Will KeatingIntensive Throwing
26th - 27th June 2027 | 2 Day Workshop | £450
Within this intensive two-day workshop, students will learn to throw bigger and lighter pots on the wheel. Students will rapidly level-up their throwing with demonstrations and one-to-one troubleshooting, to help them throw more clay, more efficiently.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWThe Course in Detail
During this intensive throwing workshop Will Keating will teach students to throw with greater quantities of clay, more efficiently. With demonstrations and one-to-one tuition, students will rapidly develop their throwing abilities and quickly learn to throw bigger, lighter pots. Having trained under master potters from Korea to America, Will brings a wealth of experience to help students throw consistently and efficiently.
The course will begin by concentrating on simple forms, with a focus on minimising the need for trimming. Once students are comfortable, they will move on to more advanced shapes.
Within this workshop, students will learn:
Proper clay preparation for bigger pots
Centring and lifting more clay
Throwing efficiently to reduce the need for trimming
Throwing more advanced forms, such as lidded jars, jugs and wide bowls
This workshop is recommended for intermediate potters, who are already comfortable centring and pulling clay, looking to rapidly improve their throwing ability.
Each student will have their own dedicated workspace and will receive plenty of individual attention. There will be opportunities for students to discuss their work with their fellow students and on a one-to-one basis with Will.
There will be no specific kiln firing during the workshop, however, students’ pieces will be bisque fired following the workshop and all pieces will be ready for collection a few weeks later. Alternatively, students are welcome to take away their greenware (students must bring protective packaging when taking or collecting their pieces).
Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces. Please see our Student Contract for details.
USEFUL INFOCourse Breakdown
This workshop aims to give students the "toolkit" of techniques required to efficiently throw a variety of forms, focusing on how students can practice effectively in their own time, in order to make progress with their throwing.
Day 1: During the first day students will be guided through the fundamentals of efficient throwing. Will will spend time with each student individually to troubleshoot their throwing technique and look at ways to improve, with the goal of throwing tall and light cylinders as a precursor to more complex forms. Each student will work with a comfortable weight of clay and aim to increase this weight over the course of the workshop. Students will learn proper hand positions, correct use of throwing ribs, and a variety of useful prompts and tips that Will has picked up over his career.
Day 2: On the second day students will spend time learning to properly shape pots, combining the skills from Day 1 with proper collaring and bellying techniques to create a variety of forms. Students will have the opportunity to suggest different forms to work on, such as jugs, bottles, and wide bowls. Particular attention will be given to proportion, line and balance, to create pots finished on the wheel that do not require trimming.
Students pieces will be bisque fired following the workshop and ready for collection at a later date.
Alternatively, students are welcome to take away their greenware (students must bring protective packaging when taking or collecting their pieces).
Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces. Details of our firing charges can be found in our Student Contract.
Key information
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DATE
Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th June 2027
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CLASS SIZE
Maximum 10 students
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LEVEL
Intermediate
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CLAY TYPE
Stoneware
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COST
£450 (Flexible payment plans)
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FOOD & DRINK
A two-course lunch will be provided each day
GUEST POTTER BIOAbout Will
Will Keating is a full-time studio potter, making thrown and hand-built pottery, fired in gas, wood and electric kilns. Will tries to make pots that bring a feeling of natural beauty, of calm and ritual to everyday life. He prioritises the use of materials freely available in nature, letting them inform his process and shine through the finished piece.
After training under Korean potter Jun Rhee, Will studied Ceramics at Clay College, Stoke-on-Trent. Here he established the core principles of his practice, creating a body of work which drew heavily on local clays, rocks and plant ash. The work was fired in a kiln made with raw-clay bricks that he built using refractory waste.
Following his graduation, he worked under Matt Hallyburton in North Carolina, studying local geology and traditional Catawba Valley making and wood-firing techniques. He has worked as a consultant for the Great Pottery Throw Down and been awarded funding from QEST and the Fenton Trust.
Currently Will makes pots in his workshop on the Wirral Peninsula, and teaches workshops internationally.
WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR
Level
Intermediate
This workshop is recommended for intermediate potters who are already comfortable centring and pulling clay, looking to rapidly improve their throwing ability.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECTThe Schedule
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This workshop will start at 10am and will finish at 5pm.
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On the second day the session will start at 10am and will finish at 5pm.
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A two course lunch is provided everyday. Please inform us of any special dietary requirements at the time of booking.
A delicious home cooked two-course lunch will be provided each day
As well as refreshments throughout the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Ceramic Studio is located on a beautiful orchard in Brenchley, and there are lots of lovely surrounding towns and villages offering numerous places to stay.
We are happy to arrange transits to and from local accommodation to the studio for the duration of your course. There may be a small fee for this depending on where you are staying. If you know you will require transits please contact us to enquire before booking your accommodation. Please email the office team at info@theceramicstudio.life.
To see examples of local accommodation, click here.
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Once the pieces are completed, they will be left to dry and then fired in our kilns. For those who would like their pieces to be glazed in a transparent glaze, our technicians will do this after bisque firing and then they will be fired again. These will be ready for collection a few weeks later (there will be a small additional firing charge).
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There is a small charge for fired work. Charges are as follows:
£5 per 500g for glazed work
£6 per 500g for glazed work with oxide
£10 per 500g for any glazed work over 30cm in height or width
£2 per 500g for work that is bisque fired but not glazed
Please also note that The Ceramic Studio does not offer a glazing service.
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Yes! Morning and afternoon refreshments daily, including teas, coffees, sweet treats, and fresh fruit. A freshly cooked two-course lunch, prepared here in the studio, is also provided each day, with dietary requirements confirmed in advance.
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If we haven’t quite answered your question please click here to view our guest potter FAQs page or email us info@theceramicstudio.life