Clay College Stoke

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Clay College Stoke

A college dedicated to teaching the fundamental skills necessary to become a studio potter. Email for any enquiries. Opened 2017. Gallery now open daily.

19/06/2026

*LAST CHANCE TO VIEW AND BUY* Don't miss out on viewing our beautiful exhibition, 'Pots for Flowers'. Closing on Sunday, 28th June. The exhibition showcases the stunning work of 6 established studio potters, highlighting a broad range of processes and techniques.

🌼Tanya Gomez - From years working on yachts, travelling the world and coastal living Tanya has absorbed the abstract qualities of colour and shape, particularly at sea, and uses this to inspire her art forms and evocative glazes.

🌼Sarah Went – Working in porcelain, Sarah is inspired by nature, often using the plants in her garden as inspiration to create repeated patterns, and in her choice of colour palette of soft blues, greens and yellows.

🌼Georgie Gardiner - Georgie is known for her distinctive paper resist decoration, a technique she has been developing for over 20 years, and makes her wheel-thrown vessel forms from her garden studio in the beautiful Surrey Hills.

🌼David Binns - David creates glazed vessel forms from solid blocks of porcelain or stoneware clay using woodworking chisels and blades to carve the clay into angular vessels with torn, textured detail, reminiscent of hewn rock formations.

🌼Jaeeun Kim - A Korean-born ceramic artist living in the UK, Jaeeun’s work is based on the art therapy concept of House-Tree-Person, connected to her own childhood memories.

🌼Kate Sampson – Inspired by the surroundings of her garden studio in the woodlands of rural Kent, Kate’s decorative technique involves layering fine brushwork with sgraffito and wax resist to produce a distinctive richness and depth.

👉Follow the link to view and shop the exhibition online: https://bit.ly/4v8SqWd
OR why not visit our Gallery here at Middleport Pottery to enjoy the pieces first-hand?

⏰Opening Times:
Tues-Fri (10am – 3pm)
Sat & Sun (11am – 3.30pm)
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16/06/2026

It's the last week of making for our full-time Diploma students ahead of their Graduate Showcase exhibition this July.

The studio has been overflowing with pots of all shapes and sizes ready for bisque firing.

Final glazing and finishing touches will be added after their much-deserved Reading Week in readiness for the opening weekend on 18th and 19th July, here at Middleport, Stoke.

Hope you can join us then!
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15/06/2026

*CLOSING SOON* Our current exhibition ‘Pots for Flowers’ closes on Sunday, 28 June - there’s still time to take home a truly beautiful piece of ceramic art from one of our six professional studio potters.

From Sarah Went’s hand carved porcelain to David Binns’ sculptural ikebana vases carved from solid clay, the show is full of technique, texture and storytelling.

Explore the vibrant colour palettes of Jaeeun Kim, the soft travel-inspired curves and textures of Tanya Gomez’s collection, the paper resist precision of Georgie Gardiner, and the richly decorative artistry of Kate Sampson.

So don’t miss your chance to discover your next favourite ceramics artist, or add to your own collection of unique studio pottery!

👉 All work is available to view and shop online https://bit.ly/443JXYl

📍Or why not visit us at our Gallery here at Middleport Pottery?

⏰ Gallery Opening Times:
Tues-Fri (10am – 3pm)
Sat & Sun (11am – 3.30pm)
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12/06/2026

Don't miss the chance to buy one of our full-time students' beautiful Ikebana vessels - available from our Gallery and online!

The students enjoyed a well-deserved break from their preparations for the forthcoming Graduate Showcase exhibition during a calming workshop led by ikebana specialist, Junko Popham, to create these one-of-a-kind vessels.

Perfect for ikebana arrangements, they can also be used as both decorative and functional pieces.

Your purchase directly supports our students and helps us continue offering exceptional teaching for new and returning makers of all abilities.

👉 Discover the full collection https://bit.ly/3Qd8GpZ
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10/06/2026

Clay College Graduate,Jessica Mason ,currently has her final exhibition in Mashiko, Japan which concludes the first Clay College residency there.

We would like to thank Mr Makoto and the whole team there for making this special exchange residency possible.

Clay College are delighted to be hosting a potter from Mashiko in 2027 as part of the exchange.

We will be organising a special exhibition of Jess’s output once she is back in the UK, and in 2027 a series of workshops and talks will be hosted as part of this new and exciting collaboration.
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09/06/2026

Did you know, our full‑time Diploma students’ Ikebana vessels are now available to purchase from our Gallery and online!

Each unique piece was created during a restorative workshop led by Junko Popham, giving our students a moment of balance and calm before diving back into preparations for their Graduate Showcase, opening here at our Gallery on 18 July.

Every purchase directly supports Clay College students — helping fund our full‑time course, public evening classes, and masterclasses.

Your support means we can continue offering the highest standards of teaching to both new learners and returning makers, nurturing the next generation of potters and hobbyists.

👉 Follow the link to discover all of the vessels available to buy: https://bit.ly/4dXYdrG
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07/06/2026

Our full-time Diploma students recently took part in a three-day plaster masterclass at Staffordshire University, with master plaster worker David Finney .

From making plaster moulds on a lathe, to making multi-part moulds for casting or press moulding, we covered a load of ground in the three days!

We are looking forward to hosting Staffs Uni MA ceramics students here at Clay College for a Salt Firing with as part of our ongoing exchange with
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06/06/2026

Don't forget to add our Graduate Showcase exhibition to your summer diary!

Our fabulous full-time Diploma students are pulling together their final collections ready to share with our fabulous followers and supporters here at Middleport Pottery Heritage site from 18th July to 6th September.

And our students will be on hand for the opening weekend to talk you through their work and give you an insight into what it's been like to study here at Clay College on our intense two year course.

Hope you can come and visit us!
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05/06/2026

Our students are in their last few weeks of making for their Graduate Show!

They're putting in hours of hard work to create what will be a spectacular graduate exhibition. All starting with the same materials, it is amazing to see how many different directions their work is taking!

Such a fabulous and creative group of emerging makers

Opening to the public at Middleport Pottery on 18th of July.
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02/06/2026

We've been so excited to share the beautiful work of professional studio potter, Jaeeun Kim, with our students and visitors here at Clay College in our latest exhibition, 'Pots for Flowers'.

Jaeeun is a Korean-born ceramic artist, now based in the UK. She works with porcelain and stoneware, creating small, functional vessels with hand-painted surfaces.

Her work is based on the art therapy concept of House-Tree-Person, connected to her own childhood memories.

Her work suggests quiet moments, movement, and a sense of returning.

“Through making, I layer emotions and traces onto simple forms, and the process becomes a way of understanding myself.”

👉 Follow the link to Jaeeun's collection to view and shop online: https://bit.ly/4v3LPvW

Why not visit our Gallery to view and shop our FREE exhibition?

⏰ Gallery Opening Times:
Tues-Fri(10am - 3pm)
Sat & Sun (11am - 3.30pm)
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Address

Middleport Pottery, Port Street, Middleport
Stoke-on-Trent
ST63PE

Website

http://www.claycollegestoke.co.uk/

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