Clay Flowers Workshop with County Hall Arts resident artist Yasemin Gava

£40.00

3 May 2026 (16:00–18:00)
4 May 2026 (15:00–17:00)

 

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Description

Clay Flowers Workshop with Yasemin Gava 

County Hall Pottery, London

Dates: 3 May (16:00–18:00) or 4 May (15:00–17:00)
Price: £40 per person
Capacity: 12 participants per session

Join County Hall Arts resident artist Yasemin Gava for a hands-on workshop exploring handbuilding techniques in stoneware. Participants will create individual clay flowers that form part of a larger collaborative installation, combining technical skill with creative reflection. The session encourages exploration of form, surface, and personal meaning, making it suitable for all levels.

Participants will learn how to shape, assemble, and stabilize clay forms, while experimenting with coloured slip as a surface treatment. Emphasis is placed on process, encouraging reflection on themes of change, growth, and transformation as expressed through clay. Conversation and shared making are central to the session, fostering a collective creative experience.

After the workshop, Yasemin will fire the flowers and mount them on slender metal stems to create a temporary installation within County Hall. The installation will remain unseen until the start of the Summer Festival as part of the Four Seasons programme.

Course Overview

This workshop focuses on handbuilding small-scale forms in stoneware and using colour slip to explore surface treatment. Participants are encouraged to experiment with structure, thickness, and stability while reflecting on how ceramics can convey personal and collective ideas. Learning takes place through making, with emphasis on process, experimentation, and collaborative engagement.

What You Can Expect

Session Content

  • Introduction to handbuilding techniques for small-scale clay flowers
  • Guidance on form, structure, and stability
  • Surface decoration using coloured slip
  • Group discussion and reflection on themes of change and transformation
  • Hands-on making with attention to individual and collective contribution

What You Will Learn

  • Basic and advanced handbuilding techniques in stoneware
  • Approaches to structure, thickness, and stability in small-scale forms
  • Use of coloured slip as a surface treatment
  • Collaborative making and creative reflection on thematic ideas

What You Will Take Away

  • Practical experience of handbuilding and surface application
  • A deeper understanding of clay behaviour through process
  • A contribution to a collective installation piece
  • Opportunity to collect individual flowers after the exhibition period

About the Teacher

Yasemin Gava is County Hall Arts’ resident artist, working across ceramics and painting. Her practice focuses on process-driven experimentation and collaborative making. In this workshop, she guides participants in combining individual creativity into a collective installation, exploring both technical and conceptual aspects of ceramic art.

Key Information / Practical Details

Dates & Times:

  • 3 May: 16:00–18:00 or 4 May: 15:00–17:00

Location: County Hall Pottery, Belvedere Road, London
Level: Open to all levels
Clay Type: Stoneware
Class Size: Maximum 12 participants
Materials: All tools and materials provided

All classes will take place in our pottery studio at:  County Hall Pottery, Belvedere Road, Waterloo, SE1 7PB.

A welcome email with further instructions about what to expect before your class is sent around a week before your class commences. This email will be sent to the email provided at booking.

Your instructor will meet you in the foyer of the main entrance to County Hall Pottery on Belvedere Road – you’ll know you’re in the right place if you’re standing on the beautiful mosaic floor! They will take you through to our studio space. If you are running late, please call the studio phone when you arrive as you will need to be escorted.

Please feel free to bring a sketchbook or notepad along to make notes during your workshop.

We really hope that you enjoy your workshop with us!

If you have any questions, please see our frequently asked questions page here or contact us at gallery@countyhallpottery.com.linux136.unoeuro-server.com.

Collection of Artwork
Your work will usually be ready for collection within 6 weeks, but times may vary depending on firing schedules. You will be notified by email when your pieces are ready for you to pick up from our gallery.

Shipping

You can arrange for your artwork to be delivered to you (for an additional fee) within one month of the original pick up email being sent out. If your pieces have not been collected or sent within this time-frame, then we regret that we will have to give them away to our local community, as we are limited on shelf space. While we follow best practices to protect all ceramic pieces during packaging, we cannot guarantee that damage will not occur in transit. Once your item leaves our gallery, we are not responsible for any breakage or loss that may happen during shipping.

In-person pickup is highly recommended for delicate or sentimental pieces.

Clay Allocation

A set amount of clay is included in the courses. Two kilograms of clay is included in a 3-hour class. Ten kilograms of dry clay work is included in a 6-week course. Additional clay is available to purchase at a cost of £2.50 per 500g of dry work. Work is weighed before the first firing.

Rescheduling, Cancellation And Refund Policy

* For one-day courses, when given 10 or more days’ notice we can either reschedule, refund or generate a gift code for rebooking your class.
* For one-day courses, when given 9 days or less notice for a cancellation for any reason, we regrettably are unable to reschedule or provide a refund. There are no exemptions. However, you can transfer your place to another individual. Please send us their name in advance.
* For courses longer than one-day, we regret we will not be able to replace or rearrange missed sessions. Please do not ask us to make exceptions.
* We can only accept one named individual to attend sessions for the duration of a course, individuals cannot transfer their place for any of their sessions.
* Gift Cards are non-refundable
* When an instructor is unable to teach a one-day class, for example due to illness, we will do our best to find an alternative. If that is not possible, you will receive a full refund. Notice of this will be given as soon as possible.
* If a teacher is unable to cover a session on a 6-week course, the session will be covered by an alternative and the class will continue as usual. Notice of this will be given as soon as possible.

Health And Safety Policy

* Pottery is a messy business, so it is advised that you wear clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty. We provide aprons but you are welcome to bring your own.
* Please don’t wear loose clothing or jewellery that might catch and tie up long hair.
* Closed-toe shoes are preferable
* There is no eating inside the studio. Drinking is only permitted from a closed-top vessel. There is a kitchenette that adjoins the studio where eating and drinking are allowed.
* Please let us know if you have any allergies, health or accessibility requirements in good time before the class, by emailing gallery@countyhallpottery.com.linux136.unoeuro-server.com
* We aim to educate and inspire through fun workshops. In order for all participants to enjoy our classes, we retain the right to ask individuals to leave if their conduct is deemed unsafe or offensive.

Arrival And Lateness 

* Due to our studio’s location in an historic building, please get in touch before the day of your class if you have any accessibility requirements at gallery@countyhallpottery.com.linux136.unoeuro-server.com
* You will need to meet your instructor at the main entrance of County Hall on Belvedere Road as the journey through the building to our studio is not straightforward! The class will gather in the foyer – you’ll know you’re in the right place if you’re standing on a beautiful mosaic floor! – and you will then be shown to our studio.
* If you are running late and the class has already left the foyer, a member of security will escort you to the studio. This may take some time – so please arrive early. You can enjoy our Gallery space while you wait!

Facilities

* Drinking water is provided in the studio, however if you require more sustenance throughout the class please feel free to bring items along.
* Our studio has a small kitchenette you can make use of and there is an array of cafes, restaurants and shops both within County Hall and the surrounding streets.
* Our gallery has a courtyard with tables and chairs that are free to use within gallery opening hours
* Toilets are available for use and adjoin the studio space

Additional information

Day

3 May (16:00–18:00), 4 May (15:00–17:00)