Instructors
Meet the tutors
Elena Watts
Lead tutor, wheel-throwing
Elena has been throwing clay for over fourteen years, and she teaches most of our Beginners Wheel-Throwing courses. She's patient with nervous first-timers and knows exactly when to step back and let you find your own way with the clay. In her own practice, Elena specialises in functional tableware—bowls, cups, plates—and her studio work feeds directly into how she teaches.
Marcus Chen
Taster sessions & kiln management
Marcus runs our one-off taster sessions for birthday groups and work teams, and he's the person behind the kiln—making sure your pieces come out fired and ready to take home. He trained in ceramics in Taiwan before moving to the UK, and he brings a real sense of fun to the taster sessions. He loves helping people discover they're braver with clay than they thought.
Sophie Hargreaves
Studio membership & open-studio sessions
Sophie oversees our studio membership programme and runs the weekend open-studio sessions for people who already know their way around a wheel. She's been potting for eight years and loves the energy of a studio full of people working at their own pace, each on their own piece. She's always there to troubleshoot a wobbling bowl or suggest a new glaze.
How we teach
Small groups, real attention
Never more than twelve on a beginners course. That means you're not watching from the back—you get proper one-to-one time at the wheel, and your tutor sees what you're doing and can help when you need it.
Six weeks to a finished piece
From your first wobbly attempt at centring to a piece you've glazed and fired yourself. You'll leave with something real that you made, and the confidence that you can do it again.
Built on practice, not pressure
Pottery is about time on the wheel and getting your hands dirty. We focus on building your confidence week by week, not rushing to perfection. Everyone here is a beginner once.