
free wheeling
Free Wheeling sessions provide independent studio practice, allowing you to work on your own projects and apply the skills you've learned in classes. It’s your time to practice, experiment, and improve at your own pace. While not formal teaching, 1-to-1 tuition is available to offer support and guidance as needed, ensuring you have the help you need while working independently. For more details on joining, especially if you’re new, please read below or see our handbook see our handbook here. What’s more, one thing we really love at The Ceramic Garden is the sense of community in the studio. It’s very much not just ‘book a wheel’, but a chance to interact with other potters, share knowledge/enthusiasm and usually discuss pieces from the latest kiln firing!
Free wheeling sessions are designed in conjunction with our masterclasses—intensive, skills-based classes that focus on specific techniques or areas of pottery. Masterclasses provide bursts of in-depth teaching, offering new skills and ideas for you to explore and refine during Free Wheeling sessions. To learn more about the workshops, click here.
Eligibility: To join Free Wheeling and be eligible to book, you must have completed our 8-week course. If you have equivalent experience elsewhere, please email us with the details of your experience, and we’ll be happy to assess your eligibility. Once approved, you’ll be able to make bookings. Please note, FW is currently at max capacity and we are likely unable to take onboard any new potters who have not completed a course with us.
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Often, there is only so much that can be taught in the 8 week class format - it’s the 5 minute tips here and there that make the difference. We have found that after 2 courses, people typically find their niche that they want to perfect and get better at. That is what these sessions are for.
Our vision as a studio has always been to develop our clay community (hint hint, that’s you reading this!). From feedback taken from fellow potters and our observations, we want Free Wheeling to be a space where you can work on your projects independently, in the knowledge that you can ask for help as and when you need it. This is where things really start to happen. You have the grammar of clay, so let’s get making…
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The sessions run for 2.5 hours (times vary, please check below.)
There are only 6 wheel spaces in each class, so opportunity to both hand build or throw at your own wheel. There is an additional hand building/glazing slot to help with demand. We ask that if you have not booked a wheel, that you do not use one.
Good idea to come with an idea, that we can help you develop.Check our our resources page for tips and ideas here.
No catch up sessions for missed sessions or late cancellations* (see policy before for rescheduling)
Please bring your own apron and tea towel. We aim to reserve the aprons for tasters and private events.
Labelling work is really important. We ask that you clearly sign your initials and use our studio logo stamp to ensure it gets back to you in between the firings. There is a studio book where you log all the work that you fire. If it is not logged and labelled correctly, we cannot take responsibility for it getting lost.
Please take care when glazing, particularly making sure that the glaze is not applied too thick nor glazed too close to the bottom. If when it comes to fire and we are wary that the glaze will run, we have the right to not fire your piece.
Please store you work appropriately and where possible inform us of when you will next be in, this way we can keep an eye on your pots. Please note, for work left longer than 2 months there is a risk that it will be destroyed and put into the reclaim.
Make as much as you want, but pay for the clay that you fire. We ask that every time you put something into the bisque fire (labelled and logged correctly!), you weigh the amount of clay used and pay accordingly. We accept card payments, likely easier than cash as do not always have the correct change.
These courses are for people who have completed 8-week courses with us or equivalent. If you have not completed either of these with us but wish to join the sessions, please email us with your experience.
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You pay per session for FW, and there are bundle prices available. Please note - the cost of clay and firing is NOT included.
It is £45 per session, or you can save on sessions by buying a package.
Packages come in groups of 5 or 10.
1 for £45/session
5 for £200 (£40/session)
10 for £335 (£33.50/session)
A package gives you a code that you can enter each time at checkout. You can check how much time remaining (aka classes) you have by clicking the ‘check code balance’ button below. Packages last for 1 year and are non-refundable.
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Please read our T&C’s and Health & safety before booking a Free Wheeling session to familiarise yourself with studio practice at The Ceramic Garden.
There are no catch up sessions for missed Free Wheeling sessions. There is limited rescheduling, we need at least 2 weeks notice to allow us to try and fill the space. We find ourselves having to enforce this policy more strictly as last minute cancellations are leaving spots empty. To keep the sessions at an affordable price and non-committal studio access, we require that you meet us half way with no chopping/changing.
It is worth making an account with us to save payment methods, making it easier to pay. Follow the ‘Login’ button to create an account. This way yo can track previous/upcoming appointments.
When booking multiple sessions, you can click ‘select and book another time’ and do multiple in one go.
Please sign up to our exclusive Free Wheeling Mailing list to be notified when more dates are added.
Due to increasing popularity, we cannot promise that when you book a bundle that you will automatically be able to book in. Bundles expire after a year, any unused sessions will be lost.
We are mindful of keeping the studio a safe and nurturing environment, so politely ask that you do not film yourself throwing during the sessions. Clips here and there are fine, but extended periods can be uncomfortable for all the other potters in the room.
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Please note, this is NOT a taster class. This is designed for intermediate potters that want to develop their practice.
To ensure that you are able to take part in these independent pottery sessions, we ask that you have completed an 8-week course with us or the equivalent elsewhere.
It’s very important that, if you are new, you email us with details of your experience across all areas of the studio pottery process before booking. Failure to do so may result in your booking being cancelled without a refund, as these spaces are not easily resold once booked and not cancelled with sufficient notice.