2 Full Day School Take Over: Colour & Beauty

Example workshop timings:
Day 1

·        10-10.45: Welcome & Introduction to the Leach Pottery through talk and handling collection.

·        10.45-11: Break

·        11-12.30: Glaze Theory & Design and kiln loading

·        12.30-1pm: Lunch Break

·        1pm – 2pm:  Tea Bowl

·        3-4pm:  Tool making and Kurinuki

·        Preparation

Day 2

·        10-10.45: Wheel Taster & Research Gathering

·        10.45-11: Break

·        11-12.30: Surface Decoration & Tiles

·        12.30-1pm: Lunch Break

·        1pm – 2pm:  Kiln Opening & Glaze Reflections 

·        3-4pm: Kurinuki

Details of the course:

Day 1

Welcome

Through a talk and handling collection, participants discover the story of how the Leach Pottery revitalised the tradition of handmade pottery and the ethos and approach of the potters at the pottery across the years.

Glaze Theory

Become informed about the key components needed to create your own glazes; glass former, flux and stabilizer. Through a process called a line blend, participants will experiment with what happens when each of these element’s percentage in the glaze are increased or decreased and discover the resulting impact on the fired glaze. Precise weighing, mixing and teamwork bring this chemistry to life! Once the multiple glazes are mixed, the glaze tests will be loaded into the test kiln for firing overnight.

Tea Bowl

Taking inspiration from the pots made by the Leach Pottery, participants will make their own hand-built tea bowls, yunomis, and learn about the journey clay makes from ground to kiln.

Tool Making

Participants will be introduced to the simple tool making processes as they consider the historic tools used at the Leach Pottery. Slip Combes, Sewn Brushes, Bamboo Rag Brushes and shells will all be used to create a hand-made tool kit for each participant.

Day 2

Throwing Taster

Participants will experience throwing on a potter’s wheel and, taking inspiration from the ceramics made by the Leach Pottery, will make their own hand-built tea bowls.

Surface Decoration

Taking inspiration from the decorative processes used by the Leach Pottery, participants will make a series of test tiles, experiencing skills including: slip decoration, wax resist decoration, ceramic stencils and slip mono-print before making a decorative tile which combines these skills. Participants will gain an understanding of what slips and oxides are, how they are made and how to use them.

Kiln Opening & Glaze Reflections 

The test kiln will be opened and unloaded. Participants will discuss the outcomes and consider how the changing components impacted the fired glazes.

Kurinuki

Consider the forms of drinking vessels, from foot to lip and make a Kurinuki tea bowl. Kurinuki is a traditional Japanese hand-building technique where a vessel is created by carving away from a solid block of clay. Through cutting the shape into the clay raw and sculptural marks of the carving process are visible.

Production Studio Visit

Depending on the work-flow of the production studio across the group’s visit, there will be a tour of the Leach Pottery Production Studio in action.

Fired Outcomes: Tea Bowl and Kurinuki, four Decorative Tiles per student and glazing tests

£1760 for groups between 18 to 32 students

For groups smaller that 18 the price of the workshop is the same.

Including firing and postage costs

Booking Note:

The Learning & Participation team teaches Schools, Adults and Communities every Monday to Friday in our studios, regularly holding workshops at the weekends. Our ability to accept additional weekend workshops is determined by the flow of the wider programme and we regret that we cannot always accept requests for weekend workshops.

We do not consider weekend workshop requests which fall during school holiday while the team are delivering our family holiday programme.