Community Learning – Ceramics
Course overview
Our welcoming ceramics workshop is a relaxed environment to learn all aspects of pottery. You will work at your own pace with our experienced tutor’s guidance throughout your pottery journey.
Clay is a natural medium, collected from the earth and therefore offers touch therapy. Also, participation and creativity can offer relief and increase your wellbeing, having a positive effect on your day to day life! As a practical course, with group and individual demonstrations, you will implement a variety of techniques with support and encouragement to unlock your creativity.
This is one of our Community Learning courses.
Our Community Learning programme offers a series of free, government-funded courses to develop skills, knowledge, confidence and improve mental well-being for adults.
Participation can help those managing mental health conditions that have a mild-moderate impact on their day-to-day lives. You need to be aged 19 or over (at the start of the course) AND:
•employed and earning an annual salary of less than £20,319 or
•unemployed, in receipt of state benefit and looking for work
•have a social or emotional difficulty, or challenges with mental health or emotional wellbeing
For further details and terms and conditions please view our Community Learning page.
You are welcome to join all or any of the following Mondays from 10am-12pm:
Dates 2023: Sept 25, Oct 2,9,16,30 Nov 6,13,20,27, Dec 4,11
2024: Jan 8,15,22,29 Feb 5,19,26 March 4,11,18,25 April 15,22,29 May 13,20, June 3,10,17,24, July 1,8
Please note: this course runs term-time only.
You will explore the properties of clay and learn techniques, such as:
- forming using pinching and coiling techniques, that can be used to build anything you like
- joining techniques
- decoration (slip trailing, glazing, on-glaze painting and slip-glazing)
You will learn through a variety of ways, including:
- formal instruction
- discussion
- individual tuition
- practical demonstration
- practical experience
All clay, tools and glazes will be provided.
In order to aid your learning, please bring along the following:
- a sketchbook and something to write with
- a towel
- flat shoes
- an apron/wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting messy
- enthusiasm for the subject and a willingness to learn
You may also wish to bring a pair of washing-up gloves, hand cream and a dust mask.
You must wear flat shoes as this is a safety requirement. Working with clay can get very messy!
Tutor Profile: Rafa Borja
Born in Colombia, Rafa now lives and works in Oxford, UK.
Fascinated from an early age by the behaviour of different materials, he studied at the School of Fine Art & Music in Cartagena, Colombia (La Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes Cartegena de Indias).
Originally a sculptor in plaster, then wood, and then stone, he works now entirely in ceramics, sculpting and experimenting.
Rafa is Artist in Residence and tutor at ActivateLearning. He also volunteers to run firings at the Anagama Kilns in Oxford.
https://www.rafaborjaceramics.org
Alternatively enrol by phone quoting 3ADCYUA05R or ask a question
Meet the tutors
We want our learners to feel welcome, safe and at ease when attending our classes, especially if this is your first time attending an adult education class or if you're coming back to education after a break.
If you're interested in one of courses, meet our tutors first! You'll see they have similar passions and interests and, most importantly, the right qualifications to help you make the most of your time and money.
