Challenge your creative ideas, advance your current ceramics skillset, and immerse yourself in new materials and techniques.

  • Receive hands-on experience with demonstrations at every stage of the clay making process.
  • Refine and develop your skills in making on the potter’s wheel and hand building with clay.
  • Create unique ceramic work which will be fired for you.

This eight-week Intermediate Ceramics course offers an immersive opportunity to experiment, broaden your range of making techniques, and explore new materials.

Across the programme, you’ll deepen your confidence in working with clay, refine key skills, expand your decorative approaches, and learn how to glaze and finish your pieces.

Intermediate Ceramics is ideal for those who have completed a beginner ceramics course or a taster workshop and understand the making processes for hand‑building or throwing techniques.

Throughout the course, you will:

  • Work independently on self-led projects, developing your own ideas with tailored support from the course leader.
  • Refine throwing techniques, exploring form, proportion, and adding surface design to enhance your wheel-based work.
  • Create using plaster, drop out and explore using press moulds.
  • Receive guidance on creating more complex pieces, as well as opportunities to experiment with advanced or alternative decorative methods.

By the end of the eight weeks, you’ll have strengthened your ceramic practice and developed your toolkit of ceramic processes and methods.

This course is led by Louise Blois, a ceramic artist and Ceramic Demonstrator at Bath Spa University, ensuring expert guidance and demonstrations how to use the extensive facilities on offer at Locksbrook Campus. 

“Creating with clay and watching it take shape in your hands is deeply rewarding."

Louise Blois, Technical Demonstrator - Ceramics, Bath Spa University

Overview

This course will take place at Locksbrook Campus, Bath, BA1 3EL.

The next course starts:

  • Thursday 16 April for eight weeks until Thursday 4 June, Thursdays 6pm – 8:30pm.

This course costs £395 per person. This fee includes the cost of all materials (clay, plaster, decorative slips, underglazes, oxides, and glazes) as well as kiln firings.

Ceramics is hands-on and can be messy so please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty or bring an apron or old towel.

You're welcome to bring along your own ideas and project proposals to explore over the eight weeks.

Meet the team

Louise Blois is a ceramic artist inspired by her enduring fascination for the natural world and how to capture it creatively. She earned her BA (honours) degree in Ceramics from Camberwell School of Art in the early 1990’s and later completed her Master’s in Ceramics from the University of Wales, Cardiff in the late 90’s and additionally spent time studying in the USA.

In 2019 Louise then went on to co-found Clay Shed studio in Bristol, a centre for ceramics practice.

Since April 2023, Louise has been Technical Demonstrator in the Ceramics department at BSU. Providing hands-on support, technical expertise and guidance to students. Through working with the short course students, Louise will support participants as they learn, explore and develop their skills in a professional environment of Locksbrook campus.

Lara Putt is a second-year Creative Arts Practice student. Lara will be working alongside attendees on the course, coaching on advancing throwing skills and deepening their making skill set.

Terms and conditions

Read the terms and conditions for taking part in this short course.

Contact us

For more information about the course please email your enquiries to shortcourses@bathspa.ac.uk .

Book your place