Clay Shed — Attraction in Bristol

After doing a couple of lessons elsewhere, I managed to get a place at the Clay Shed last year as a part time member, and it completely transformed my practice.

What I found at the studio wasn't just the chance to spend more time on my ceramics work. I found a supportive community of people, all keen to help and engage with each other. The team at the shed themselves, Alice, Steve, Lou and Fran were knowledgeable, helpful, and impressively tolerant of the litany of inane questions I had about ceramics.

The studio is open access, making it great for those of us working full time to nurture their skills outside of working hours. And as you manage your equipment and materials yourself, it's an opportunity to learn more about the materials: how they work, how they interact, and what they can do. Plus the Shed is impeccably well organised and clean, and you’ll learn best practices for keeping your ceramics safe from the start.

If you can't tell. I really loved my time at the Clay Shed, and I was gutted when I had to leave to move to a new city. If, like me, you love doing lessons but want more time and support to focus on your work, this is the perfect...

The teaching of techniques at clay shed allows you to create pots that you feel proud of. Clay shed allows great scope for creativity . The beginners classes are beautifully structured so that complete beginners can quickly develop confidence and understanding of working with clay. The experience is second to none in my opinion. The variety of teachers that facilitate classes gives a satisfying breadth of learning and all and any of the classes are very high quality as well as fun and relaxed . They also offer ways of practicing and continuing the skills learnt by becoming a member of clayshed and those in a position to do so can speak to the class co-coordinators about this . Notwithstanding they have had and have some very accomplished members like the quarter finalist of pottery throw down no less . And other members with remarkable skills. It has been a privilege to make pots with these creative people but also to see the value in enjoying and exploring your own creativity . Highly...

I took a beginners course at the start of year with Alice as my teacher, she was absolutely fantastic, very well calm and patient with everyone in the class and conveyed the lessons in the very easy and approachable way. I learnt a great amount and after that decided to become a member at the Clay Shed. All the staff members there were always there to help and offer their expertise and advice when it was needed.

The studio it's self is a lovely space to be a part of, very clean and tidy with great facilities, having 7 wheels to choose from, very sturdy hand building/wedging tables, a glazing section as well as 4 kilns of various sizes to choose from.

Working and experimenting alongside other makers at the same time is incredibly beneficial and really pushed me to try new ideas and themes of making.

I couldn't recommend this...