We aim to give you the best experience learning pottery and ceramics in Melbourne!
We aim high for you: We value all forms of expression from a humble pot to a complex sculpture. Our aim is to help you flourish into your own expression whilst ensuring your future is built upon a solid foundation!
Why choose Slow Clay Centre? We are widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading pottery, clay and ceramics education centres. Established in 2012 by ceramic artist and educator, Jane Sawyer following decades of teaching ceramics in the tertiary and private sector, Slow Clay Centre has influenced many thousands of people who have joined for pottery classes, advanced training and specialist workshops and we are proud to have been responsible for starting many careers in the ceramic arts. You can join us at any stage of your journey with clay! There is a place for everyone!
Our mission and values: We exist to support ceramic artists and ceramic art to thrive. We value clay equally as a medium for personal and cultural expression and as a profession. We proudly support professional artists as staff and are passionate about creating an inclusive community for effective, meaningful and personal education for our students at all levels.
Environmental values: We recognise that our work falls within an extractive industry with environmental consequences. We do not sugar-coat it: the digging of clay, mining of glaze materials, firing of kilns and creation of waste are all part of the macro economic problem where safe planetary boundaries are at risk or already being crossed. We are constantly reviewing our processes and are founding members of Clay Matters, a research group that explores and pledges to support best practice and publishes our findings regularly. Buying local clays (simply processed with no added materials), tracking our other material sources, buying green energy to fire our kilns and recycling all our waste is a small part of what we do to reduce our impact. At Clay Matters we welcome open discussion in a spirit of mutual development to ensure we spread the latest knowledge amongst our colleagues. Please read the Potter’s Pledge and visit our website for more info: Clay Matters Facebook Instagram
Cultural values: The culture of humanity is written in clay from ancient rock paintings to the first fired ceramics 26,000 year ago, clay continues to reflect our shared cultural stories today. Our staff value this history and our Slow Clay community holds students who wish to commit to the long path of development. Many say they never want to leave and in-fact after establishing their careers they often return regularly to attend our unique higher-level workshops! The community is warm and welcoming with a “No BS” vibe.
Staff: The Slow Clay team includes a range of professional artists and experienced educators, many recognised as leaders in their field. Founder, Jane Sawyer, is an award-winning ceramic artist and educator for over 40 years and member of the International Academy of Ceramics. Together we form a passionate community of practising artists and enthusiasts that offers a nurturing, supportive and deeply developmental pathway from total beginners to advanced professionals.
Your journey with clay: At Slow Clay Centre you can start as a complete beginner in a single session Taster Class or an 8-week Beginner’s Wheel course or Form & Surface Hand Building course. Our foundational ergonomic methods are designed to set you up for a lifetime of making.
Experienced students: As an intermediate/advanced student you can join our Intermediate/Advanced Wheel or Form & Surface Hand building courses; or professionals might like our Studio Practice Program and Guest Artist Workshops where we run seasonal intensive workshops with some of the best artist educators from around the world.
Internships: We also offer an occasional internship and technical training program for a few select students to gain practical knowledge about behind the scenes training and running a studio (email us to enquire)
One-to-one mentoring is occasionally available with Jane Sawyer (email to enquire)
Curriculum: Our carefully structured curriculum sits within a framework of creative enquiry, design exploration and technical development and is always open to change. Creative thinking skills are just as important as technical skills and our program is designed to cover both. More than anything we recognise the healing power of clay as a material from and of the earth and the mindful space working with clay can provide through our sense of touch. We are averse to the “cookie-cutter” workshops ie: step-by-step product-based workshops such as “how to make a mug and paint a daisy on it”. We are interested in real education tailored to the individual.
Where to Start: Our 2-hour Taster Class is a great intro to the wheel or you can dive straight into a weekly Beginner’s Wheel or Form & Surface handbuilding course comprising 8 classes of structured learning and extra studio access time as you need!
Studio Access Times: All weekly students are eligible to attend our Studio Access Times which run daily during term times and holiday periods. These sessions provide the perfect opportunity to hone your skills, explore new directions or follow the spark of an idea! NEW: All morning classes offer a FREE extension hour to their class! Yes, 3 hours for the price of 2!
Professional Development: Our Studio Practice Program and guest artist workshops are the icing on the cake and enable real professional level training and development! Intensive professional standard workshops for serious students who wish to develop a studio practice! We encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about specialist workshops.
Slow Clay wheel method (TM): Pottery techniques on the wheel go back centuries and were passed down through generation after generation as they developed to ensure the most economic use of physical movements and expressive competencies, often guided by the limitations and characteristics of local clay and glaze materials. Our Slow Clay ™ method of teaching the wheel to beginners is based on the Japanese production-throwing techniques that owner/director, Jane Sawyer , studied as an apprentice potter (first in Australia with Andrew Halford and in Japan with Shussai-Gama pottery). Using this experience and her qualifications in art education and a Masters in Fine Art, Jane has honed and refined this teaching method to become what is known as the “Slow Clay method”. The goal is to ensure ergonomic best-practice and provide a solid foundation for long-term personal expression and confidence with clay. All Slow Clay Centre teachers of the wheel are trained in this method to ensure consistency and continuity and Jane also offers teacher training to others who wish to use the Slow Clay ™ method. (Please enquire if you wish to be trained and approved to teach our method!)
We cover much more than the potter’s wheel, including hand building/sculpture, clay and glaze studies and design development. No matter which area you enter we encourage a broad approach to cover all areas before you start to specialise.
Class Structure: We offer 4 terms of 8 weeks per year and students who re-enrol from one term to the next receive an attractive discount as incentive to develop. Students attend a lesson once per week and can add to it with extra studio time in any of our *Studio Access Times(SATs) held on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Students can dive deep into one area or move between the classes so they get a broad experience.
Professional Workshops: We offer an extensive variety of workshops and events throughout the year including a summer and winter school for advanced students, private group classes, one-to-one mentoring, corporate, team building and short workshops. We pride ourselves on offering a strong connection to professional artists through a rich variety of guest artist workshops, educational forums and panel discussions for the higher level student. Email us to get on the waitlist!
Where are we? We are based in a purpose-designed inner-city location in Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia.
We invite you join our monthly to keep up to date with enrolment options and to share our passion for and addiction to clay! Welcome to Slow Clay Centre where you can set your own pace, explore widely and develop deeply!
“The thing I love most about Slow Clay is the wonderful opportunity to work alongside practicing Ceramic artists who are so willing to share their own knowledge and experience with students. Slow Clay operates with excellent studio practice in terms of cleanliness, quality clays and timely and efficient firings. Thank you all!” (name supplied)
* conditions apply
