Create your own handcrafted dinner service in this comprehensive six-week course led by Stephen Hamilton. Designed for potters with some prior wheel experience, this course will guide you through the process of designing, throwing, finishing, and glazing your own wonderfully unique set of tableware.

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What You Will Make

Over the duration of the course, you will aim to produce:

• Six small plates

• Six dinner plates

• Six medium bowls

• Two large serving bowls (time-permitting)

 

We aim for most of the pieces to  be wheel-thrown but there is the possibility to create some pieces through hand building. This will be discussed during the first session to suit your experience and design ideas.

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Experience Required

This course is suitable for those with some confidence on the wheel. You should be able to wedge clay and centre it independently and with reasonable consistency.

 

Materials & Facilities

You will have access to:

• Over 25 studio glazes

• Slips, underglazes, and oxides

• A full range of studio tools and equipment

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The aim is for you to create a dinner service that is interesting and unique  — a set to enjoy and use for years to come.

 

Weekly Breakdown

 

Week 1 – Small Plates
Explore plate forms and profiles, and learn techniques for throwing small plates. You will begin developing your chosen style and approach.

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Week 2 – Large Plates
Throw larger dinner plates and learn how to use bats for safe removal from the wheel.

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Week 3 – Bowls
Focus on throwing medium bowls, with time permitting to begin larger serving bowls.

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Weeks 4 & 5 – Trimming & Decoration
Refine and trim your pieces. Learn decorative techniques using slips, underglazes, and oxides to enhance your forms.

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Week 6 – Glazing
Complete your collection with glazing, choosing from a wide selection to create a unified and professional finish.

 

By the end of the course, you will have a beautiful handmade dinner service. If you require additional time to complete your set, up to two bookable studio access sessions will be available to help you finish your work.

 

The cost of this course is £280. In addition, you will be asked to pay for the klay and the firings and the glaze which will be charged at £10/kg. We estimate that for a complete set as we have described it will be around 6-8kg.