Step into the world of wheel throwing in this 8-week, hands-on course led by ceramicist Lewis Hayes. Designed with beginners in mind, this course offers a supportive and focused environment where you’ll build skills week by week, gaining confidence on the wheel while developing your own creative voice.
With just 4 places available, each session allows for plenty of individual guidance, ensuring you have the time, space, and support to truly engage with the process of making.
What to expect
Across 8 weeks, you’ll be guided through the full lifecycle of creating ceramic work on the wheel, from your very first cylinder to fully finished, glazed pieces.
Each session builds on the last, combining practical skill-building with space to experiment, refine, and develop your own forms.
Week-by-Week Overview
Week 1: Getting Started
You’ll be introduced to the studio, materials, and key processes, alongside essential health and safety guidance. From there, you’ll begin learning how to prepare clay through wedging and be introduced to the fundamentals of wheel throwing, including centring and pulling up your first cylinder.
This session is about getting comfortable with the material, so nothing will be kept, allowing you to explore freely without pressure.
Weeks 2-3: Foundations of Form
You’ll continue developing your throwing technique, focusing on control and consistency. You’ll begin creating simple forms such as cylinders and bowls, while learning how to use core tools on the wheel.
Weeks 4-5: Expanding Shapes & Techniques
Building on your foundations, you’ll explore a wider range of forms, including plates and vases. Alongside throwing, you’ll be introduced to trimming, refining your pieces once leather-hard, and begin incorporating decorative techniques such as carving, slip trailing, and inlay.
Weeks 6: Refinement & Assembly
You’ll continue refining your work, focusing on finishing details and learning how to attach elements such as handles. This stage is about elevating your pieces and bringing together both form and function.
Weeks 7-8: Glazing & Finishing
In the final sessions, you’ll be introduced to glazing, including understanding how it works and how to apply it to your pieces. You’ll select finishes that complement your work, completing the transformation from raw clay to finished ceramic.
What You’ll Gain
By the end of the course, you will have:
- A strong foundation in wheel throwing techniques
- Confidence in centring, pulling, shaping, and trimming
- Experience creating a range of functional forms (bowls, plates, vessels)
- An introduction to decorative surface techniques
- A clear understanding of glazing and finishing processes
- A collection of your own handmade ceramic pieces
More than anything, you’ll leave with a deeper connection to the process of making as well as the confidence to continue developing your skills beyond the course.
Course Dates:
Week 1: Wednesday 1 July 2026
Week 2: Wednesday 8 July 2026
Week 3: Wednesday 15 July 2026
Week 4: Wednesday 22 July 2026
Week 5: Wednesday 29 July 2026
Week 6: Wednesday 5 August 2026
Week 7: Wednesday 12 August 2026
Week 8: Wednesday 19 August 2026
Please note: missed sessions cannot be rescheduled.
Class Times:
8-10:30pm (2.5 hours per session)
Please note: the final 30 minutes are dedicated to cleaning and organising work.
Please arrive no earlier than 5 minutes before the session begins, as there is no waiting area and the studio will be in preparation.
Tutor Statement:
Ceramics and pottery are more than just an art form to me; they are a vital part of my life. Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, a city renowned for its pottery, and being born to a potter and a pottery teacher, I have been immersed in ceramics since childhood, and have been throwing pots since the age of 10. This background fostered a profound appreciation for the craft and deepened my understanding.
I started teaching at 25, initially in my home studio, offering lessons to friends and family while also supporting my mother during her workshops. Eventually, following my move to London, I became part of the Clay Garden, first as a member and later as a technician, where I discovered opportunities to teach regularly. My practical experience has enabled me to teach at several studios: The Clay Garden (both in Twickenham and Hammersmith), Sheen Pottery, House Pottery, Croft Pottery in Thirsk, and now at SET.
I engage in pottery daily through teaching, producing hundreds of mugs, bowls and other pieces as a production potter, and working as a technician. Even in my free time, I participate in pottery projects, which allow me to refine my techniques and creativity.
To see Lewis' work head to his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lewishayesceramics/
About SET Ceramics:
SET Ceramics is a contemporary community studio in a former Key Cutters and Cobblers, and part of the contemporary arts organisation and registered charity, SET. It is located on Crutched Friars, less than a minute from Fenchurch Street Station and round the corner from Tower Gateway.
Alongside our memberships, we offer artist-led courses, private classes, team workshops, and kiln hire. With four pottery wheels, a 220-litre kiln, hand-building stations, glazing and finishing facilities, and dedicated studio spaces, SET Ceramics is set up for people who want to spend real time making and building skills.
Instagram account: @setceramicset