Raku Workshops
1-day Raku Glazing & Firing Workshop
Join this in the magic and excitement of Raku Glaze Firings with our 1-day workshop. Spend the day learning about this amazing pottery art form that originated in Japan in the 16th century. With its dramatic mix of earth, fire, air and water, Raku firing is an exciting approach to pottery, with quick results.
In Raku, pottery is glazed with special oxides and glazes. The pots are removed from the kiln when red hot and cooled rapidly. Colours and effects can be dramatic and beautiful, and you’re never sure what’s going to happen!
What happens on Raku Day?
On a Raku firing day, you will you will glaze and fire three pots. You can bring pots you’ve made at home, join our 8-week Pottery Courses to make some, or you can buy blanks from us on the day.
We have three different techniques available for you to try. You will each work on three pots, and you can use a different technique for each pot or focus on one or two techniques — the choice is yours!
On the day we will:
- Glaze your 3 pots with different Raku glaze techniques
Glazed Raku
Choose from a selection of Raku glazes to decorate your pots. Remove them from the kiln while hot, place them in sawdust, and seal. You can also submerge them in water to create more glaze crazing. The blue and copper pot pictured is one of our favourite examples from a Raku day.
Saggar Firing
The no-glaze technique of using various materials and chemicals on the clay, wrapping the pot in a tin foil jacket or ‘saggar’, and firing to produce some beautiful and unpredictable colours and patterns. Burnished pots work very well, but unburnished will also work just fine. The black and pink pots in the picture below are beautiful examples of Saggar fired pots made at our workshop.
Naked Raku
Naked Raku can refer to different techniques, but here we heat the pots in the kiln, then remove them at around 700°C. Materials such as horsehair, feathers, and sugar are burned onto the surface to create beautiful silhouette patterns on the white clay. The black-and-white pots pictured are examples.
- Learn and experience the process of Raku firing
- Do three Raku firings, including using combustible materials, rapid cooling, and cleaning of pots
At the end of the Raku workshop, you can take home your finished Raku pots!
Raku pottery workshops are held throughout the warmer months, as they are outdoor activities. Dates will be announced periodically on our website, social media, or in our newsletters.
Raku Pottery Workshops typically run from 10:00~16:00 on selected Sundays,£120 per person.
📍Unit A, Farm Buisness Units, Rushton Rd, Wilbarston, Dallacre LE16 8FE, United Kingdom
*If you don’t see any upcoming dates, it means the next workshop has not yet been released.
*You can make a request for us to run the next workshop on your preferred date!
Make your own pots?
You will glaze and fire three pots during the one-day Raku Workshop. You can bring pots you’ve made at home, or you can buy blanks from us.
If you’d like to make your own pots, our 8-week pottery course is a perfect opportunity to attend before the Raku Workshop. Your pots will need to be biscuit-fired prior to the day.
Interested in other courses?
8-week Pottery Course
Explore Ceramics!! Beginner friendly pottery course to learn everything you need to know about ceramics!
1-day Sculpture Workshop
Use the air curing clay called Pal Tiya Premium! Beginner friendly, fun-filled workshop to make your own permanent sculpture!
Art & Craft Workshops
On selected weekends, join our one-day art and craft workshop in various themes using a variety of materials!