Leach Pottery Course

3 Day Throwing Course

Across 2024 – 2025 the Leach Pottery is undertaking capital building works to improve the site for future potters. Find out more by copying and pasting this address into your web browser: https://www.leachpottery.com/leach-pottery-proposed-development
During the building project aspects of the Adult Learning programme will take place at the Newlyn School of Art. Courses will continue to offer supportive teaching sensitive to the Leach ethos in the beautiful equipped studio at Newlyn School of Art.

Cylinder throwing is frankly an exercise, and a very essential one, but it will soon develop into a progressive exploration of form as soon as the student is able without difficulty to make small cylinders, truly centered, and with walls of equal thickness. A Potter’s Book. Bernard Leach. 1940

Whether you are a student potter, keen amateur, improver or a complete beginner, a throwing course with the Leach Pottery ensures you consolidate essential techniques and explore new approaches. Enjoy dedicated time and space to develop your practice.

Overview
This is a 3 Day practice-based throwing course aimed at beginners who would like to learn basic throwing skills, and for those who have some experience of throwing and intermediate students who would like to further develop their skills. This is an opportunity to learn new skills and brush up on essential techniques. The workshop includes an introductory assessment of needs, plus one-to-one tuition with one of our professional potters.

The course covers:
– clay preparation: wedging techniques, centering clay on the wheel, throwing basic cylinders then moving on to different forms – bowls, mugs and jugs etc.
– practicing your preferred form, throwing to specific measurements, and repeat throwing
– turning and finishing, pulling and attaching handles and decorating techniques.