Description

The core ambition for this 3½ day workshop is for students to explore new and potentially unexpected ways of seeing and making. Although we will consider elements of refinement in our making towards the end of the course, we will not be looking to develop highly polished, finished work.

Students will use our high-quality stoneware clay for this experimentation. They will be encouraged and supported by Jem to utilise specific exercises to brainstorm, invent and to expand upon new work. Students can choose whether or not they’d prefer to work within the framework of particular functional items, but the course will be less driven by design and preconceived end product, and rather more by playfulness, observation, mindfulness and the materials, tools and processes of soft clay, slip and wheel-throwing.

Skill level: It will be expected that students attending this course will already have some experience in wheel throwing. The course will cater for students at different levels of capability, but it is not open to absolute Beginners. Applications are welcome only from students who are confidently already able to centre, and to comfortably lift-up approximately a kilo or more of clay into an upright shape. If you are unsure what level you are at, and whether or not this course is suitable for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a chat.

Schedule: The 3½ day course begins on the afternoon of Wednesday 24th June 2026, 2-5pm, and completes at 4pm on Saturday 27th June. Tuition hours are otherwise 10am – 4pm. The studio is freely available for students to work outside of these hours, early or late. The course fee includes Petra’s fabulous home-made vegetarian lunches along with morning and afternoon refreshments, and wood-fired pizza from the outdoor oven on the evening of Friday 26th, weather permitting. 

Facilities: Each participant will enjoy unlimited access to a power wheel for the full duration. These are Fitzwilliam Rayefcos and Alsagers. The Rayefcos have hand-ratchet control which is of benefit for throwing larger and wider forms. We have two large Roderveld slab-rollers at Wobage to cater for your easy slab-rolling. The studio invites a maximum of 9 students for this course. All students will use Wobage’s venerated buff stoneware throwing clay which we make on site. Students are invited to bring their own toolbox, but it’s not necessary for your participation. There is a stock of quality hand-tools in the Wobage throwing studio for you to borrow.

Firing: Please note, no gloss firing is offered for work made during this particular course. It is specifically designed to advance new ideas and ways of wheel-throwing, as opposed to developing finished refined work. Students wishing to save work made during the course will be invited to take a small selection of raw pots home. Cost for this greenware will be £1.50/lb. 

Student discount: If you are 25 yrs or under, and a Full-time student in Higher Education, or you are within your first year after having graduated, this course invites a 20% discount. Which makes the course fee £444.00. If you would like to apply for this, please send us a request by e-mail.

More information about Jeremy Steward is available on the Tutors Pages.