Shape your inner artist with the 8 best pottery classes in Sydney
There are many different ways to express yourself with art: everything from painting and singing to acting and performing. Of all these ways, not many can match the sheer sensuality and raw hands-on experience you get with pottery.
This niche craft is not only a way to create practical items and experience the satisfaction of achieving that, but also a way to experience your own manifested creative side — right in the palm of your hand.
Are you a complete beginner? A seasoned pottery master? In either case, no worries. Our curated list of the best pottery classes in Sydney caters to all experience levels, and give a taste of the many different styles that this art form has to offer.
1. Carol Hudson Studio
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Website: https://www.carolhudson.com.au/
Address: Glebe, Sydney
Operating hours:
- Sunday and Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 2:30 pm – 8:00 pm
- Wednesday: 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
- Thursday: 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday: 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
- Saturday: 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Carol Hudson is a well-credentialed artist who holds separate master’s degrees in Fine Arts and Design from the University of New South Wales.
She’s produced solo exhibitions of various works of art ever since 2012, including a ceramics-focused exhibition in 2017. She was also featured in The Journal of Australian Ceramics in 2018.
She offers an excellent pottery class for beginners, as it covers all steps of the process including carving, shaping, joining, and refinement. You’ll be able to start with the basic (and classic) items like cups, vases, jugs, or even a simple sculpture if you’re up for the challenge.
Ms. Hudson’s approach is one of creativity, mindfulness, and social connection — so don’t worry about creating a masterpiece on your first day.
The workshops are designed to be intimate, with a maximum of 8 people. The experience will run you $120 per person, which we feel is a great price for the chance to experience the art under an expert.
2. Wheelfulness
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Website: https://www.bettinastevanovic.com/
Address: 5/153 Beauchamp Road, Matraville NSW 2036
Contact details: +61 408284840
Wheelfulness, also called Clayfulness, is a pottery wheel class in Sydney run by Bettina Stevanovic, an experienced pottery hobbyist who also spent some time studying psychology at the University of Western Sydney.
She’s also versed in Clay Field therapy, which is an approach that explores how clay-shaping helps people express themselves, and may even have some effect on addressing trauma.
This expertise makes Wheelfulness a great choice for beginners, and anyone who wants to delve into pottery as a method of self-expression and mindfulness — while also exploring its potential to heal.
Rather than adhering to a fixed class schedule, you’ll be able to book your own sessions with options for pre-determined time slots — either in the studio or via Zoom. Each session lasts an hour and a half, and costs $180.
A full beginner’s course is also available, running for over a month in total, at the same hour and a half per day. This will cost $490, but gives you a taste of different methods and moves at a perfect pace for beginner potters.
If you want to take your special someone for a romantic pottery session (hint: you should), a couples course is occasionally available as well: $250 for 3 hours.
3. Kintsugi Australia
Website: https://kintsugi-australia.com.au/
Address: Level 1, Suite 107, 147 King St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact details: +61418610507
Operating hours: 10:30 am – 4:00 pm (Every day)
Kintsugi Australia specialises in Japanese pottery techniques; in particular, repairing broken pottery using lacquers mixed with colors such as gold and silver.
Besides being a deeply satisfying, meditative way of fixing damaged items, it’s also rich with symbolism: the idea that something broken can still be beautiful.
Kintsugi Australia’s studio is located within the Sydney CBD, teaching both traditional and modern Kintsugi techniques. Occasionally the team travels out to Victoria and Queensland as well.
The beginner class teaches students not just the basic techniques, but also the history and philosophy behind Kintsugi. Each course can last for up to a couple of days, and you can also arrange private lessons for small groups. Advanced classes are available too, if you get hooked and want more.
Courses range from $140 to $425 per person.
4. Tennyson Studio
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Website: https://tennysonstudio.com.au/
Address: 113A Tennyson Rd, Tennyson Point NSW 2111
Contact details: +61298790444
Operating hours:
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
- Wednesday: 10:30 am – 9:45 pm
- Thursday: 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
- Friday: Closed
- Saturday: 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
- Sunday: By appointment
Tennyson Studio offers a ceramic painting class in Sydney, as well as clay hand-building of pottery. You’ll be able to explore and develop your innate creativity through ceramic painting, whether that’s designing a custom coffee mug or creating intricate art on pottery.
A beginner’s pottery painting course will run you $365 for 10 weeks of sessions, at 3 total hours per week. You’ll learn waxing, colour blending, mosaic work, glazing, and more. Take note that for this course, you’ll need to obtain materials and firings separately.
There’s also a more casual class option, which is great for beginners. This is a single 3-hour session for $38, in which you’ll learn techniques for ceramic painting with other newbies, in a supportive and guided environment. Again, you’ll need to bring your own supplies.
Tennyson Studio’s schedule is just a little erratic, but classes generally start at 10:30 am, with Mondays and Fridays off. Sunday appointments are possible too.
5. Imakesculptures
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Website: https://imakesculptures.com/
Address: 250 Riley St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Contact details: +61415544108
Imakesculptures is a clay sculpture class in Sydney run by Irina, Fine Arts major and lifelong professional artist. While she’s dabbled in many forms of art over the years, three-dimensional art such as pottery and sculpture has been a passion of hers for a long time.
Her skill is such that she accepts sculpture commissions from customers looking for bespoke items. She also runs workshops and classes, which is where things get really interesting.
In these classes, you’ll dive into the processes of sculpture and pottery, aiming to eventually create beautifully made and painted items such as mugs, bowls, and unique vases. The ceramics workshop focuses on this, with individual classes for different aspects of the process.
There’s also a “make your mate out of clay” course, a 3-hour session where a couple learns how to sculpt small busts of each other. Now that’s how you go about a date night.
These workshops start at around $15 for the most basic class — crafting a single mug. More advanced courses run for over $100, in which you’ll make more intricate sets of items.
6. Mennt Studio
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Website: https://mennt.com.au/
Address: 9 Gerald St, Marrickville NSW 2204
Contact details: [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Monday – Friday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Sunday: Closed
Mennt is a small design studio based in Sydney and run by just two people: Laura Butler and Aman Braich. They craft and sell completed ceramics of simple but beautiful design and craftsmanship. Aside from their shop, they also host workshops for students wanting to learn slip casting within Sydney.
Slip casting is a technique for creating complex final products that require a lot of precision. It’s a well-known method that allows for beautiful results, like small but detailed porcelain figures. If you’d like to begin learning this technique, Mennt is a good place to start.
But don’t be intimidated; Mennt still offers suitable pottery classes for beginners. Their workshops let you mold liquid clay into stunning ceramic pieces, and you’ll have guidance from experts the entire time.
These workshops last for 2 hours and can accommodate 4 to 15 people, with each person getting 2 cups to work on. Groups over 20 people are possible (and get discounted to $60 per person), but then each person only gets 1 cup.
7. Clay Cartel
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Website: https://www.claycartel.com.au/
Address: Unit 35 & 36, 76B Edinburgh Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204
Contact details: +61434894112
Operating hours:
- Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Sunday and Monday: By appointment
Located in Marrickville, Clay Cartel provides a wide range of pottery offerings: introduction classes, clay hand-building for individuals or groups, and especially Kurinuki workshops at $150 per person.
Kurinuki is a Japanese hand-building pottery technique that starts you out with a solid block of clay. You’ll then hollow out the block, leaving an interior space that you can work with further. This also results in items like pots, vases, and mugs with intricate and artistic carvings.
Other classes on offer from Clay Cartel will teach you how to use a classic potter’s wheel, the most iconic tool of pottery enthusiasts. These are small classes of up to just 5 people, so you can expect close attention and guidance from the instructors.
A potter’s wheel session costs $120. Afterwards, you can have your pottery items glazed and fired, turning them into mementos you can keep forever.
8. Project Snail
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Website: https://www.projectsnail.com/
Address: 527 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Contact details: [email protected]
Operating hours:
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday – Thursday: 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
- Friday: Closed
- Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am – 7:30 pm
Project Snail is an art and design studio run by a whole cast of artistically-minded creatives: animators, woodworkers, ceramists, architects, and more. Their relaxed Sydney studio hosts not only pottery workshops, but also exhibitions and even a marketplace.
The workshops include classes on wheel throwing — in essence, using a potter’s wheel to shape clay into various objects.
Lots of class types are available for beginner and intermediate students. They offer 2-hour intro classes, as well as multiple-session packages that take you through the entire wheel throwing process
Project Snail also works for committed potters, with the deep dive classes in which students are responsible for everything from design planning to clay glazing. Sessions go for $85 to $320, depending on the level of classes you want, as well as the number of sessions.
Private group bookings, at $ 89 per person, are an option too, for teams of 4 to 16 participants. These include guidance from instructors, 3 hours of pottery time, and all the materials and tools you’ll need.
| Carol Hudson Studio | Wheelfulness | Kintsugi Australia | Tennyson Studio | Imakesculptures | Mennt Studio | Clay Cartel | Project Snail | |
| Types of pottery | Hand-building pottery | Pottery wheels; Clay Field Therapy | Kintsugi technique | Ceramic painting; clay hand-building | Sculpture pottery; ceramics | Slip casting | Kurinuki; clay hand-building | Wheel throwing |
| Best for | Beginners; people seeking mindfulness and social connection | People seeking self-expression and healing | People interested in traditional Japanese techniques | Artistic students; those seeking relaxation | Individuals; couples; advanced students | Beginners; advanced students; large groups | Artists; those interested in Japanese pottery | Beginners; experienced or committed students |
| Pricing from | $120 | $180 | $140 to $425 | $38 to $365 | $15 to $100+ | $60+ | $120 to $150 | $85 to $320 |