Pottery Studio

At Portsmouth Guildhall

We offer open-access memberships to enable people of all skill levels to use the studio. These open-access memberships are tailored to allow intermediate-skilled and high-level skilled individuals to operate independently and as part of a broader ceramicist community.

History: What used to be situated in the building, which was originally a Victorian school in Portsmouth, the ceramics studio stems back to the building’s Arts College days, before the contents of the studio were relocated to what is now the University of Portsmouth’s Eldon Building.

The equipment never left the building and was later used as part of Clay Station. The ceramics studio was handed over to The Makers Guild in 2017. Now that the Omega Centre is being turned into a SEND Sixth Form College, we have moved and invested in new equipment to carry on the legacy of Ceramics created in the centre of Portsmouth City.

April 2025 reopened Guildhall’s Makerspace with the addition of Pottery

1x Pugging Machine

Multiple work areas

Equipment

6x Shimpo Whisper Throwing Wheels

Kiln 3KW Top Loader

Direct access to the Makerspace

Featured
Six Week Wheel Thrown Pottery Course
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Six Week Wheel Thrown Pottery Course
£250.00

Learn how to throw pottery on the wheel with this six-week course. You will be guided through the complete wheel throwing process and glaze your bisque-fired creations at the end of the course.

Start dates:

Saturday 19th September 2026, repeats every Saturday until 24th October

Saturday 7th November 2026, repeats every Saturday until 12th December

Saturday 16th January 2027, repeats every Saturday until 20th February

Saturday 6th March 2027, repeats every Saturday until 10th April

Time: 11 am to 1:30 pm

Location: Portsmouth Guildhall, PO1 2AB

Class content:

  • Week One: Introduction to foundation skills and techniques of wheel throwing and working in our ceramics studio. Practice wheel throwing techniques, plus other ceramics skills. Learn to centre and pull a cylinder shape

  • Week Two: Trimming and Turning demonstration of a cylinder, discussion around different tools used for trimming and trimming a foot-ring demonstration. While also continuing to refine and practice throwing techniques.

  • Week Three: Introduction - how to throw bowls and vases, throwing a flat bottom bowl from a cylinder shape, throwing a curved bottom bowl and the change in process when opening out

  • Week Four: Work on techniques to improve pieces and develop new work

  • Week Five: Trim project pieces and complete all finishing work, glaze overview

  • Week Six: Recap on course, glaze work, course feedback

Session size: 6 participants and 1 tutor

No prior experience needed.

Please wear sensible clothing and shoes, jewellery off and recommended to trim finger nails.

For more information, please email us at info@makers-guild.com

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Wheel Thrown Pottery Short Class
£45.00

Learn what it’s like to have a go on the potter’s wheel in this short class

Date & Time availability: 10 am - 12:30 pm

Please select the date in the drop-down menu.

Location: Makers Guild, Portsmouth Guildhall, PO1 2AB

Class content: You will learn in 2 and a half hours how to centre the clay on the wheel and to pull a pot shape. You can choose up to two of your best pieces to be bisque fired, which can then either be glaze dipped with some of the studio glazes.

You will find, as a beginner, that your pots may be very wobbly and often collapse on the wheel. This is normal to begin with, but it does add to the fun of learning. We offer a 6 week Wheel Thrown Pottery Course, which can be found here

Pre-requisites: You do not need any previous experience to attend this class. Age 16+

Session size: 6 participants and 1 tutor

This class caters for complete beginners to both ceramics and wheel throwing.

For more information, please email us at info@makers-guild.com

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Gift Vouchers
from £25.00

YAY Gifts Vouchers!

We’ve got vouchers available to gift to people, or for your own future crafty enjoyment.

Purchasing this digital gift card creates a unique code, the recipient can enter this code at checkout to subtract the cards value from their order total.

This gift card never expires.

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Pottery Community
Free

This time it's free. Access to everything in the studio at your studio sessions.

✓ Regular Studio Sessions
✓ Included Clay and Firing per session
✓ Not suitable for beginners
Pottery Session
Hourly
Hourly
£10.00

To be even more flexible, for a period of time, there will be a per-hour studio time.

Booking a few days before your chosen session day is best

Same time constraints between 10 am and closing at 8 pm weekdays. Last entry is 6 pm

Saturday’s opening times are between 10 am and 2 pm.

We will be updating the system as we go, when more people are booking in at one time, but at the moment, we are experimenting with different booking methods.

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Half Day Package
Half Day Package
£30.00

Basic packages supply a certain amount of clay, including 1 kiln firing of items made.

Size and amount of firing is subject to kiln size limitations. Please be aware of these limitations and plan around them.

Session length is 4 hours

AM entry from 10 am

PM entry from 2 pm, last entry at 6 pm

Staff members reserve the right to refuse to fire items and will explain.

Saturdays: limited opening hours, building is closed at 2pm. Please make sure you are exiting the building in a timely manner.

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Studio Induction Package
Studio Induction Package
£45.00

Studio Induction Package supplies a certain amount of clay, including 1 kiln firing of items made.

Size and amount of firing are subject to kiln size limitations. Please be aware of these limitations and plan around them.

Session length is still 4 hours, which is to allow for breaks for supervisors

AM entry from 10 am

PM entry from 2 pm, last entry at 6 pm

Staff members reserve the right to refuse to fire items and will explain.

The building is not open during the Bank Holiday.

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Four beige ceramic coffee mugs with brown rims on a light marble surface, three stacked and one lying inside a stacked mug, against a plain white background.
A person working on a ceramic project, using a paintbrush to apply white paint to a small, irregularly shaped ceramic piece on a table with art supplies including bottles of paint, a notebook, and clay sculptures.
A ceramic bowl with a blue and white floral pattern inside
Handmade ceramic bowl with blue and white glaze, shallow with a flared rim, on a white background.
Close-up of a brown pottery bowl with a black leaf design engraved inside.
Two ceramic bowls with etched leaf designs on a white fabric, surrounded by small dried plant branches and leaves.
Close-up of a ceramic bowl with a textured white interior, beige exterior, and rounded edges.
Close-up of a brown ceramic mug with a textured, artfully unglazed bottom, featuring a carved leaf or tree design on the side, next to a cream-colored mug with a similar rugged design.
A ceramic coffee cup with a handle, placed on the edge of a wooden table against a red background.