Beginners Pottery, ceramics, art classes and workshops Special Offer
from AU$595.00

Slow Clay Beginners' Wheel Throwing pottery course

A weekly class on the pottery wheel

Next Available: Wed, 01 May 10:00AM (AEST)
(+11 more dates)
2 hours x 8 Weeks
Over 1000 people have attended this class

Description

You have been re-directed to the booking page for Slow Clay Beginner's wheel courses. 

Choose your class time carefully and please double-check it!  Classes tend to book out within minutes of opening and once they book out there is no way we can transfer you if your preferred class is full. 

This Beginner's Wheel 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 comprehensive Form & Surface hand-building 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.  

Please be aware there is more demand for our courses than we can satisfy. We try very hard to be fair to everyone but inevitably people miss out. But we really look forward to welcoming you to Slow Clay Centre!

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What you will learn

  • Learn our Slow Clay method based on Japanese techniques that are ergonomically sound
  • Learn the ʻpower of slowʼ where movements are planned to be economical whilst having the most effect.
  • Learn about clays, glazes and some historical influences

What you will get

  • Your own beautiful creations
  • skills, knowledge and the perfect introduction to wheel thrown ceramics

What to bring

  • a notebook or sketchbook
  • a clean towel to each class
  • camera if you wish

What to wear

comfortable old clothes, or bring an apron and leave the stilettos at home!

Appropriate for

Beginner adults, 16years+ , all 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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4.9 (108 reviews)
Annarated it
23 Mar 2024
Rating Only
Georgiarated it
23 Mar 2024
Rating Only
Shiu Fungrated it
22 Mar 2024
This class is amazing. The studio is very well equipped and Alyssa was an incredible instructor.
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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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