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Beginner Daytime Course

4 Week Throwing Course

Mondays 10.30am – 1.30pm

Your Instructors:

Finola Thomas
Finola is the owner of Fishponds Pottery – a gifted communicator and teacher with an MA in Design and Visual Research from Brighton University. She has been teaching throwing now for over 10 years and this course has been honed and refined over her career. It is designed to give you lots of support and time on the wheel so that by the end you feel confident in your ability and can throw independently.

The Course:

Our four week course designed for complete beginners aims to teach you all the wheel throwing basics – wedging, centring, throwing simple shapes and trimming are all covered in that time. Our groups are a maximum of 6 people, meaning you will receive plenty of support and guidance from us.

Sessions are 3 hours long, running from 10.30am – 1.30pm, with 15 minutes at the end reserved for clean up.

A fifth session will be arranged around a month after your course for you to glaze your pieces too. This, as well as all materials and firing costs are included in the course price.

There is an opportunity for extra practice on Tuesdays from 10am-3pm at no additional cost!*

Throwing is a craft that takes practice, patience, and persistence. We believe everyone can attain this skill, our workshops are designed to be a relaxed start on your ceramic journey.

Please contact us with any queries, We look forward to having you!

*subject to availability

Book your place now

Course Schedule

Week 1

Gentle introduction to throwing on the pottery wheel, the first session is all about learning the way of how to handle clay on the pottery wheel. The first session is to ensure your knowledge of the preparations needed for throwing.

  • Introduction to Ridgeway and the course
  • Introduction to tools and machinery
  • Learning about clay
  • Wedging/preparations
  • Centring Throwing
  • Studio Cleanliness induction
  • Group discussion

Week 2

The most effective way to learn the craft of throwing on the wheel is persistence; you learn from making mistakes. Everyone’s abilities to learn throwing is unique, at ridgeway we have created an environment to let you the student have tranquillity and space to find your own throwing style. Persistence is the main lesson, getting your hands used to working with tools and clay in a rhythm that suits. One to one direction on the wheel is provided to guide you through any difficulties and smooth over any worries to make you feel stronger and ready for the next session.

  • Centring practice
  • Basic throwing techniques
  • One to one tuition
  • Trial and error
  • Exploration and self-directed throwing
  • Group discussion
  • Tidy space

Week 3

Learning how to throw consistently is a skill that requires time and patience, session three is a crash course into pushing your limits to what you have already learnt to insure you have hit criteria at this stage you are happy with.

  • Throwing warm up
  • Turning and finishing pottery
  • Tuition /design ideas
  • Students should be now throwing strong forms
  • Throw and repeat Group discussion
  • Tidy up

Week 4

In the last session you have the freedom to use your new skills and create your own work. By this point of the course you will have found your own style.

  • Independent throwing
  • Finalising forms and style
  • Choosing items for firing
  • Advice to your ceramic future