Weekly on Sundays

10.15am - 11.15am, 11.45am - 12.45pm, 1.45pm - 2.45pm or 3.15 - 4.15pm

Every Sunday, join our Watts ceramicist for Clay Club! As a family, get hands-on and messy with clay to wedge, carve, mould, roll, sculpt and create clay masterpieces.

Themes will change fortnightly, inspired by Watts Gallery's rich heritage of pottery, current exhibitions and contemporary influence, (as well as lots of fun and imagination). Take part in a one-off workshop or build Clay Club in as a regular part of your families' creative time together.

29 December and 5 January - geometric tiles
Inspired by the genius geometry of William De Morgan's ceramics, create a geometric tile, considering basic shapes, angles and symmetry.

12 and 19 January - pinch pots
Join us to learn a classic technique for making a pinch pot. Once you have the hang of a pinch pot, then decorate, experiment or turn it into something else from your imagination.

26 January and 2 February - busts
Inspired by the three busts at the front of the Historic Galleries, create a bust of yourself or of someone else. We’ll look closely at faces to create a 3D portrait!

9 February - decorating time!
Whilst we love the colour and texture of terracotta clay, it can be great fun to add colour through glazing on to ceramics. Join us for this day to bring back works you have made with us before in Clay Club to add some colours and extra decorations.
*If you do not have anything to bring back, we will have some pre-made ceramic pots available to decorate.

16 and 23 February (during February half term) - fairy tea party
As part of February half term’s family offer, we are celebrating all things Flower Fairies! Join us during Clay Club for a magical Flower Fairy Tea Party to create tables settings, food and flowers to adorn a tea party for the Flower Fairies in our exhibition.

2 and 9 March - coil bowls
Let’s try something new! Create a bowl using coils; roll out lots of coils, or one very long one, and curl, curve and wind it build a coil bowl.

16 and 23 March - making with moulds
Learn how to make a piece of pottery using a plaster mould. Create a small plate and a trinket or two. Add your own designs to them or keep them as they are.

30 March and 6 April – under the sea
Inspired by the sea horse tiles in the De Morgan collection, create with clay something you would see under the sea.

13 and 20 April - florals for spring, groundbreaking!
One petal at a time, build up a springtime flower. Use slip and a scoring technique to celebrate the Flower Fairies exhibition with us. Drawing inspiration from the floral illustrations, before the exhibition finishes on the 27 April.

27 April – glazing
Whilst we love the colour and texture of terracotta clay, it can be great fun to add different colours through glazing on to ceramics. Join us and bring back works you have made before at Clay Club to add some colours and extra decorations.
*If you do not have anything to bring back, we will have some pre-made ceramic pots available to decorate.
**All works for glazing must have been fired terracotta clay (not air-dry clay) and will need to be left with us to fire. It will take around 4 weeks, when we will contact you to return and collect.

Clay options

Your family will have the option to choose from air-dry clay (to take home with you on the day) or terracotta clay (that will need to be fired in our kiln). If you choose terracotta clay for firing, we will contact you when the works are ready for collection. This will take around 4 weeks, weather and other factors depending.