2025
Term 2 and 3 Classes
Basics for Beginners Course
Description: An introduction to pottery where you will be taught basic hand-building and wheel techniques. You will also be shown a selection of surface decoration and glazing methods, and how to apply them to the forms you have made. Mixture of tutor-led and own projects.
When: 16 hours. 6.30-8.30pm (8 x 2h sessions)
Term 1: Thursdays, 13 Feb - 3 April,
Term 2: Thursdays, 1 May - 19 June,
Term 3: Thursdays, 24 July - 11 September
Prerequisite: None.
Tuition fee: Members $180, Non-members $210
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), 2L lidded container for clay slurry, tools. (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
General Classes
Description: For beginning to intermediate potters doing hand-building, wheel work and more. Students are supported to complete their own projects by being taught a range of techniques, including decorating, glazing, glaze making and firing.
Tutor: Alex Prentice
When: 16 hours. Classes are repeated each term.
Mondays 7-9pm (8 x 2h sessions), Wednesdays 7-9pm (8 x 2h sessions),
Term 1: 10 Feb - 31 March Term 2: 28 April - 23 June
Term 3: 21 July - 8 Sept Term 4: 6 October - 1 December
Prerequisite: You have completed the club's 'Basics' course (or similar). Members only class
Tuition fee: Members $180, per term
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), tools. (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
Limited spaces are available - (Members. only class)
Wheel work Bootcamp
Three workshops for the Beginning to Intermediate potter
Tutor: Renate Galetzka
Turning Session:
Description: Centering, shaping and fine tuning. Tips and tricks, best tools, do’s and don’ts, rescue missions.
When: Thursday 27 March 9.30 - 12.30
Tuition fee: Members $60, Non members $70
Bring: 3 leather hard vessels you want to turn. They can be bowls or mugs or both. Base of vessels to be a min of 15 mm thickness. Clay and Tools.
Handles Session:
Description: Improved handle shaping and attaching, better understanding of types of handles.
When: Thursday 3 April, 9.30 - 12.30
Tuition fee: Members $60, Non members $70
Bring: 3 leather hard mugs/cups/jugs that you want to attach handles to. Clay and Tools.
Glaze Preparation and Glazing Session
Description: Understand glaze technology and improved competence in pot preparation for waxing and glazing.
When: Thursday 10 April, 9.30 - 12.30
Tuition fee: Members $60, Non members $70
Prerequisite: Some experience recommended.
Bring: 3 bisque fired vessels you would like to glaze, preferably with foot ring.
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
Monthly Wheel Class
Description: This class is for potters who are on their way, who know all the basics, work on their own projects and do their own firings. This class gives the opportunity to check in on a regular basis, get feedback, observe demonstrations and discuss everything wheel work related. Own projects and tutor-led projects.
Tutor: Renate Galetzka
When: 15 hours. The last Saturday of each month, 9.30 - 12.30.
Terms 1/2: 27 January - 29 June (5 x 3h sessions, 15 hours)
Terms 3/4: 27 July - 30 Nov (5 x 3h sessions, 15 hours)
Prerequisite: Experience required, ie. to comfortably center 700g of clay and pull up a pleasing pot. Members only class.
Tuition Fee: Members $190 per half year. (Members only class).
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), tools. (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
This class is FULL for Terms 1/2
Sculpture Workshop
Description: You will learn a range of sculptural techniques to hand build and decorate your own sculptural piece. Own projects.
Tutor: Lesley Towart
When: 16 hours. 3 x Sunday sessions
Term 1: Sunday 23 March, 9.30am - 3.30pm (6h)
Sunday 30 March, 9.30am - 3.30pm (6h)
Sunday 13 April, 10am - 2 (4h)
Prerequisite: Some experience recommended, e.g. you have attended at least one pottery class.
Tuition Fee: Members $180, Non-members $210,
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), tools. (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
Limited spaces are available - priority enrolment for Members
Monday Wheel Class
Description: For beginning to intermediate students. Learning techniques from mastering the art of centering, to throwing cylinders and bowls, glazing and firing work. Students are taught techniques to support their own projects.
Tutor: Diane Macdonald
When: 16 hours. Mondays 4 - 6pm
Class is repeated each term.
Term 1: 10 Feb - 31 March Term 2: 28 April - 23 June
Term 3: 21 July - 8 Sept Term 4: 6 Oct - 1 Dec
Prerequisite: You have completed the club's 'Basics' course (or similar). Members only class.
Tuition fee: Members $180 per term. (Members only class).
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
Hand-building … Cut, Fold, Carve
Description: You will learn a range of hand-building techniques to make a variety of forms; plates, bowls, cups, dishes, boxes, vases. Each session will focus on a method of construction utilising soft slab, origami, firm slab, and kurinuki, including decorative techniques such as texture, slip transfers, stencils and glazing, Tutor led and own projects.
Tutor: Jenny Wilson
When: 16 hours. Thursday mornings, 10.30 - 12.30,
Term 2: 1 May - 19 June (8 weeks, 16 hours)
Prerequisite: Some experience recommended, e.g. you have attended at least one pottery class.
Tuition Fee: Members $180, Non-members $210,
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), tools. (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
Limited spaces are available - priority enrolment for Members
Glaze Making
Description: Make your own standard dipping clear glaze and a standard brushable glaze. Add stains and oxides to get a range of colours. Test your glazes. You will gain an understanding of what a single material can do in a glaze., ie. how to change the glazes from shiny to matt.
Tutor: Shona Clarkson
When: 8 hours (4 weeks). Wednesday 7-9pm, 26 June to 10 July.
Tuition fee: Members $130, Non-members $150,
Prerequisite: Some experience recommended, e.g. you have attended at least one pottery class.
Firing costs: $20/kg includes glaze and both bisque and gloss firings
What to bring: Clay (available to purchase from clubrooms), tools. Some materials are provided. (More information will be emailed prior to the start of the class)
Enquiries to mtpleasantpottery@gmail.com
Class & Workshop Info
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Membership fee is $100 per annum or $60 for a half year.
Non-member class fees include a club facility use fee (eg. $30 for a 16h class)
Pay class and workshop fees directly to the tutor. Please contact them for their account details.
Pay for membership, special club demo sessions, firing and clay purchases to the Club.
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Fee-free access to facilities: 8.00am until 9.30pm, except when classes and workshops are timetabled.
Discounted fees for classes and workshops – no club facility fee
Priority enrolment for classes – before non-members.
Access to Tuesday club days and nights.
Access to Monthly demonstrations (on Tuesdays).
Key access: If you are new to pottery, you can apply for key access after 1 year of classes. If an experienced potter, you can apply for key access (approval by committee).
Club Exhibition – opportunity to exhibit and sell your work
Christmas Market – opportunity to sell your work
Gallery – opportunity to progress to sell your work through the gallery
Newsletter & club communications
Firing Pots: regular membership firings – reduced rates.
Use of club glazes will be discussed at the 2024 strategic planning meeting). Currently these are not available.
Kiln training opportunity – progress to becoming a kiln user.
Kiln-trained members will have the ability to hire the club kilns. But this opportunity comes with an added layer of responsibility.
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Our club is an incorporated society run by members for members on a voluntary basis.
Contribute in some way to the ongoing upkeep of facilities, e.g., mopping floors, tidying kitchen, cleaning toilets, wiping shelves, tidying tools etc. Or running a club demo night, joining the committee, helping with an exhibition, or another designated club job.
Come along to Working Bees (one per term).
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Please note all class & workshop fees are to be payed directly to the tutor.
The club only excepts payments for membership, kiln firings & clay purchases.
In general you be invoiced for these.
When you make a direct deposit payment online, please ensure to include in the reference:
1. Your name (especially if it is different from the account name)
2. The Invoice reference number
3. What the payment is for (Membership, clay type and bag number, Firing number etc).
If there is more than one item, indicate all items in the 'particulars' line.
If you can’t fit it into the reference, please send an email with the details to Ken at: doidge.ken@gmail.com with ATTN Treasurer in the subject line
Our account details are as followed -
Mt Pleasant Pottery Group Inc
Westpac
Acc. no:. 03 1591 0083454 00
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Comply with all guidelines, policies, and procedures with regards to the use of our facilities.
Comply with the health and safety policies and procedures.
Cleaning – take 15 minutes before leaving to
• Triple clean your wheel
• Clean the floor around your wheel.
• Clean all tools and equipment used.
• Clean all benches used.
Bring a 2L container to take your slurry home with you as despite our ‘clay trap’ the drains are easily blocked.
Ensure that your individual pieces are clearly marked with your initials or other unique identifier
Please stow your work on the shelves indicated by your class day or on the members shelves
Respect the work of your fellow potters, and do not handle their work
With the pressure on space, once term is over, your completed work should be collected and any associated firing/glazing charges paid promptly; please note you must pay before uplifting your pots
We regret we are unable to hold uncollected work indefinitely and reserve the right to dispose of it, after the end of term.
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We are a health and safety conscious organisation; because of the nature of clay and the chemicals mixed to form glazes we need all our members and students to be aware of the hazards.
Our H&S document is available here, please read it & act on it.
