Auckland Studio Potters

Classes

The ASP runs classes all-year round to suit potters of all levels of experience and ability.

Enrolment and re-enrolment
Classes
Diploma Course
Extra classes and weekend workshops
Terms and Conditions

Always wanted to try pottery? Our beginners classes will get you on your way.

Throwing, hand-building, slab-work, domestic ware, sculptural work, beginner or more experienced - you will find a class here that will suit you.

As well as our regular classes, from time to time we have specialised weekend workshops for ASP members led by visiting potters from New Zealand and overseas. These are advertised in the ASP newsletter and here on the website.

For people who want to make a serious commitment to pottery we offer, in conjunction with the Otago Polytechnic School of Art, a formal course leading to a tertiary Diploma.

Still not sure? Come and visit us - we are always happy to see visitors.

All the classes are held at the ASP Centre. Click here for a location map.

Enrolment

If you are interested in joining one of our classes, we suggest you phone us (number above), as classes frequently fill quickly. Alternatively you can click here to enrol. If a class is full, you can be put on a waiting list if you wish. A place will be reserved for you only once a deposit of at least $50 has been received. Full payment may be made in advance or at the first class.

On enrolment you will automatically become a Student Member of the Auckland Studio Potters Society for the period of your class. This will allow you to use the facilities at the Centre during the hours that they are not being used for formal tuition. This page shows our facilities. It is important that you set some time aside to practise - a lot of your progress will come from this sort of time.

Payment

We accept most forms of payment - cash, cheque, EFTPOS, credit card or internet banking. Click here for the internet banking details.

Re-Enrolment

All students wanting to re-enrol for a consecutive term must do so no later than 6 weeks prior to the start of that term. There is no automatic preference for re-enrolling students - if you don’t re-enrol, your place may go to someone on the waiting list.

Classes for 2013

2013 classes–please note

The full term classes terms in 2013 are either 9 or 10 weeks due to some classes falling on public holidays.

Absolute Beginners–6 weeks
$160

(includes all materials, tools and firing costs)

8 May - 12 June

19 June - 24 July

31 July - 4 September

6:30pm-8:30pm

Tutors: Jo-Anne Raill and Helen Perrett. This short course of 6 evenings is an ideal class for those students who want to have a go, dip their toe in the mud, to see if it suits them. The course covers at a basic level the different methods of making, firing and glazing. The course fee also covers all materials and firing fees. Maximum of 15 students.

General Classes–5, 9 and 10 weeks
10 weeks: $207 (members) $230 (non-members)
9 weeks: $187 (members) $207 (non members)
5 weeks: $115 (members) $130 (non-members)

(tools, materials and firing costs are additional)

1	Monday Mornings 4 February - 15 April (10 weeks) No class 1st April 6 May–8 July (9 weeks) No class 3 June 29 July–23 September (9 weeks) 14 October–16 December (9 weeks) No class 28 October 9.30am-12.30pm	Tutor: Peter Lange. A class suitable for both beginners and experienced throwers. There is some room for hand-builders as well, and once a term a special kiln firing is organised.
2	Monday Evenings 4 February-15 April (10 weeks) No class 1st April 6 May–8 July (9 weeks) No class 3 June 29 July–23 September (9 weeks) 14 October–16 December (9 weeks) No class 28 October 6.30pm-9.30pm	Tutor: Chris Southern. This class is a good introduction to throwing on the potters wheel, slab work and glazing. Chris is an enthusiastic teacher who brings out the best in his students and his classes are always a relaxed and fun experience.
3	Tuesday Mornings 5 February–16 April (10 weeks) No class 2 April 7 May–9 July (10 weeks) 30 July–24 September (9 weeks) 15 October–17 December (10 weeks) 9.30am-12.30pm	Tutor: Graham Ambrose. This is a mixed class, with both experienced students and beginners. Topics covered include wheel throwing, slab vessels and glazing. Graham is an experienced potter who can give you valuable feedback on your work.
4	Tuesday Evenings 5 February–16 April (10 weeks) No class 2 April 7 May–9 July (10 weeks) 30 July–24 September (9 weeks) 15 October–17 December (10 weeks) 6.30pm-9.30pm	Tutor: Rachel Carter. This class is suitable for students at all levels. Rachel specialises in thrown porcelain vessels and subtle variations in her glazes. She is also experienced with hand-building and slipcasting techniques.

We have introduced specialised 5-week classes on a Wednesday morning.

5c	Wednesday Mornings New Class 8 May - 5 June (5 weeks) 9.30am-12.30pm	Tutor: Ann Crane. "Why Do We Make What We Make?". This workshop is for those who would like to examine what drives their making (besides the love of clay!) and who are interested in expanding their practice into some new territory. CANCELLED
5d	Wednesday Mornings New Class 8 May – 5 June (5 weeks) 9.30am-12.30pm	Tutor: Susan St Lawrence. Hand building techniques for small and large ceramic sculptures. All the basic techniques, such as coiling, pinching and slabbing will be taught, plus things you need to know for building and firing very large work. Susan has just finished an Art Residency at Waikato Society of Potters in Hamilton where she was leading a Community Hearth Project. This project involved building large sculptures and ceramic fibre kilns to fire the pieces.
5e	Wednesday Mornings New Class 12 June – 10 July (5 weeks) 9.30am-12.30pm	Tutor: Rosie Murray. “It’s all about clay.” Rosie is an accomplished domestic ware potter with an eye for colour and detail. Attention to detail in particular finishing pots will be a focus.
5f	Wednesday Mornings New Class (10 weeks) 31 July – 25 September 9.30am-12.30pm	Tutor: Sarah Boyle.“ All about decoration.” The aim of these classes is to widen knowledge of glazing, glazing methods and decoration techniques to inspire and assist further development of skills. The course will include simple, clear instructions of glazing methods to get the best results with earthenware, mid-fire and stoneware glazes. Also, full explanation and demonstrations of decoration techniques will be introduced. These will include slip decoration, inlay, wax resist, sgraffito, decals, sprigs, underglaze, on glaze decoration with the aim of each class member building a personal library of tools, skills and techniques. Sarah's own work encompasses both functional pottery and sculptural ceramics. She specialised in Ceramics and Lithography at Wolverhampton College of Art and her work has since been shown widely in galleries in the UK, Europe and NZ. She has a passion for ceramics and has many years of experience in professional pottery. She was a ceramics lecturer in the UK, is a qualified teacher, more recently she has specialized in adult education.

Thursday Mornings

7 February–18 April (10 weeks)
No class 4 April

9 May–11 July(10 weeks)

1 August–26 September (10 weeks)

17 October–19 December (10 weeks)

9.30am-12.30pm

Tutor: Renton Murray. This class is for beginning and intermediate throwers. Renton is an expert thrower and teacher and gets great results from students who want to try their hand on the wheel.

Thursday Evenings

7 February–18 April (10 weeks)
No class 4 April

9 May–11 July(10 weeks)

1 August–26 September (10 weeks)

17 October–19 December (10 weeks)

6.30pm-9.30pm

Tutor: Margaret Sumich. Over 25 years potting experience. Throwing, handbuilding and raku. Beginners and experienced students welcome. An ideal class for first-time students who want to try more than one approach to clay in their first term.
For the first term the tutor will be Suzy Dünser.

Diploma in Ceramic Arts

In collaboration with Otago Polytechnic School of Art

Enrolment is closed for 2013
Contact us about 2014

If you're fired up for a career in pottery, the Diploma in Ceramic Arts (Level 6) is absolutely the best way to get there. You can study for these very highly regarded programmes at the Auckland Studio Potters. Part time options allow you to tailor the course to suit your lifestyle.

For full details phone Auckland Studio Potters on 0-9-634 3622 or email us for an application form. You can also find more information at www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/programmes/diploma-in-ceramic-arts-level-6.html

or you can

Extra Classes and Weekend Workshops

From time to time there are extra classes run at the Centre for members, and the public is welcome to join these as well. Leave your phone number with the Centre, or, better still, join the Society (click here). These classes often crop up without much notice. The ASP newsletter and this page will have details.

Terms and Conditions

The Auckland Studio Potters reserves the right to cancel a class if it fails to achieve a minimum number of enrolments, or for reasons outside its control.

A full refund will be given if the course is cancelled by ASP. If a student cancels their enrolment one or more weeks prior to course commencement then a full refund will be given. If a student cancels their enrolment within one week of course commencement then a refund will be given minus an administration fee of $50. If a student cancels their enrolment on or after the start date of the course then no refund will be given.

The Auckland Studio Potters reserves the right to discontinue tuition for any student deemed by the Directors to be unsuitable for the course. The Auckland Studio Potters reserves the right to change the tutor on advertised courses and replace that tutor with another suitable tutor without advertising those changes or refunding course fees.