CWP

One Month Workshop - Daily Schedule January 2026

Week 1: Introduction to Core Techniques
Focus: Basic throwing skills including cylinders and bowls. Pinch and Coil Handbuilding Techniques. An introduction to Ceramic History, Kneading and Reclaiming your clay.

  • Monday, January 5 - Introduction to Centering, Throwing Cylinders & Ceramic History - Instructor Lucia Ocejo
    We will begin the week by learning the fundamentals of wheel throwing, focusing on how to center and throwing well balanced cylinders. We will increase the weight of clay as the day goes on. In the afternoon there will be an introductory lecture on ceramic history.

  • Tuesday, January 6 – Cylinder Review and Throwing Bowls - Instructor Lucia Ocejo
    The morning session will be dedicated to refining your cylinder-throwing technique and building consistency. In the late morning and afternoon you will begin to throw bowls. There will be discussions on the type of ‘feet’ you can build into your bowl shapes.

  • Wednesday, January 7 – Pugging and Reclaiming Clay, Kneading and Wedging, Throwing Bowls and Turning your Work - Instructor: Lucia Ocejo
    Starting the day with a demonstration on good studio practices - including how to pug and reclaim clay. We believe that learning how to recycle and manage clay is an essential part of becoming a potter and being able to work independently.

    Kneading - Wedge and Spiral Techniques. A short demonstration of different ways to prepare your clay before it is ready to work with.

    Continued throwing of bowls, ironing out throwing issues and increasing weights. Focus on refining thrown work through trimming techniques.

  • Thursday, January 8 – Pinch and Coil Building - Instructor: Alex Dedes
    Exploring traditional hand-building techniques with pinch pots and coiling. You will step away from the wheel and get a feel for clays with more ‘tooth’, building more organic forms and stepping away from the wheel to a what many would describe as a more expressive and sculptural way of making.

  • Friday, January 9 - Pinch Pots & Coil Building Continued - Instructor: Alex Dedes
    Continuing working on your pieces to emphasise the intuitive forms which have been encouraged. Finnessing the finish of the bases of the works and adding any texture and or slipwork.

Week 2: Plates, Firing, Slabs & Surface Decoration
Focus: Flatware, Firing Techniques and Practicalities, Glaze Mixing, Safe Approaches to Materials, Sliptrailing, Slabwork and Marbling.

  • Monday, January 12 –  Plate Making - Throwing and Handbuilding - Instructor - Andrea Roman

    Learn throwing and slab-building methods for creating plates, with a focus on warping prevention and edge finishing.

  • Tuesday, January 13 – Firing Options, Loading and Unloading, Bisque and Glaze Kilns. Instructor - Ervin Cirikovic

    A Morning Lecture - Understanding firing techniques, clay choices and firing temperatures.

    The lecture will be followed by a demonstration, where you will then head to the Kiln Room where you will witness how to load a bisque kiln and unload a glaze kiln. You will learn about Kiln Shelves, Props and the upkeep of the kilns and related equipment.

    Plate Refinement - in the afternoon you will continue to work on plate design, throwing more plates to turn the next day. Instructor - Andrea Roman

  • Wednesday, January 14 - In the morning you will turn all of your plates, taking care to trim all excess of clay creating a well weighted and balanced form.

    Once all the plates are ready, your focus will move to Slip Trailing & Plate Decoration, this will be messy and enjoyable and produces wonderfully expressive work. Instructor - Andrea Roman

  • Thursday, January 15 - Glaze Chemistry (Mixing up School Glazes)  & Introduction to Slab Work
    Further develop your understanding of glaze chemistry by mixing own glazes. Health and Safety of working with dry and wet glaze materials will be covered. Instructor - Ervin Cirikovic

    Introduction to Slab Work with marbling technique incorporated into the process. Making at least two pieces, one large and one more intricate - lids etc explored. Instructor - Olivia Fiddes

  • Friday, January 16 –
    Slab Construction Continued. Continue working with slabs, developing more refined forms and learning how to prepare them for drying and firing. Instructor - Olivia Fiddes

Week 3: Functional Forms – Tea Bowls, Oval Forms, Handle Making and attachment
Focus: Intermediate forms with emphasis on shaping, assembly, surface design, and function.

  • Monday, January 19 - Tea Bowl Introduction - Instructor - Nancy Fuller
    Progress with functional ware with expressive tea bowls shapes. Making your own tools for creating texture.

  • Tuesday, January 20 - Tea Bowls Continued - Instructor - Nancy Fuller
    Tea Bowl Throwing & Trimming. Practice throwing, trimming, and detailing tea bowls with attention to weight, rim, and foot proportions.

  • Wednesday, January 21 - Oval Shapes: Throwing & Alteration - Instructor: Ervin Cirikovic
    Learn how to throw cylindrical forms and alter them into oval shapes with clean transitions and structural integrity. Throwing the wall without a base

  • Thursday, January 22 - Oval Shapes Continued - Instructor: Ervin Cirikovic

    Making a base and then attaching the walls - scoring and slipping

  • Friday, January 23 - Oval Shapes Continued - Instructor: Ervin Cirikovic

    Oval Refinement & Handle Making. Add handles and Lugs to oval forms, exploring balance, ergonomics, and visual flow.

Week 4: Independent Practice, Glazing Work and  Throwing Larger Forms. End of Foundation celebration.
Focus: Choosing the right glazes for your work - ‘dressing’ your pots. Finding your way - working independently and knowing your aims with good time management and safe studio practice, throwing larger forms and assembling two thrown items together, bellying and collaring forms. End of Term Celebration and Reflection.

  • Monday, January 26 - Working Independently - Safe Studio Practice - Time and Expectation Management

    Practice Throwing and or Handbuilding day. Knowing how to prep your clay and be self led, knowing how to time manage and have sensible expectations. Instructor if and when needed - Pippa Harrison

  • Tuesday, January 27 - Glazing Your Work - ‘Dressing your pots’ - Instructor Alex Dedes

    Glazing Work Fired to date - going over all techniques. Any time spare is for practice throwing and turning of the work produced the day before. Instructor - Alex Dedes

  • Wednesday, January 28 - Bellied and collared Vessels - Instructor Clare Spindler

    Increasing how large each student can throw - techniques for throwing larger

    Thursday, January 29 - Bellied and collared Vessels Continued… - Instructor Clare Spindler
    Continued exploration of throwing larger - focus on attaching two thrown forms together, Bellying your shapes outwards and Collaring inwards.

    Friday, January 30 - Bellied and collared Vessels Continued. End of Foundation Reflection and Celebration - Instructor Clare Spindler
    Exploration of Lids for these forms, surface decoration and turning bases. End of Foundation Disussion and Looking at Work, Direction and Progress. Cake and Celebration!