Can I do classes?
Turning Earth holds regular classes. You can sign up for a 12-week course for £470.
What kind of technical support will I get?
There's always a technician on site to advise members on how to use the equipment, and on the best way to carry out a project. This isn’t structured teaching, as such, but if you want advice on technique they’ll be happy to make suggestions.
If you are a bit rusty, don’t worry, you are not on your own!If you would like private tuition to learn a new process then you can get discounted tuition from Turning Earth teachers and technicians. This costs £27 an hour for one person or £40 an hour for two people.
Glazes are ready-mixed by our staff with test tiles so you can see how they will look on different clay bodies. Our studio assistants are on hand to pack the kilns, so you don’t need to worry about that. See facilities for more information.
Can I buy a membership for someone else?
Yes! Turning Earth membership and classes could make a great gift. Please just let us know the name of the user when you make the payment.
Can anyone sign up?
Yes, anyone can sign up, as long as they are responsible in the studio. If you are a complete beginner, we recommend you take an introductory class, but after that, you are welcome to become a member and keep practicing at your own pace. There’ll be people on hand to help you. Everyone has to start somewhere and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll improve.
Turning Earth membership is for people aged 16 and above. We cannot have younger children in the studio due to the dangers inherent in raw glaze chemicals, sharp tools, and electrical equipment.
Turning Earth is not set up to accommodate full-time potters in the studio. Having one or more production potters in the studio would tie up our equipment and make it difficult for others to have access. We want to make sure that facilities are always available for our members whenever they choose to visit.
With excellent facilities and knowledgeable technicians, having Turning Earth membership is like having access to a college studio, but without the steep fees or the obligation to follow a course or do paperwork.
Whether you’re looking to master your craft, or just put your hands in some clay and make something, Turning Earth will allow you to work at a pace that suits you. Come whenever suits you, whether your free time is on a Sunday afternoon, or a Thursday lunchtime, or if it changes from week to week.
What’s included?
Membership includes open studio, use of equipment, tools, and glazes, and up to 30 litres per month of standard temperature firing. Each member gets their own storage shelf (approx 90x45x45cm).
Why a whole month?
Turning Earth offers monthly membership instead of hourly or daily rates because every piece you make goes through several steps and takes weeks to complete. With studio membership, you are given your own personal storage areas on-site to store your clay and work-in-progress between visits.
I’m a beginner. Is membership for me?
Turning Earth membership is for everyone—inquisitive beginners, off and on hobbyists, and experienced artists. There’ll always be someone on hand in the studio to teach you the basics or answer more advanced questions. But if you’d rather have something a little more structured, we have classes as well.
What else do I buy?
Clay is available for purchase at a discounted price. We also have basic tool kits and throwing bats available. If you want to add additional storage space, this can be bought for a small monthly add-on fee.
Why is there a limit on hours?
Turning Earth is set up for part-time use. This is how we keep costs down for everyone, because this way we can all get the cost benefits of hot-desking and equipment sharing. If we had full-time potters in the space it would tie up the facilities and it would give less value to our part-time members. For this reason, the maximum time a member can use in a week is 15 hours.
We don’t expect that all our members will want to use the studio as much as this. But even if you used it for less than half of that time, you still get great value from Turning Earth. If you come for 5 hours a week, for example, £185 a month still works out at around £9 an hour, compared to the £12 an hour of limited access you would get at other studios.
What happens if it gets really busy?
Our experience is that the equipment provided is plenty for the number of members, as people tend to come and go organically and use the studio at different times. However, on the rare occasion that all of our wheels are in use at a certain time, it would be useful if you could limit your use of that process to 3 hours. If this ever becomes an issue we'll purchase more wheels, but you’ll really help us out by being aware of it and being flexible.
Private Tuition
Private tuition is available at the studio, but only for our members. As overheads are covered by the cost of the membership, this is offered at the significantly discounted rate of £27 an hour (compared to £40 market rate). Or for two people for a shared class, the price is £40 an hour (£20 each).
You can approach any of our staff members to enquire about private tuition. They each have different specialisms, so you will probably benefit from reading about their interests before deciding who is best to work with. Please note, our staff can only teach you at a time when they are not 'on duty' as a Technician or Teacher.
You can contact any of our staff members through the Our Team page.
Can non-members use the studio?
Unfortunately we are currently at capacity and so we cannot accommodate firing requests or short term visits from non-members.
I'm a professional artist, can I use the studio?
While we are proud of the development of many of our makers into professional artists, Turning Earth is principally set up for hobbyist, and cannot accommodate professional makers depending on their work for income. There will come a time when it is frustrating for you not to be able to handle your work at all stages and to mix glazes and do your firing for yourself, and where you must make at a volume and on a timeline that our team cannot process efficiently. When you reach this stage you can apply to be part of our In Production studio, in nearby Leyton. The In Production studio is a co-work space for professional and aspiring professional ceramic artists. There, you will be assisted to fill the gaps in your knowledge of firing and glazing, you will have your own key, and you can come and go as you like. Please see the In Production website when you are ready to make the transition.
