Raku Workshop – 7th September 2025

One of our favourite Raku workshops is when lovely Jane brings her pottery class to experience Raku. Unlike with our taster sessions, where we provide the pots, our workshops revolve around students brining their own creations to be decorated, glazed and fired. We had a two last minute cancellations, so only had 5 on the class with two of them being new to RakuMania.

Introductions were very quick as everyone knew each other but the customary cuppa tea went down well. The fun part of the day is seeing what everyone has made and bought along. The students unpacked all their creations onto the tables – we had some Welsh ladies, sheep, seals, puffin, fox, robins, cat, a giant mushroom, and lovely big vase.  A couple of the students had already glazed a few of their items but most needed our glazes and suggestions.

Karen showed the class the various styles of Raku we do, and this gave the students some ideas about glazed finishes, naked Raku and horse hair / feather. As most of the creations made by the students are hand built and not necessarily burnished, we give each of the student one of the RakuMania pots so they can try either naked or the horse hair technique. Karen (aka the burnishing queen) makes sure all the pots the students get as part of their course fees have been burnished well enough to get a fabulous shiny finish on them when cleaned off and waxed.  

One of the students also wanted to refire and get more copper on one of the pots she did last time she was with us – Adrian (aka the kiln god) was happy to see what he could do and did not disappoint.

We say for the Workshops, the students can bring about 6 to 8 items for firing, but they need to be no wider than 15cm and taller than 20cm. Due to the number of items to be fired, we started the first firing before lunch and by the end of the day had done 5 very full firings with one of those for horse hair / feather pots. Karen taught the students how to seal and polish the pots which did not have glaze on, and the students were reminded that Raku is not for functional ware and without a sealer, is porous. We still recommend that due care is taken if using a Raku pot as a vase, even with the sealer we use.

We finished around 5pm and all the students went home happy with their eclectic pots. It was a fabulous group of ladies and a thoroughly enjoyable day. Welcome back any time……

Student feedback

JF – I can’t explain what a fantastic experience this is! Just love my creations

RG – What a fantastic day! Absolutely loved it and will definitely be coming back. Thank you for a great day x

CR – Another fabulous day! Thank you so much

DO – A magical day of discovery! Totally unexpected results

ATD – Top day as usual. Would recommend to anyone