Ceramics Classes London — Local services in London

The taster class for 2 was £150 and I was so excited to try this and have been for ages. We had hal as an instructor and he was inexperienced with teaching others and seemed to have a very hard time focusing on the 6 people in the class.

The first 20-25 mins is demonstration and rather haphazard instructions (some very key bits of information were left out). And the last 25 mins is designated for clean up which wouldn't be too bad except in a 90 min class you spend nearly an hour doing everything except touching the clay. In the remaining 35 minutes we spent about 20 waiting on the instructor to help the others one by one. He was definitely overwhelmed and struggling with the number of people who demanded attention in the class.

It's absolutely NOT worth the money.

We both came away with no pots being made and we were told that it's too bad but there's nothing they can do about it. So now not only did we spend £150 to wash tools we didn't even use, I've learned to hate pottery throwing which is the most disappointing bit of it all. The part I enjoyed the most was smashing the collapsed bits of clay into the slip bucket.

Extremely disappointed with the whole experience!!

Update

Since I can't seem to reply to your comment, let's correct some facts, we were 5 mins late and I called the studio twice to confirm it would be okay. Also we were late because Google maps shows that the studio is two streets away from it's actual location. He hadn't turned his wheel on when we arrived so I don't think we missed the key points then and we did understand centering and pulling the clay.

Also, I'm sure hal is very experienced and my comment wasn't about his own skills as it was about his teaching which definitely can stand to be improved. He was stretched very thin and very overwhelmed by the number of people demanding his attention. The feedback and review here is that 6 people is too many for a taster class. Given that you don't indicate how many spots are already booked for a slot there is no way to know what you are walking into. If it is indeed that challenging then maybe consider smaller groups so the instructor isn't overwhelmed and attendees don't walk away hating the experience.

He only threw something on the wheel last minute because I insisted and practically pleaded with him for another piece of clay. I didn't make that. It's not a 90 min class that advertising is misleading. It's a 40 min class with additional aspects that take up to 90 mins to complete. It doesn't feel worth the price paid for it. The review is to warn people who come in expecting something worth £150. I'm sure the issue isn't the craft but please take some of the feedback onboard about the class and...

I took my sister here for a taster session for her birthday in November 2024. The session itself was very enjoyable with a small group of 4 of us and a knowledgeable instructor. I received an email in early June (nearly 8 months after the session) telling me that the pottery was ready for pick up (even though the website states that it should take 6-8 weeks, not months). The email states that if I didn’t pick up the pottery by July, it will be disposed of. Today I travelled all the way to the studio to finally pick up our pottery just to be told it’s already been binned, even though the deadline of July hasn’t arrived yet. I’m extremely disappointed and would not recommend this place to anyone who actually wants to take their pottery home after the taster.

Update in response to your comment on my review: I had not received a single email telling me to collect my work. I myself sent you a chaser in January asking when my work will be ready and you told me that due to Christmas, it might take a little longer. I then received no further emails until the email I received in June telling me that I should collect before my work is disposed of in July. Apparently coming on the 25th June did not cut...

Ceramics Classes London (at The Arch) Location: 57, Railway Arch, Cambridge Grove, London, W6 0LD, UK. Overview: Situated under the railway arches, this studio offers professional ceramics and pottery courses for various levels. Courses Offered: A range of courses catering to different durations and interests: Taster Sessions: 1.5-hour sessions for beginners to get an introduction to ceramic techniques, including wheel throwing or hand-building. Participants make one or two items to be fired and glazed. 4- or 8-Week Courses: 2.5-hour sessions that offer a more in-depth introduction, starting with centering clay and throwing cylinder shapes, then progressing to refining techniques. 1-Week Course: An intensive five-consecutive-day course (Mon-Fri, 10 am-1 pm) for self-directed projects, covering hand-building, wheel throwing, and decorating with colored slips. Specialized options: Children's Party, Children's Classes, Corporate, Glaze Technology Courses, and...