Finnerty Ceramics Workshop
294 Church Road, Bristol, BS58AH
A teaching space, gallery and shop — a place dedicated to learning, making and celebrating craftsmanship.
Alongside Rebecca Finnerty’s pottery courses, we host artist-led workshops in small, intimate groups, allowing each maker’s creative practice to shape the experience. With a maximum of four participants per class, our workshops offer plenty of time for guidance, conversation and hands-on making.
Our programme is always evolving, with a range of creative workshops that extend beyond ceramics, alongside pop-up events, exhibitions and collaborations with local artists and small businesses. We hope this space becomes a welcoming creative hub where people can connect, learn new skills and discover the work of independent makers.
Everything in this space has been where possible thoughtfully made by people within our creative community. Owned by a local maker, hosting local makers. The key words for this space are collaboration and celebration of craftsmanship.
See our courses below. *FAQ at bottom of page.
Follow us on Instagram @finnertyceramicsworkshop to stay in the loop!
OUR COURSES
Join ceramicist and shop owner Rebecca Finnerty for a relaxed 2½-hour introduction to the pottery wheel. In this small-group throwing taster, Rebecca will guide you through the fundamentals of wheel throwing as you learn to centre clay and create your first simple pots, with plenty of individual guidance throughout.
Perfect for complete beginners- this hands-on workshop offers a fun and supportive introduction to the wheel.
The price includes glazing and firing of one of your favourite pieces, ready to collect approximately four weeks after the workshop.
Learn the foundations of wheel throwing in this intimate six-week course with Rebecca Finnerty - ceramicist and shop owner. Rebecca makes tableware for coffee shops & restaurants in Bristol and beyond. She is passionate about the art of wheel throwing & glaze chemistry.
Meeting on the same day and time each week, you'll be guided through step by step how to throw a pot on the wheel before having the opportunity to decorate your work with slip and/or glaze to create your own handmade ceramics.
Classes are limited to just four people, creating a relaxed and supportive environment where every student benefits from plenty of individual guidance and hands-on tuition.
This class is suited for complete beginners to people wanting to refine their throwing practice. With small groups of four, Rebecca can tailor her guidance.
You're welcome to keep as many pieces as you like. We kindly ask for a firing fee of £5 per kg for any work you'd like to fire. Your finished ceramics will be ready to collect from the shop approximately 2–4 weeks after the course has finished.
Week 1
Introduction to the pottery wheel, centring clay and making your first cylinders.
Week 2
Develop your throwing skills and making bowl
Week 3
Practice makes perfect - time on the wheel
Week 4
Refine your pieces, trim your work and pulling handles
Week 5
Surface decoration with coloured slips and finishing details
Week 6
Glazing your chosen pieces and preparing them for their final firing
Made of Earth: Handbuilding Through the Turning Year
This course is about exploring our connection to place and time through clay with local artist & potter Lucy Cheminais. This is a ceramic handbuilding course suitable for all skill levels from complete beginners to seasoned hobbyists.
Students will learn the traditional handbuilding techniques of pinching, coiling and slab-building while making vessels and decorative pieces inspired by the rhythms of the year. Inspired by local landscapes and foraged textures, each piece will carry a connection to the season in which it is made.
Along the way, we’ll briefly explore how found and natural materials, including wood ash, local clay and rocks gathered from the landscape can become part of the making process and offer a glimpse into traditional and sustainable approaches to ceramics. Students will leave not only with technical confidence, but with a deeper understanding of how pottery can connect us to the land, our ancestors and the traditions of everyday life.
The course consists of five sessions delivered over six weeks. During the first four sessions students will focus on handbuilding and developing their pieces. This is followed by a one-week break to allow time for bisque firing, before returning for the fifth session to glaze their work.
You're welcome to keep as many pieces as you like. We kindly ask for a firing fee of £5 per kg for any work you'd like to fire. Your finished ceramics will be ready to collect from the shop approximately 4 weeks after the course has finished.
Term one (September / October) themes: abundance, preservation, change, leaves, wood, Equinox / Mabon
Term two (November / December) themes: gratitude, feasting, evergreens, warmth, Samhain, Solstice / Yule
Term three (January / February) themes: the return of the sun and light, anticipation, mosses and lichens, Candlemas, Imbolc, The Quickening
Term four (February / March / April) themes: awakenings, new life, green shoots, preparation, regeneration, Equinox / Ostara
Term five (April / May) themes: shifting energy, growth, flora, fire and light, Beltane
Term six (June / July) themes: growth overflowing, heat, light, pausing, Solstice / Litha
Join Rebecca Enderby for a creative, hands-on jewellery-making course combining ceramic and basic silversmithing techniques. Across two sessions, you'll design and make your own ceramic pendants or earrings, creating unique wearable pieces from start to finish.
In the first session, you'll shape, texture and decorate your clay using a range of hand-building techniques, including slab building and pinching. There will be an option to paint your pieces using a variety of slips.
Your pieces will then be fired ready for the second session, where you'll learn basic silversmithing techniques to create silver or brass findings and assemble your finished jewellery.
Perfect for beginners, this relaxed course requires no previous experience. You'll leave with beautifully handcrafted jewellery that's completely unique and made by you.
This course takes place over two consecutive weeks on the same day and at the same time.
Due to the increasing cost of silver, each student will be given a set budget of material.
An extended version of the popular Clay Talisman Workshop By Amber where you’ll make your own sculptural art piece imbued with intention.
What participants will learn:
In this class you’ll experience a mindful approach to making, and learn hand-building techniques used to make a sculptural and functional ceramics.
We will use a variety of hand-building techniques, and the focus is on form. You will have over two hours of making, and lots of teaching support due to the small class size, so there is plenty of time to be ambitious. You don’t need any experience to attend, the key is in the intention.
The class includes a short guided meditation, intention setting exercises, discussion around talismans, and the majority of the time is for making your own sculptural talisman from Clay.
We creatively explore talismans: objects imbued with luck, intention, or magic. We’ll create our talismans inspired by the themes and intentions that come up in our session, or ideas and intentions you bring along. We’ll use a mixture of meditation, journaling, oracle cards, and looking at other examples of talisman artefacts for inspiration to find our own ideas and meanings.
About the teacher: Amber Bardell is an artist based in Bristol who works with painting and ceramics to create art inspired by the natural world. She also hosts sound bath meditations and finds inspiration in mindfulness, folk art, and using art for wellbeing.
Join artist Sarah Quinn for a day of lino printing, where you'll design, transfer and carve your own lino block before printing onto hand-sourced antique doilies and vintage handkerchiefs using a traditional hand press and specialist fabric inks.
You'll learn the techniques needed to create crisp, detailed prints on delicate textiles and leave with beautifully printed vintage pieces.
Students can either bring their own 8cmx8cm design or choose from a number of pre drawn designs. There will also be pre-carved blocks, if people would like to print a couple of different designs.
Please note that your printed textiles will still be wet at the end of the workshop, so you'll need to take them home to dry.
All materials are provided.
There will be a break for lunch.
Join Rebecca Enderby for this workshop on the fundamentals of wax carving and sculpting to make jewellery. You’ll explore both hard wax (ideal for signet rings) and soft wax (suited to sculptural and organic forms) - learning the tools and techniques to shape, refine, and detail your piece. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a finished wax piece which will be sent off to be cast in silver and ready to collect two to three weeks later. No prior experience needed but you are welcome to come with ideas!
Rebecca will finish and polish your pieces and they will be ready to collect from her studio on East Street or from Finnerty Ceramics on Church Road, or sent by post (extra cost).
All materials costs are included. A set weight of wax is part of the workshop price but if you want to make an extra big piece we’ll calculate the extra cost.
Join Scarlett of Plop Pottery for an introduction to the colourful world of Nerikomi and create your own unique patterned mug.
In this small-group workshop, you'll receive plenty of hands-on guidance as Scarlett demonstrates the fundamentals of Nerikomi and introduces a range of techniques for creating intricate patterns using coloured clay. You'll then design your own slab before constructing your mug, bringing your ideas to life step by step.
All coloured clay, tools, glazing and firing are included in the price, and your finished mug will be ready to collect once it has been fired and glazed.
Join nature artist Amber Bardell to learn their process of turning rocks and soils into watercolour paints.
What participants will learn:
In this class you’ll follow Amber’s steps of processing foraged natural pigments in to paint, taking home a set of watercolours and the recipe for making your own. We will also use our paints to do some observational paintings of seasonal plants.
This 3 hour workshop will give you an in depth exploration of natural mineral colour. During the session you will learn how to make your own watercolour paints using natural mineral pigments, and explore their unique qualities.
Our 3 hour class will be made up of a short artist talk about the process, and following the steps of choosing rocks for their qualities, grinding them down into a fine powder, and binding them in to paint. Each participant will get to try each step of the process, and together we will collaboratively make small pans of watercolour paint to demonstrate the whole process.
We will also have pre-made natural pigments colours made beforehand by Amber for you to choose for your own set, and explore during the painting portion of the class. We will use our paints to paint some observational paintings of seasonal flora and fauna.
Each participant will go home with a small natural paint set, a basic watercolour making recipe, and their paintings from the session.
Access requirements:
This workshop involves grinding down rocks by hand in a pestle and mortar, so needs a bit of physical strength to get us started. As we are a group, each member won’t need to work too hard.
This process creates airborne dust which we will manage with face masks and ventilation, but this does pose a risk. Please be aware that you attend at your own risk and this workshop is not recommended for anyone with compromised respiratory systems.
About the teacher: Amber Bardell is an artist based in Bristol who works with painting and ceramics to create art inspired by the natural world. She also hosts sound bath meditations and finds inspiration in mindfulness, folk art, and using art for wellbeing.
Please contact Amber for any queries or access requirements at Amber.gwak@gmail.com
Join Scarlett of Plop Pottery to create your own Nerikomi butter dish, perfectly sized to fit a standard block of butter.
In this small-group workshop, you'll be introduced to the basics of Nerikomi through a demonstration of creating striped patterns and working with coloured clay. Using slab-building techniques, you'll design your patterned clay before constructing both the lid and base of your butter dish, with plenty of hands-on guidance throughout.
All coloured clay, tools, glazing and firing are included in the price, and your finished butter dish will be ready to collect once it has been fired and glazed.
This workshop will take place on Sunday 11th October 10:30-1pm
“Collaboration and celebration of craftsmanship are the key words for our space”
Rebecca Finnerty - Owner 
Get In Touch
Questions about our space, courses or workshops? Interested in hiring the space or hosting your own event or workshop? Get in touch and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Please read our FAQ below before emailing :)
Frequently Asked Questions
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As a small independent business, every booking makes a real difference. If you need to cancel, please let us know at least 10 days before your workshop or course begins. We'll happily offer a full refund or transfer your booking to another available date.
Unfortunately, we can't offer refunds or transfers for cancellations made within 10 days, as it's often difficult to fill spaces at short notice. However, if we're able to fill your place, we'll happily issue you a full refund.
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We are not functioning as a traditional retail store as our primary use of this lovely space is to host workshops & courses run by fellow artists/makers.
The shop will be open when there are workshops running and also when we are hosting a pop up event during the day or evening.
If you are interested in buying work spotted at the shop please check out the Store section of this website or email me using the form above.
Please check our Instagram @finnertyceramicworkshop or sign up to our mailing list to stay in the loop regarding events.
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We plan on hosting a variety of pop up events throughout the year in collaboration with other small business and fellow artists.
This includes coffee tastings, food & drink events, exhibitions & markets.
Please check our Instagram page @finnertyceramicsworkshop or sign up to my mailing list to stay in the loop!
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Unfortunately due to the size of our little shop, we cannot facilitate drop in sessions outside of courses or wheel hire/membership schemes.
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Our space & courses are designed for adults - however accommodations can be made. We do welcome family groups to come to a workshop or course with us!
Age 10+ can attend as long as a parent / guardian is also booked onto the course with them.
We also ask that you email before booking to let us know.
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We do offer private sessions for up to 4 people in any of the workshops and depending on the availability of the artist/maker.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you see a workshop is full and we can try to work something out for you.
Due to the size of the space we cannot accomodate more than four in a group but we are a lovely space for a family session, friends or date night!