Manchester is a pretty creative city, whether it’s music, film or art, and we really do like to get stuck in. If you’ve always fancied throwing down and sculpting a bowl, vase or something completely unrecognisable, we’re with you. Everyone has imagined that Ghost moment, when in reality it’s more likely to turn out pretty messy, with a wonky lump of clay to show for it − but fear not, these Manchester studios are brimming with experts just waiting to show you how it’s done. Here are the best pottery classes in Manchester to hone your skills and hopefully go home with something beautiful.
1. New Dawn Pottery
Ancoats‘ New Dawn Pottery offers a range of one off classes, weekly courses, drop in sessions and memberships, for beginners and experts. The studio is focused around creating a community of like minded potters, and Studio Manager, Filipa, and Tutors Katie, Nina, Chris and Georgie each create their own work as well as specialising in a specific area of ceramics including hand building, wheel thrown work and sculpture.
🧑💻 Find a pottery class to suit you and book here.
📍 Wellington Studios, Courtyard ground floor, 4 Pollard St E, Manchester, M40 7FS.
2. Community Clay Studio Manchester CIC
Community Clay Studio Manchester was founded in 2016 as a not-for-profit organisation, and is a dedicated pottery studio providing classes and workshops for beginners and those wanting to learn more, making space for new graduates, hobby ceramicists and experienced makers.
The studio offers a range of classes for students of all abilities, one-off sessions on the potters wheel or hand building, private workshops on the potters wheel for one to three people or hand building groups of up to 10 people, plus Family Ceramics sessions and home ed classes for the youngsters. There are also membership schemes for independent makers, all aiming to provide the enriching experience of working with clay.
🧑💻 Find the pottery class for you here.
📍 20 King Street, Stretford, M32 8AE.
3. Seven Limes Pottery
Nearing its 25th birthday, Seven Limes Pottery is making the move to a bigger and better studio, meaning more room for learning from the best. Seven Limes Pottery is Manchester’s first pottery teaching studio open to the general public, delivering small, fun, and friendly pottery classes and ceramics workshops.
The experts teach a wide range of traditional and contemporary pottery making techniques in guided classes, so you can develop the skills to create whatever you would like to make, from wheel thrown domestic tableware to ceramic art sculptures.
🧑💻 Book a class here.
📍 85 North Western Street, Ardwick, Manchester, M12 6DY.
4. 7 Spot Pottery
Since opening in April 2017 in a modest 250 sq ft space, 7 Spot has grown and now occupies a 900 sq ft studio inside the Makers Quarter. As practicing artists, the resident makers offer courses and workshops in both functional and sculptural ceramics, drawing on over 30 years of combined experience in teaching art and making ceramics.
7 Spot prides itself on being an inclusive educational environment, welcoming individuals of all skill levels and experiences. There is a particular focus on the therapeutic benefits of working with clay, whether for personal enjoyment or professional development, and the studio is equipped with two top-loading kilns, an extruder, a slab roller, and 12 pottery wheels, and prepare their own studio glazes and decorating slips.
🧑💻 You can book a course or one-off class here.
📍 16 Worrall St, Salford, M5 4TH.
5. Sip and Sculpt
Credit: @paintvineuk via Instagram
You’ve heard of sip and paint with Neon Brush, but now you can have a tipple whilst learning to sculpt a masterpiece. Sip and Sculpt is one of many pottery classes in Manchester where no experience is necessary. Simply turn up and let the experts lead you in sculpting air-dry clay, making it a laid back and friendly environment that’s a whole load of fun. The clay takes around 48 hours to set, and you can take home your piece of art and paint with acrylic paint! Happy sculpting!
🧑💻 Find and book a session here.
📍 Revolution Parsonage Gardens, Arkwright House, Parsonage Gdns, Manchester, M3 2LF.
6. Studio Dawn
Credit: @_studiodawn via Instagram
What a better way to find some self-care time than to take yourself off to a lovely creative workshop? Studio Dawn offers a huge range of carefully curated workshops designed to provide some mindful making time in the company of friendly teachers and some fellow crafters, including pot and bauble making. Many are curated with sustainability in mind, and therefore not all are pottery − many will work with resin or recycled materials.
All workshops take place at the brand new store; a haven of creative workshops, art supplies and thoughtful gifts within the Quayside MediaCity UK shopping centre. What’s more, all workshops come with tea and coffee, as well as some light snacks, and evening workshops may even come with a glass of bubbly!
🧑💻 Find a class for you here.
📍 F16C, Quayside, MediaCity UK, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AH.