Pottery: introduction to throwing and decoration
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- Start Date: 15 Sep 2025End Date: 08 Dec 2025Mon (Evening): 18:00 - 21:00In PersonLocation: Keeley StreetDuration: 12 sessions (over -13 weeks)Course Code: VR718Tutors: Trish SpenceFull fee £649.00 Senior fee £519.00 Concession £422.00
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What is the course about?
This ceramics course offers the opportunity for you to learn the basic skills and techniques for making thrown pots.
You will learn clay preparation, how to centre, throw and turn basic forms. This will enable you to develop personal
shapes and experiment with constructions. You will also find out about slips, underglazes, oxides and a variety of
glazes, and how to use them in surface decoration.
What will we cover?
This course covers clay preparation, simple shape forming and
turning to produce bowls, jugs, vases and mugs, lidded forms and a variety of handles.
You can explore throwing techniques further by assembling forms to produce larger pieces. Decorative techniques and glazing will be introduced, using a variety of methods, ceramic materials and different firing temperatures.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Throw cylinders and bowls, including vases and mugs
- Make and fix handles
- Turn forms to finish a foot
- Throw and measure a lid to fit a pot
- Use different techniques with coloured slips and oxides
Intermediate learners will be able to:
- Experiment with changes in scale
- Work with altered forms and assembly.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is open to anyone with an interest in throwing and decoration, from complete beginners to more experienced students wishing to develop their skills.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and
safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and
be able to do simple measurements and calculations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The class is taught by ongoing group and individual demonstrations and tuition, and is supported by visual
references, examples of work and handouts.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Most ceramic materials are covered by the course fee.There is a charge of £2.75 per 500g for clay before firing, the porcelain charge is £24.00 per bag/ £12 per half bag. Tools are available within the department for use but you may want to purchase your own.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Ceramics: surface decoration on clay – VR719 and Pottery on Saturdays - VR725. Your tutor will advice you on progression possibilities.
Within City Lit you could progress onto the City Lit Ceramics course - VR710 or the Diploma Course in Ceramics -VR712, all of which are structured courses that can lead to higher education or independent studio practice.
Trish is a ceramicist living and working at her multimedia studio in London. She currently teaches ceramics at City Lit and the WMC Camden, (The Working Men's College). She is also a visiting practitioner at the London Collge of Fashion (UAL). Trish has a Degree (First) and an MA in Ceramics from UWIC, (University of Wales in Cardiff). Her degree work was chosen for FRESH at the British Ceramics Biennial in 2011 and by The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (Nceca) in 2012, for an exhibition in Seattle. She has work in both public and private collections. After university Trish was chosen as ceramicist in residence at the prestigious Harrow School for boys in London. Adult education has now become Trish's main teaching direction, enjoying the enthusiasm and determination that adults bring to the learning environment. Having started her creative path in ceramics through adult education, prior to university and with several years of teaching across a wide spectrum of learners, her experience and wide skill set make her a dynamic and innovative teacher.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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- Ceramics as a canvas: traditional slip decoration and surface treatments in clayFull fee £599.00 Senior fee £479.00 Concession £389.00
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- City Lit ceramics workshopFull fee £3,099.00 Senior fee £2,479.00 Concession £2,014.00
