The Leach Year
The Leach Year: For Intermediate potters
Clay. Form. Technique. Colour. Beauty. Utility.
A series of workshops across the year for potters to develop their skills
The Potter’s Year strives to nurture a small group of potters to develop their practice, through consolidating production skills within the ethos established by Bernard Leach. In addition, potters are encouraged to question and explore what it means to be a sustainable potter 100 years on from the beginning of the Leach Pottery.
The Leach Pottery has been a place for potters to learn over the last 100 years. Founded by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, the pottery has hosted potters ranging from Michael Cardew and William Marshall to Warren MacKenzie and Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie. Informed by the founding principles of the Leach Pottery, the potters forged their practices, styles and approaches all rooted in sound technique, form and sensitivity to utility and beauty.
Who is the Leach Year for?
The Leach Year is the ideal experience for makers who already have throwing confidence (reliably centering up to 3kg of clay, throwing repeat forms with a degree of consistency) and who are committed to developing their own practice. Potters may have access regularly to a wheel or kiln outside of this course but this is not a requirement.
The Leach year is taught to two small groups of 5 potters concurrently (Cohort 1 and 2 mostly meet on different dates). The workshops are taught by a small group of different tutors to ensure a diversity of skills are imparted. Some aspects of the course are taught to both cohorts (two groups combined to a total of 10 people) at the same time.
If a participant has attended a Leach Pottery course previously, the Leach Year will offer you the opportunity to develop and consolidate approaches you have encountered before. For a beginner’s year-long course please see here.
Who will you meet during your time at Leach Pottery?
The Leach Year will be taught by up to 4 freelance tutors and Leach Pottery staff. Each of these potters has a wealth of experience, each bringing different threads of studio pottery practice to the Leach Year from glaze development, production throwing, specific forms, design and tips for the everyday practical management of a studio. Additionally the tutors are experienced teaching small groups of adults ranging from beginners to practicing potters. Some of the tutors have been, or are currently, Production Potters in the Leach Pottery Production Studio and all have experience as practicing potters independent of a collaborative studio. All are united by a sensitivity to the teaching of Bernard Leach, making pots which echo the founding principles of the Leach Pottery.
The Leach Pottery Learning & Participation team are a group of potters, teachers and museum educators. The team support the delivery of the Leach Year and are familiar faces to the participants across the year. Opportunities to meet the wider Leach Pottery team, from Curators to the Director are planned at points in the programme.
Where will I be learning?
The course will start delivery from Bernard Leach’s Old Studio in the Leach Pottery. Depending on the phasing of the current capital building project (for full details see here) in early 2026 the delivery of the workshops will move to the newly built studios at the Leach Pottery. We acknowledge that the Museum and facilities in the historic spaces of the site aren’t what we wish to offer you – the spaces can be cold.
The Leach Year offers the opportunity for Potters to:
· Achieve consistency of throwing repeat forms through undertaking production pottery workshops and throwing form challenges on the electric wheel to an advanced level
· Consolidate throwing technique, throwing with economy and letting the clay lead
· Develop a throwing identity and style through considered design and exploration with clay
· Make sustainable and informed choices for their practice, from choice of clay to glaze and firing methods
· Grow an understanding of glazes to then develop their own selection of glazes and trouble shoot glazing issues
While some thrown outcomes will be fired, the course focuses on the development and consolidation of skills through repetition and therefore we take a reserved approach to firing more than one outcome from each course engagement
Please note, this course focuses on the skills of pottery making and doesn’t explore the professional practice of the potter – elements such a marketing, selling and running a business aren’t covered. Equally, the programme doesn’t facilitate the opportunity to exhibit works
Application:
Course fee: £5,200
Deposit payable at time of booking: £1,000
A course deposit of £1,000 is paid up front. This is fully refundable until 14 days after purchase. On receipt of this payment the Leach Pottery will arrange a video call with you to make sure you are suitable for the course. We will also ask to see some photos of your work. This is not an interview, just an opportunity to talk through your expectations of the course to ensure the course is the right fit for you and your current skill level before proceeding with the full payment. We will also give consideration to the breadth of experience represented in the class.
In the event of failure to make this payment in full we will then contact a waiting list and course deposit will not be refunded.
Overview of Course Content
The Leach Year will begin with a zoom call between all the participants and tutors to get to know each other and talk through any questions and expectations. Then our work with clay begins!
The first morning of each week at the Pottery will focus on rigorous repetition of production throwing. This aims to further throwing skills through repeated practice of principle forms as a warm up under the tutor’s guidance. After each week session at the Leach Pottery participants will have homework to work on before the next session.
Induction Meeting
Cohorts 1 & 2: Monday 7 February, 4-5pm
5 Days: Production Pottery:
Cohort 1: Monday 9 – Friday 13 February
Cohort 2: Monday 23 – Friday 27 February
Introductions and welcome to the course.
Good Clay- A talk and discussion about different types of clay and key components.
This week will focus on production pottery and throwing repeat forms to a consistent standard. Across the week the tutor will take a diagnostic approach, spending time with each participant to address each step of their technique. Participants will also have time to share where they are with their practice currently. Participants will:
· Focus on repeating the same form to achieve consistency
· Learn techniques to increase speed and efficiency
· Explore the balance of form and function
· Learn about weight and measurements in relation to size
· Undertake exercises that encourage minimal steps in throwing and tool use
The tutor will then explore the learning points through a series of demonstrations followed by individual practice underpinned by guidance and support. The tutor will encourage the consideration of each stage of making, filtering out unnecessary use of tools and movements with an aim to achieve a deliberate and direct approach towards making and an improvement in production, quality, and consistency.
By the end of this course, participants will have practiced repeating the same forms to specific measurements. In addition, they will have a sound understanding of the most effective methods for repeat production throwing, and improved skills.
None of the pieces made this week will be fired. This session is all about practice and building good habits.
There will be opportunity for each participant to share about their current practice, experience and interest.
Homework set by the tutor for participants to work on independently before the next session.
5 Days: Consolidation & Progressing
Cohort 1: Monday 2 – Friday 6 March
Cohort 2: Monday 30 – Friday 3 April
The focus of these five days will be determined by the needs and interests in the group and confirmed at the end of the previous class with the tutor. This might be revisiting skills already covered in the production session or working on new forms such as jugs and jars. This week is intended to cement the good habits learnt in our first session and to develop further skills on the wheel.
Participants can submit 1 piece for firing in the gas kiln at Leach Pottery and take an additional 5 pieces with them to be independently fired.
Homework set by the tutor for participants to work on independently before the next session.
5 Days: Potter’s Challenges:
Cohort 1: Monday 20 – Friday 24 April
Cohort 2: Monday 27 April – Friday 1 May
During the week participants will cover a series of technical challenges to refine their practice. A key focus will be form, weight and throwing larger. Handling and sketching pots from the Leach Pottery archive will encourage deeper understanding of thrown forms and develop participant’s eye for detail.
Participants can submit 1 piece for firing in the gas kiln at Leach Pottery and take an additional 5 pieces with them to be independently fired.
Homework set by the tutor for participants to work on independently before the next session.
5 Day: Glaze Chemistry:
Cohorts 1 & Cohort 2 together: Monday 22 – Friday 26 June
Overview:
Participants will gain a basic understanding of glaze materials and how they work. Participants will discover how glaze recipes can be altered to develop their own glazes, as well learning how glaze recipes are calculated. This week will teach participants a range of testing methods and leave them with the ability to produce and tweak their own glazes at home.
During this course you will:
· Learn the basics of glaze chemistry theory
· Learn about the properties of raw materials
· Learn how to calculate glaze recipes
· Test glazes with line blends, triaxial blends and the grid method
· Learn about glaze troubleshooting
Glaze Testing & Basics of Glaze Chemistry:
· Introduction to glaze chemistry
· Introduction to glaze testing
· Line blend basic raw materials
· Triaxial blends
· Quadraxial blends
· Colour blends
· Introduction to the grid method
Calculation of Recipes:
· Introduction to glaze technology
· Basics (what is a glaze, what are the important oxides, eutectic mixtures)
· Properties of glazes (viscosity, surface tension, thermal expansion)
· Properties of oxides/raw materials
· Calculating glaze recipes
Analysis of Tests:
· Troubleshooting issues with glazes
· Examining tests and planning further tests
· Glaze surgery (you can bring examples of glazes that you have trouble with, for advice).
Homework set by the tutor for participants to work on independently before the next session. The hope is that participants will continue to test glazes and leave with some pots coated in their own unique glazes by the end of the Leach Year.
5 Days: Surface Decoration:
Cohorts 1 & 2: Monday 7 – Friday 11 September
This week participants will be introduced to different surface decoration approaches. Across the week participants consider their own style and make a collection of ware to then apply a range of decorative methods on to such as decorative slip with oxides, slip trailing, slip brush decoration, fluting, sgraffito and stamp making.
Outcomes will be used in the following engagement for electric glazes and firings.
Participants can submit 5 pieces for firing in the gas kiln at the Leach Pottery and take an additional 5 pieces with them to be independently fired.
Homework set by tutor for participants to work on independently before the next session.
5 Day: Teapots & Lidded Vessels
Cohort 1: Monday 5 – Friday 9 October
Cohort 2 : Monday 21 – Friday 25 October
This is a 5-day practice-based throwing lidded vessels and teapots course.
The course covers:
· Form: the key elements in achieving good design and functionality of lidded vessels and teapots
· Lids: exploring a range of lid styles with an aim to achieve strong galleries and well-fitting lid systems
· Spouts: learn how to make a spout, attach it to the pot in the correct position for a good pour and convenient placing for water levels and drainage
· Handles: including how to pull both a standard and a loop handle. Look into handles made from alternative materials and how to make and attach lugs for these
Participants can submit 2 pieces for firing in the gas kiln at Leach Pottery and take an additional 5 with them to be independently fired.
Homework set by the tutor for participants to work on independently before the next session.
5 Days: Glaze Application, Firing & Celebration:
Cohorts 1 and 2: Monday 30 November – Friday 4 December
Day 1: Glazing pots and stacking the gas kiln
Day 2: Finish stacking the gas kiln. Mix glazes for the electric kiln firing and glaze pots
Day 3: Fire gas kiln. Stack electric kiln
Day 4: Fire electric kiln. Theory of kilns, firing and maintenance (electric and gas cooling). Time for one to one reflection with Leach staff
Day 5: Unpacking kilns. Discussion of cold finishing pots and plans for future pots. Celebration! The nature of how the end of the course is celebrated will be confirmed half way through the year
Participants sign up to either cohort 1 or cohort 2. Timetabling doesn’t allow for participants to swap between the cohorts for particular sections of the course.
Please email Hamish Jackson at adult.programme@leachpottery.com to arrange a time to talk through any questions you may have about the programme.
Price: £5,200
Capacity: 5 in each cohort
If you would like to be considered for the course but the spaces are currently sold out, please contact charmaine.orkamfat@leachpottery.com who will contact you should a space become available.