FOUNDER

BOOK NOW SURRY HILLS POTTERY

Small Group Classes Surry Hills Studio

4 classes are run 7 days a week.  Limited students per class so book now.

THROWING CLASS book with  card or voucher $69 per person

TRIMMING CLASS book with  card or voucher  $69 per person

GLAZING CLASS book with   card or voucher  $69 per person

RETURNING (Practice) SESSION  book with card or voucher $39 per person

4 CLASS & SESSION PACKAGE $213

Best Beginner's Bargain. Buy a full set of three classes and get one practice session free (a total of 8 hours of pottery) for $213, a savings value of $33. Schedule each class and the practice session according to your schedule. Please write to admin@thepotteryshed.com.au to arrange.

PRIVATE LESSONS 

One single student or one couple per 2 hour class directly with one of the Shed's teachers. Please write to admin@thepotteryshed.com.au to arrange a class.

SINGLE PERSON'S CLASS: $160
COUPLE'S CLASS:  $250

LEARN POTTERY

People say wheel-thrown pottery is too difficult to learn, but here at The Pottery Shed we put those doubts to rest with hands-on sessions that build your confidence and experience! Our wheel-throwing lessons are designed for beginners, founded along the principles that clay is for everyone and can be skilfully managed by understanding its purest properties. I have created a unique pottery curriculum with easy-to-understand techniques designed for beginners exploring wheel-thrown pottery for the first time. Come enjoy The Shed experience.

- Joe Darling, Founder
  The Pottery Shed

The Pottery Shed's basic course is comprised of three 2-hour classes designed for beginners 12 years old and up. The First Basic (Throwing) class begins with "throwing" clay on our wheels to spin and form clay into basic vessels. You then take your Second Basic (Trimming) class as soon as possible, up to 4 weeks after the First Basic (Throwing) class. This 2nd class consists of learning to use tools to refine the shape of your projects and prepare them for the first firing. Now you wait about 7-10 days to take your Third Basic (Glazing) class. This is where you get to decorate your project and prepare it for its final firing so it becomes a functional piece that you can use and enjoy. You'll be email alerted when it's ready for pick up. Its smart to book all three classes at the same time. Last-minute booking attempts are often disappointing.

After your beginner 3-class course, or as practice between classes, students are welcome to continue developing their skills and confidence through Sessions as a Returning Student at a discounted rate. These sessions are 2-hour bookings that offer students the opportunity to come in and use The Shed’s space and materials to practice their creative skills independently. 

 The Pottery Shed's booking system is fully automated and self-managed online. From the moment you book your session it’ll be confirmed, updated and connected via email and SMS. This way, you can manage your bookings and monitor your projects from home to gain the full Shed experience.

 The first 3 classes are $69 each. Returning Student Sessions are $39, or even less with pre-paid bulk vouchers. Everything is included in the cost of a class or Session: We provide materials, training, earthenware clay, equipment and on site firing. We have 24 quality electric wheels. We also have a selection of natural wood, steel and fiber hand tools.  Glazes and underglazes are premium commercial Cesco, Walker and Northcote brush-on products which (as opposed to powdered glazes) reduces airborne respiratory risk.

  Each 2-hour class is held in a beautiful rustic warehouse at 7 Nickson Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, along the Moore Park side of Surry Hills, near Bourke Street Bakery.

The Shed is open Monday through Sunday with AM and PM classes available on a rotating weekly calendar. To book your first pottery class, go to online booking now.

   Please remember that comfortable pants are needed to sit close up to the wheel. Long hair should be tied back, fingernails trimmed and don’t wear hand jewelry. All helpful tips to start our students on the path to becoming skilled potters.

Further enqueries: admin@thepotteryshed.com.au 

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Give a beautiful gift of pottery skills with our gift certificates. Choose from 1 or 3 Classes. These are valid for 12 months.

• Single Class Gift : $75 (INCL GST)
• Three Class Gift: $213 (INCL GST)
  • Buy this full set of three classes and get one practice session free.

To order online, please send an email to admin@thepotteryshed.com.au

• First and last name of Recipient
• Nickname of the Giver
• Gift Certificate Type (Single or Triple)

We will email back a payment request and then the PDF certificate for you to gift as you wish. Please count on 24-48 hours turn around.

For immediate certificates come to the studio (7 Nickson Street, Surry Hills) and save $6.

GROUPS & PARTIES

Its well known that developing a person's crafting skill improves their attention to detail, performance and satisfaction. Hand-crafting clay is a pure and honest material to improve focus & attention.

Team building events and private parties are available at The Pottery Shed.  Either as a combination class of wheel throwing and hand building or either individually, groups can be accomodated up to 26 students.

The Pottery Shed is located at 7 Nickson Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Along the Moore Park side of Surry Hills, Near Bourke Street Bakery. 

• 12 week pre-booking recommended
• Minimum group size is 12, max 26
• Classes include all materials, lessons and equipment.
• Participants can continue their craft individually or as a group,
• Projects can be professionally finished (trimmed, fired and glazed) for nominal fee
• Collection of completed pottery will be available 4-6 weeks.

Contact: admin@thepotteryshed.com.au for queries and bookings.

WOMBARRA POTTERY STUDIO and ACCOMODATION

Nestled in the forested oceanside foothills of the Northern Illawarra escarpment in Wombarra, NSW we are pleased to offer a pottery teaching studio and retreat with accomodation. Close to nature and far from the busy city, come have the pottery experience or training with a view. Classes are taught by Joe Darling and can be any level required with stoneware and raku clays available. Classes can be booked independently or in addition to the accomodation. The accommdation includes studio usage with materials.

Pottery Classes Wombarra Studio

1-2 Students per class. Class includes Orientation, Demonstration, Hands-on step-by-step and Hands-on practice. All materials and firing are included. One day advance booking.

2 HR CLASS: book with a card ($100 per person). | book with a Wombarra gift certificate

2 HR RETURNING (Practice) SESSION: book with card  ($50 per person). | book with a Wombarra voucher

Pottery & Accomodation

Adjacent to the Pottery is a one-bedroom apartment that sleeps up to 4 persons. It has one queenbed in the bedroom and one extra double fold-out bed in the livingroom. Being a self-contained unit, it also has a fully-fitted kitchen, bathroom, livingroon with a television and wifi throughout. Accomodation is located 400 meters from playgrounds, a sportfield, two beaches and ocean pool. Bushland-Rainforest hiking tracks are abundant along the escarpment, the stunning sea-bridge stroll is within 2 km. with the Scarborough Hotel along the way. The train station is minutes walk for a brief ride to many other beaches and bike riding (off-road and segregated) paths. Pricing starts at $300 per night.

Additional packages with over night accomodation can include Pottery classes at any level, Pottery access for practice, cooked breakfasts, and more. Write to admin@thepotteryshed.com.au for a quote.

Location:

134 Morrison Ave
Wombarra. NSW 2515

Transport:

Train: Wombarra Station is 2 minutes walk from the Pottery. Central station to Wombarra is a 90 minute journey every 30 minutes. Stations immediately south are Coledale, Austinmer and Thirroul. Stations north are Scarborough, Coalcliff and Stanwell Park.
Car: 1-2 hours south on the Princes Highway/M1, exit at Stanwell Tops and drive south along Lawrence Hargrave Dr and the Coastal Seabridge to Wombarra.

COURSES

Pottery schools ususally offer set courses priced for a whole term. The Pottery Shed is different because classes are individually booked, according to your schedule, so course objectives are achieved individually as fast or as slow as you like. For example, if you have 4 hours available on next Monday you can progress and practice as you wish. Students are welcome to experiment and play according to their own schedule. Basic, Beginning, Intermediate & Advanced objectives form the curriculum which is solidly anchored on the specific techniques taught at The Pottery Shed. 

Basic Course

Objectives: Throw, trim & glaze a decent 1kg cylinder on a pottery wheel.
Classes:  About 3 or 4 classes needed.
Output: 2-4 various cylindrical shapes (cups, bottles,  small bowls, etc).
Consumption: 4kg-6kg clay (80% of which will be recycled), 200g-500g glaze, 24-30 hrs of firing.

Beginners Course

Objectives: Additionally complete a 2kg wheel-thrown wide bowl and a plate. 
Classes:  4 to 5 additional classes needed.
Output: 3-6 variously wide shapes (wide bowls and plates, etc).
Consumption: 12kg-22kg clay (70% of which will be recycled), 500g-1.5kg glaze, 24-30 hrs of firing.

Intermediate Course

Objectives: Modify thrown pottery with handles, lids or spouts, and learn specialized glazing. 
Classes:  About 5 additional classes needed.
Output: 1-4 jugs, teacups, teapots, etc.
Consumption: 4kg-6kg clay (60% of which will be recycled), 200g-500g glaze, 24-30 hrs of firing. 

Advanced Course

Objectives: Create matching sets of bowls and cups, create tall pots, use advanced alterations of wheel-thrown pottery.
Classes:  Minimum 6-8 classes needed, but a lifetime to perfect!
Output: one set of 6 similar cups, bowls or plates.
Consumption: 8kg-10kg clay (50% of which will be recycled), 200g-500g glaze, 24-30 hrs of firing. 

CLASS SCHEDULE (2020)

Full Sized Version Click Here

POTTERY CALENDAR

PARKING

Parking
Paid parking is available at the St Vincent's Hospital Car Park (access via Victoria Street) - a 2 minute walk from the studio. Please contact the car park on (02) 8382 3896 for details of casual parking rates and times. 

Two hour street parking is available on the eastbound side of Oxford Street in front of Victoria barracks, one hour residential street parking is common at all streets.

Privacy Policy & Terms

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Barristers Only

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Terms and Conditions

CLASS CALENDAR

AT-HOME POTTER

COVID-19 - An ongoing journal

24 April 2020. Some available Session periods will be appearing soon on the schedule.

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17 April 2020. Ongoing At-Home Pottery students are using most of the wheels now and getting dozens of pieces fired each week. Turn around for firing is still aout 7-10 days. Hope everyone is staying safe.

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9 April 2020. We are launching the At-Home Pottery program today.  

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1 April 2020. We have closed the studio for everything except dropping off ready-to-fire wares and collecting fired projects. 

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30 March 2020. We have been directed to close this school, notifications will be made to those who have booked a class or session. Check for available classes and sessions starting in May on the website's Book a Class page. 

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The staff at The Pottery Shed have taken the greatest care following government recommended precautions to provide a low risk school environment for every student.

- Generous indoor space and smaller classes.

- Additional staff with increased surface and tool cleaning.

- Hand washing stations around the school.

- Disposible paper towels and cups.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation in these unusual times. Rest safely at home if you are ill or have low immune health. Wash hands regularly, keep a safe distance from others and avoid touching your face. Together we'll all do our part.

Joe Darling
Founder 

DIRECTIONS

The Pottery Shed is located at 7 Nickson Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Along the Moore Park side of Surry Hills, Near Bourke Street Bakery. 

COMMISSIONED WORK

Looking for bespoke pottery for your retail or restaurant? Individually hand-made thrown, rolled or molded plates, cups, bowls and other objects are available by commission. All clay types, colours and styles are available. Price on application, bulk discounts available. Allow 6-12 weeks for production. Contact joe.darling@gmail.com.