

What to wear

Comfortable clothes you don't mind getting a bit dirty!

Appropriate for

All levels welcome


Slow Clay Centre

4.9
(890 Reviews)

Escape to Slow Clay Centre and learn the art, craft and design of expression in clay. 

Slow Clay Centre is one of the most highly regarded specialist ceramics/pottery schools in Australia. We aim to give you the best experience learning our ancient craft! We welcome all levels from beginners to advanced, including professional development and mentoring. We offer courses on a weekly basis by the term, intensive weekends, and a rich variety of one-day guest artist workshops and forums. We also offer a popular single session "taster class" once per week and look out for our Professional Development Program for serious practitioners! Oh and we never forget our precious little ones: we have a Clay Club for kids offered as a holiday program and after school so everyone can learn the art of working with clay!  

Our weekly students receive priority to re-enrol each term and take advantage of our generous loyalty program providing free studio access (conditions apply). In this way we can help you to develop your skills to a high level. 

Our unique "Slow Clay" (TM) method for teaching the pottery wheel, established by Slow Clay Centre director and ceramic artist Jane Sawyer, has been taught for more than thirty years. Based on the Japanese techniques Jane studied training as a production thrower in Japan in combination with western techniques, the "Slow Clay" method offers a synthesis of East and West. It provides ergonomic best-practice and a solid foundation for personal expression and confidence with clay. All our courses offer a foundation of skill-based learning within a rich framework of contemporary art and design enquiry so you can follow your interests. Our ultimate aim is to help you achieve whatever your personal goals are with clay!

Based in a beautiful inner-city studio in Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia, the Slow Clay team consists of leading professional ceramic artists and experienced teachers who offer high-level teaching in a broad variety of topics - see our web site for teacher profiles. Together with guest professional artists who host workshops and forums, we are a vibrant community and wish to share our passion for clay with everyone who is keen, no matter what level.

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4.6 (77 reviews)
Annarated it
21 Mar 2024
Rating Only
Pamelarated it
21 Mar 2024
I’ve had Pila for two terms now. One was before covid. This term I felt she spent too much time talking and demonstrating- half hour to 40 mins sometimes ! Which left little time to practice and work on our creations. Then it was a rush to finish because we had to allow for pack up time. I feel the class needs to be 2 ½ hours. Two hours does not leave enough time for practise when talking, demonstrating and packing up is included. I’ve been a teacher for over two decades. Students ( no matter the age) can only take in so much talk, demonstration without their minds wondering. They are excited to get in and try. There is plenty of time for the educator to roam and teach. I hope this helps.
Annarated it
23 Nov 2023
great fun! a good introduction to a range of clays, techniques and glazes with clear instruction and generous support of individual project ideas! I loved it!
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Cancellations & Refunds

If the organiser cancels the class:

You are entitled to a full refund.

If you can't attend the class:

You’re welcome to send someone in your place.

OR

  • A transfer can be requested 14 days before the class starts. An admin fee of AU$25.00 applies.

No changes will be allowed after these times.

We recommend the refund upgrade option upon checkout in case you’re not able to attend the class. Learn more about refund upgrade option.

Terms & Conditions

Welcome to Slow Clay Centre!

We aim to give you the best experience learning ceramics! Each course may have slightly different terms but these are our generic ones: please read carefully:  

General: 

These apply to all Slow Clay Centre courses, workshops and events:

  1. Deposit or full payment (depending on the course/workshop/event) must be made at the time of booking
  2. Please choose carefully. Due to our limited class sizes once you've booked and paid either the deposit or the full fee we will only refund what you have paid if the class is cancelled by us. If you are unable to attend you may transfer your booking to a friend for no charge or, provided we can fill your place, we can sometimes transfer you to another class or hold your payment in credit for up to 24 months for a future course
  3. There is a $25 fee for transfer or credit note and you must pay any fee difference if the new course price is higher 
  4. Please note: All students will receive a reminder between three weeks and one week (depending on the course)  before the start date with a link to pay any remaining balance with your credit card. Students who paid the deposit online will have the balance automatically deducted. Others will need to click on the link provided or ring our office on 99437844.
  5. Due to our limited class sizes, if your balance is not received three weeks before the start date and you have not made arrangements with us, we reserve the right to find a replacement student and your deposit will be  forfeited


Weekly classes: These additional conditions apply to all Slow Clay Centre weekly classes.

  1. Please note that making ceramics, particularly on the pottery wheel,  can be a physically demanding activity. If you have any pre-existing illnesses and/or chronic injuries to your back, shoulders, hips, neck, wrists or elbows we strongly advise you to seek a medical opinion before enrolling as some activities might exacerbate past injuries and we take no responsibility if this occurs. 
  2. We ask that you fully disclose any prior and/or ongoing illnesses or injuries that could affect you before you enrol AND inform your teacher in person during the first class. 
  3. Your enrolment is conditional on your acceptance that Slow Clay Centre and/or the company's employees, whether casual, contract, or permanently employed, are indemnified against any exacerbation of any past or any new injuries that may arise as a result of your activites.
  4. All work made during classes is to be used for personal, non-commercial purposes. This is individually negotiable for advanced students or for studio exhibitions but we ask students to accept that the emphasis of our classes is strictly on education not studio production. If you sell your work made using our materials you must acknowledge Slow Clay Centre and also ensure you have your own product liability insurance
  5. Teaching fees are fully inclusive of materials but students will incur a single firing fee based on the current cost (advised in your class) 
  6. Please note: we encourage judicious selection of your work to fire. Firing is always optional and all clay is recycled until the first firing. After that you must pay the firing fee for everything that gets fired. If it cracks, glaze drips, or you just don't like it, you are still required to pay the firing fee unless the fault is caused by us.
  7. Collection of fired pieces: Please understand that our storage capacity is extremely limited. Students will be notified via email when work is ready to be collected. Work will only be retained for two weeks following notification. 


Regarding Kids Clay Club: 

  1. It is your responsibility to clearly report in writing on the enrolment form, any illness, allergies or disability that may affect your child's involvement in the Clay Club activities.
  2. Please sign-in and sign-out your children
  3. Please respect our teachers and be prompt to arrive and to collect your children (within 5 minutes of class time)
  4. Children are expected to be mature enough to follow instructions, to work in a group together, to respect everyone's needs and differences and to be polite to everyone.
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