The main difference for 2026 - 2027 is the timeline. It will start in September 2026 and end in June 2027. In this way the Leach Year will be organised more like a traditional school year and avoid the busy summer holidays in St Ives. 

Feel free to email Hamish Jackson at: adult.programme@leachpottery.com if you have any questions at all!

Schedule:

Tuesday 1 September, 4-5pm: Online video meeting between participants and tutors

Monday 7 – Friday 11 September: Production

Monday 19 – Friday 23 October: Progressing & Consolidating

Monday 14 – Friday 18 December: Potter’s Challenges

Monday 1 – Friday 5 February 2027: Glaze Chemistry

Monday 1 – Friday 5 March: Surface Decoration

Monday 12 – Friday 16 April: Teapots

Monday 17 – Friday 21 May: Wood Firing (Optional extra course)

Monday 14 – Friday 18 June: Glazing, Firing and Celebration

Note about the course and costs. We have tried to keep the course at the same price as previous, just adding 5% to allow for inflation of our costs. The Leach Year 2026 - 2027 will be £5460 in total.

If you would like to participate in the wood firing week that will be an extra £700. We are choosing to have this as an optional extra in case anyone does not want to participate. It will be at John MacKenzie’s kiln in Gweek and promises to be a wonderful experience. We will also open this opportunity up to our previous Leach Year cohorts but the price will be more for them. There will be a limit of 10 participants involved in this wood firing. We can talk more about this in person or on the phone if you would like.

Application

We have received significant interest in the Leach Year 2026-2027 so are asking for applications. We would love it if you could send us a short application (detailed below).

Deadline: Sunday 15 March at midnight.

Please send:

·        10 images of pots you have made

·        A description of your experience with clay (maximum 300 words). This can be bullet points if you prefer.

·        An explanation of why you want to take part in the Leach Year and what you hope to gain from it (maximum 300 words). This can be bullet points if you prefer.

These can be emailed to Hamish Jackson: adult.programme@leachpottery.com

Applications will not be formally accepted until payment of the £900 deposit is received. If an application is unsuccessful the deposit will be returned in full.   

Applicants will hear from us by Friday 20 March the outcome of their application. Applicants will be contacted to arrange a short video call with myself, and another member of the Leach Pottery team on Wednesday 18 March (between 2-7pm). This is an opportunity for applicants to fully understand of the nature of the course and for us to ensure applicants are suitable (in terms of expectations and skills). We are keen to impress that this is not an interview but helps us form a cohesive cohort of learners!

If you have any questions at all please reach out to Hamish Jackson: adult.programme@leachpottery.com