4 day pottery workshop in the west of France.
4-day ceramics workshops for both beginners and those who wish to improve their throwing or hand-building techniques.
Price :
550€ all inclusive: Teaching, all materials. Home cooked daily lunch and coffee breaks.
Dates 2027 :
05 – 08 June 2027
The number of students per course is limited to 4. If you are a group of 4 people contact us directly about personalized dates.
For booking and enquiries please contact us by e-mail or telephone.
Who are we :
Alan is from Ireland originally, Limerick, but we won’t hold that against him! 😉 Marie is a local girl well used to the beautiful food, cheap wine and glorious sunshine! Both of our intrepid potters come from a painting background and started exploring the fabulous world of clay together many years ago. The color and spontaneity of slipware was an immediate draw and this is the path they choose to explore in their pottery which they called « KoyotKraft » (we’ll tell ye the story of the name when we see ye).
The story of the « Pottery Holiday » :
We have been teaching wheel throwing and slab building for a good few years and we’ve been so lucky to have met so many interesting and enthusiastic people that have come here to learn and share our passion for clay.
The idea of opening up the workshop to English speaking students seemed like building bridges between our different origins and we’re excited to have people discover not only our pottery but share stories from near and afar.
Workshop Programme
Classes are held each day from 9.30am- 12.30pm, followed by a delicious home-cooked lunch (suitable for vegetarians), and then back to the studio from 2pm-5pm leaving the rest of the evening free.
On the first day, after settling in, the group will be divided into two groups: throwing and hand-building.
The throwing group: the teaching is adapted to each persons’ experience. More experienced students will be able to tackle more complex forms and iron out persistent issues, while beginners will discover the excitement of making your first pots on the wheel!
The hand-building group: Each student will work on several projects over the few days and will be guided through the process from preparing slabs right through to the decoration (with slips) and glazing phase. This is where your creativity and expression can come to the fore!
During the morning, coffee and patisseries will be served in the garden.
In the afternoon (2pm-5pm) each student will change activity; those who did hand-building will now work on the wheel and vice-versa. Over the years we have found that this change has many advantages: it allows students to take a break from each activity and going from the wheel to the hand-building table and back again opens the mind to the possibilities of making.
The day is punctuated by demonstrations and discussions with plenty of coffee/tea and stories !
You can take it at your own rhythm, it’s a fun and relaxed atmosphere. 😁
Classes end at 5pm.
FAQs
Where is the pottery and how do I get here?
- We are situated in a village on the banks of the Loire just outside of Nantes 15 mins from the Nantes Atlantique airport. There are regular flights to Nantes from Dublin with Ryanair and Aer Lingus as well as the from the UK.
Do I need my own transport ?
- We can pick you up from the airport if needed and there are several options for accommodation in our village or a bike ride or taxi away (you can borrow a bike).
Does the pottery provide accommodation ?
- We can’t provide accommodation at the studio but in our village, 2 mins from the pottery, there are some nice AirBnb options and just down the road there are a couple of guest houses run by people we can vouch for. We can explore options with you directly if you want.
- We have a pool on the grounds and lots of space to relax which you’re welcome to use.
I’ve never done pottery before is this course suitable for me ?
- The teaching is adapted to each persons’ experience. If you’re a beginner you’re welcome! You’ll learn how to make simple forms and decorate them. In our experience it’s great to have both beginners and more experienced students. It’s all about having fun with the clay and getting the most out of the close supervision for a few days. Once you’re hooked you’ll be in love with clay forever!
Will I leave at the end of the workshop with finished pieces ?
- Everyone will be able to produce several finished pieces whether you’re a beginner or not. As the course is only 4 days it won’t be possible to fire the pieces before you leave (there are two firings: bisque and then glaze)! We can send you the finished pieces by post at your expense or you can come back and collect them at another date ! 😉.
I have 3 friends who want to do the course with me. Can we suggest dates for our group ?
- Yes contact us directly and we can discuss what dates would suit you and your friends.
In the evenings and on my free days what can I do around the area ?
- Nantes is a vibrant and interesting city to visit and is renowned for its public transport so if you don’t have a car it’s easy to get around.
- The famous Loire by bike route passes right in front of the pottery, you can borrow bikes from us.
- We are at the doorstep of the Loire valley wine region and the stunning west coast is a 30min drive.
- The surrounding area has a vibrant food scene, fantastic local markets and regular cultural events and we’ll probably end up bumping into each other and having a couple of glasses of wine somewhere out and about!