Discover the art of wheel throwing in this 5-week hands-on course, perfect for complete beginners and those looking to refine their skills.
Guided by renowned ceramic tutor Lise Moorcroft and our experienced Studio Hosts, you’ll learn step-by-step techniques to create beautiful pottery in a relaxed and supportive studio environment.
What you’ll learn
Week 1: Throwing Foundations
Get started with the essentials, including centring the clay, coning, and forming a strong, even base.
Weeks 2 & 3: Forms & Shape Development
Build your confidence as you learn to throw cylinders and bowls, explore shaping techniques, and experiment with collaring.
Week 4: Turning (Trimming)
Refine your pieces by trimming them to create clean forms and balanced shapes. At the end of Week 4, you’ll select up to 4 pieces to be bisque fired, ready for glazing in Week 5.
Week 5: Glazing & Decoration
Bring your work to life using our range of studio glazes and underglazes, adding colour and character to your finished pieces.
After completing the course, you can choose to return to continue developing your skills under Lise’s guidance, with opportunities to work with larger amounts of clay and further your practice.
What’s Included
- All materials, including clay, tools, and aprons
- Bisque and glaze firing for up to 4 pieces
- Expert tuition in a supportive, creative environment
- Option to pay for additional firings if you create more work (payable in Week 4)
- Small class sizes (maximum of 8 participants), ensuring plenty of one-to-one guidance
Course Dates
Block 4 Dates:
- 7th September 2026
- 14th September 2026
- 21st September 2026
- 28th September 2026
- 5th October 2026
Block 5 Dates:
- 2nd November 2026
- 9th November 2026
- 16th November 2026
- 23rd November 2026
- 30th November 2026
Time: Mondays: 6 pm- 8:30 pm (Term Time Only)
Location: Creative Studios, World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent
Price: £175 per person
Meet Your Tutor: Lise Moorcroft
Lise Moorcroft, a celebrated ceramic artist and fourth-generation member of the legendary Moorcroft pottery family, brings her expertise and passion for ceramics to this course. With deep roots in Stoke-on-Trent’s rich ceramic heritage and a degree from London’s Central School of Art and Design, Lise blends traditional techniques with her unique creative flair.
Lise will guide you through every stage of the process, ensuring that whether you’re new to pottery or looking to refine your wheel-throwing techniques, you’ll leave with skills to treasure and pots to be proud of.
T’s & C’s
Cancellations: Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made less than 48 hours before booking or for no-shows. Once a course has started, the fees become non-refundable.
Missing Lessons: Our courses are structured progressively, with each lesson building upon the previous one. Unfortunately, due to the course structure, it’s not possible to reschedule missed lessons to another date
Firing Inclusions: The course fee includes bisque and glaze firing for up to four small to medium pieces (maximum 2 lbs of clay per piece), created during the four making weeks, for a total of four finished glazed pieces. These pieces can be turned during the final week.
In the final week, participants can choose from our selection of studio glazes for the pieces they wish to have glaze-fired. The studio team will process these, and the finished work will be ready for collection within four weeks.
Any additional pieces or oversized items (over 2 lbs per item or exceeding the allocated kiln space for the course duration) will be subject to our standard studio firing charges, which can be paid during the course before processing.
Clay is a temperamental medium; cracks may sometimes occur during firing.