Join us for a beginner-friendly handbuilding workshop at Community Clay, your local studio for pottery and ceramics in Vancouver. This creative session is perfect for anyone wanting an introduction to clay, a relaxed night out, or a hands-on pottery experience without needing any prior knowledge.

In this workshop, you’ll receive clay to experiment with, learn the basics of handbuilding, and create your own candleholder or 3–4 ceramic ornaments to keep. If you make additional or larger pieces, you’re welcome to keep them for a small additional fee to help cover glazing materials, finishing labour, and kiln space.

Everything is provided — clay, tools, underglazes, glaze, and firing.
We’ll take care of all finishing, glazing, and kiln-firing for you.

At the start of class, your instructor will guide you through demos and foundational techniques before you begin working on your own creations. The focus of this workshop is the experience of working with clay, learning how it feels, and exploring your creativity at your own pace.

Your finished pieces will be glazed, fired, and ready for pickup in approximately 8 weeks, once the full firing cycle is complete.

During the final 20 minutes, participants will work together to tidy their stations and help reset the studio — teamwork makes the dream work!

Arrival Information

Our doors open 15 minutes prior to the workshop start time, please arrive no later than 745pm. Please use Google/Apple maps to check traffic — late entry is not permitted.

There is metered street parking available outside the studio.

Accessibility

Community Clay is committed to a welcoming and accessible environment. Our venue is wheelchair accessible, and we’re happy to accommodate additional needs.

If you have disabilities, mobility concerns, allergies, or anything else that would help us prepare for your visit, please email us in advance. We will make every effort to ensure you feel comfortable and supported.

We occasionally have dogs on premises and use diffusers with essential oils. If you have allergies or sensitivities, please notify us prior to class.

Important Notes

This workshop is all ages.

We can not guarantee that pieces will survive the firing process — as always, it’s in the hands of the kiln gods.

By attending, you acknowledge the inherent risks associated with pottery and studio activities. You assume full responsibility for yourself and your belongings while participating. Community Clay may refuse admittance or ask a participant to leave at any time.

Refund / Cancellation Policy

Tickets are non-refundable. Community Clay is under no obligation to refund any portion of the class price if you cannot attend, choose not to attend, or arrive late. If you can not attend, you're welcome to gift your registration to a loved one- when they arrive have them check in under your name.

If you have any questions, please email us at studio@communityclay.ca — we’re always happy to help!

This is an add on for extra clay, and a Monstera Plant to upgrade your Handbuilding Pottery Workshop or Date Night Pottery Workshop. You’ll create a personalized plant pot. Your pot will be glazed by the Community Clay team and returned to you with a Monstera Deliciosa plant in it!

The clay you will be using is a lovely earthy tone. Our team will glaze the interior of your pot with your chosen glaze colour making the pot functional, while showcasing the raw clay on the exterior.

The plants propagated by our very own, in studio Monstera Mama.

We look forward to having you create with us. When you arrive at the studio we will have a meet & great to get to know each other! The instructor will do a demo to start things off. Focus for the workshop will be on the studio experience, and trying your hand at clay. We work together at the end to clean up, as Community values collaboration. Additional pieces may be completed for you by our staff for a fee. Your work will be ready for pick up in 6-8 weeks (extra thick pieces will take longer to dry out.)

The workshops are great for those who have a challenging schedule but want to try ceramics, or those with prior experience who want to work on a specific skill. The Workshop is one evening, doors open at 6pm for meet & greet; 630pm the Demo starts; 830-9pm clean up & choose glaze colours!

Please note classes and workshops are non-refundable. We will try our best to re-sell your spot in the class if you contact us prior to class starting. If we're able to fill the spot, we will refund you, minus a $50 administration fee.

All classes and workshops are 18+

Please note that Community Clay Inc. is under no obligation to refund part, or all of class price if you can not, or do not attend. Transfers are under sole discretion of Community Clay Inc.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to ask! Due to the nature of the process there is no guarantee that work will make it through the firings. It's in the hands of the kiln gods. Please be aware we may have dogs on premises, and use diffusers with essential oils. If you have any allergies please notify me prior to class. 

COVID-19 Protocol

Check in with the Instructor immediately upon arrival and wash your hands immediately after check in. The doors and windows may be kept open through the class to improve air circulation as necessary. Entering the studio with ANY type of illness is unacceptable and you will be asked to leave.

By attending classes and open studios you agree and understand that in connection with your participation in any event or activity, you may be exposed to a variety of hazards and risks, foreseen or unforeseen, which may or not be inherent to those activities and events. The risks include, but are not limited to the dangers of personal injury, property damage, property loss, and death. Community Clay Inc. has not tried to contradict or minimize your understanding of these risks. By entering into the studio, you agree and understand that injuries and damages can occur by natural causes, or by the acts of other persons or third parties, either as an act of negligence or because of other reasons. You are personally responsible for all costs and/or risks associated with any public or private event or activity. Notwithstanding anything herein, to the fullest extent allowed by law, you agree to waive, discharge claims, release from all liability and indemnify and hold harmless Community Clay Inc., its organizers, hosts, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers. agents, volunteers, and other partners and employees, from any and all liability on account of, or in any way resulting from injuries and damages in any way connected to events and activities. You agree and understand that this waiver and release will be binding upon your heirs, executors, agents, administrators, and assigns, and will include any minors accompanying users at the events. Your participation in this private event & affiliated activities is at your sole and exclusive risk. Community Clay Inc. may refuse admittance, may charge the admission fee, or ask you to leave at any time for any reason.

Tickets are non-refundable, if you are unable to attend please email ASAP to see if it is possible to have your tickets transferred. Please note that Community Clay Inc. is under no obligation to refund part, or all of class price if you can not, or do not attend. Transfers are under sole discretion of Community Clay Inc.

Gift Card Information

You may use any Gift Card purchased through our website for Courses and Workshops. Please note that these denominations are specific to the cost of Courses and Workshops.

Gift Cards cannot be used toward Glazing Workshops, Drop-Ins, or Memberships, as those are processed through Mindbody (a separate platform).

Firing costs are not included in multi-week courses. For beginners, I recommend keeping about half a wareboard of work—approximately $25 (tax included)—as skills progress quickly. Depending on how much you choose to keep, firing costs can be up to $60 (tax included) for a full wareboard of work.

You may purchase Gift Cards to cover firing fees, however Glazing Workshops must be booked and paid for directly through Mindbody, as website Gift Cards won’t apply there. Glazing Workshops are $15 + GST.

Before purchasing please contact us for scheduling availability.

When you arrive at the studio there will be a meet and great for the first 30 min. Everything will be set up for you and the instructor will do a couple of demos to start things off. Each student gets to keep up to two items which will be trimmed, glazed and fired for you. Your masterpieces will be ready for pickup about 6-8 weeks after the workshop. While you are able to keep up to two items, due to the nature of the process there is no guarantee that work will make it through the firings. It's in the hands of the kiln gods. 🙏

Please be aware we may have dogs on premises, and use diffusers with essential oils. If you have any allergies please notify us prior to class. 

By attending classes and open studios you agree and understand that in connection with your participation in any event or activity, you may be exposed to a variety of hazards and risks, foreseen or unforeseen, which may or not be inherent to those activities and events. The risks include, but are not limited to the dangers of personal injury, property damage, property loss, and death. Community Clay has not tried to contradict or minimize your understanding of these risks. By entering into the studio, you and your party agree and understand that injuries and damages can occur by natural causes, or by the acts of other persons or third parties, either as an act of negligence or because of other reasons. You are personally responsible for all costs and/or risks associated with any public or private event or activity. Notwithstanding anything herein, to the fullest extent allowed by law, you agree to waive, discharge claims, release from all liability and indemnify and hold harmless Community Clay, its organizers, hosts, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers. agents, volunteers, and other partners and employees, from any and all liability on account of, or in any way resulting from injuries and damages in any way connected to events and activities. You agree and understand that this waiver and release will be binding upon your heirs, executors, agents, administrators, and assigns, and will include any minors accompanying users at the events. Your participation in this private event & affiliated activities is at your sole and exclusive risk. Community Clay may refuse admittance, may charge the admission fee, or ask you to leave at any time for any reason.

Tickets are non-refundable. Please note that Community Clay is under no obligation to refund part, or all of class price if you can not, or do not attend. 

Pricing for Student & Member Firing

A wareboard is 9 x 18 x 3ish" 

You may stack items to include more in your wareboard allotment. How you have stacked your items when placed on the shelf is how they will be counted AND fired (we may stack your items with other members to reduce our overhead and allow 1/4-3/4 wareboards.) Please be cautious of stacking to avoid cracking, or items getting stuck together.

When stacking we recommend:

• Nesting so that rims do not touch, as items sitting snugly inside of another item's rim may stick during the firing process;
• Stack items of a similar weight, ie do not stack a heavy item inside of a thin one;
• Give extra space for items of different clay bodies, as they have different shrink rates;
• Dark clay bodies may mark lighter ones;
• Underglazes will cast onto near objects, and we will include extra space around these items so you don't affect other people's work.
  

Members- items placed on the Member shelf must be BONE DRY. If your item explodes in the kiln you will be charged a cleaning fee.

Rejected items:
If there is red pen on your firing tag please address concern and remove red pen.

Pick up- you will receive an email when your items have been Bisque fired, and you will have one week to collect your work as per your firing email. We recommend collecting your items as soon as possible so they are not taken by someone else accidentally. Not collecting your items within one week may delay us from firing other people's work as we will not have space to unload firings. We reserve the right to toss any items that linger beyond the week deadline, however this happens rarely. We try to send a toss email when the items are being disposed of. If you need help collecting your work please click here. Please note you are not allowed to send non-students/members to collect your items for you. 

The hours for pick up change weekly, please click here to review the schedule. Please do not knock to gain access to the student if the door is locked, you will be turned away.

Community Clay can not guarantee the success of your fired items, and we will do our best to ensure your items make it through safely. You are responsible for managing your work, and Community will not be held responsible for lost, misplaced, stolen or broken work.