More beauties at the bottom of the newsletter
Kia ora koutou
Can you believe it's nearly November? The end of the year is sneaking up on us fast, so this week's issue is all about getting your diary sorted: our Christmas party, the end-of-year working bee, firing deadlines if you want your pots home for Christmas, and a first look at Term 1 2027.
A big thank you to this week's PWC and Members' Open Studio volunteers: Tim Edwards, Ginny Lane, Alexis Waine, Margaret Raine and Yasmin Davis — we couldn't run these sessions without you, we love you very, very much 🤗
Next weekend it's our big OPEN DAY! Read more below...
And always, check the online studio calendar before you head in.
The Big Day of Clay is next Saturday!
Our Open Day is almost here! The Big Day of Clay is on Saturday 7 November, 10am–2pm, and it's our chance to throw the doors open, show the community what we get up to, and welcome some new faces into the clay whānau.
There'll be a slippery dip, paint a pot, have a go on the wheel, raku firings, pinch pots, raffles and pottery sales, with all activities just $2 each. We'll glaze and fire everything visitors make, ready to collect three weeks later. So bring your friends and whānau along too!
We still need helpers, especially in the afternoon. We're a bit light on volunteers at the moment, so if you can lend a hand, even for an hour or so, we would be ever so grateful. You don't need to be an expert, just a friendly face who's happy to welcome visitors, help with the have-a-go activities or pitch in where needed. Sign up here, or on the register in the studio. Thank you xxx
Term 4B classes: starting soon
There's still time to squeeze in some clay before the end of the year. These two classes start in the second half of Term 4...
Fire, Smoke & Feathers: Alternative Raku
Starts Friday 13 November | 6pm–9pm | 4 weeks
There's nothing quite like pulling a glowing pot out of the kiln! Over four Friday nights, David will take you through three alternative raku techniques: naked raku, horsehair & feathers, obvara and copper matt, each with its own drama and one-of-a-kind results. All levels welcome, no experience necessary. This class is limited to just 8 students, so book early!
Find more info and enrol here
Sunday Wheel Throwing Taster
Starts Sunday 22 November | 10am–1pm | 4 weeks
Perfect for complete beginners wanting to give wheel throwing a go before committing to a longer course.
Find more info and enrol here.
Save the dates!
WSP Christmas Party: Tuesday 15 December, 5.30pm It's our favourite night of the year! Bring a plate of kai to share and your own drinks, and get ready for our usual (cut-throat) stealing Secret Santa game. Heads up: there's no Tuesday night Play With Clay that night, we're partying instead.
End of Year Working Bee: Friday 18 December, 10am–4pm Many hands make light work! We'll be giving the studio a good end-of-year spruce-up before we close for the break. Come for an hour or stay all day, every bit helps. Look out for the sign-up sheets in the studio and online. The studio won't be open for potting that day, but you can still pick up and drop off. It's your last chance to do so before the break!
Summer closure: Friday 18 December, 4pm, to Monday 11 January We close for the summer break at 4pm on Friday 18 December and reopen on Monday 11 January 2027. Make sure you've collected everything you need before we close, and we'll see you in the new year!
End-of-year firing deadlines
Want your finished pieces home before we close at 4pm on Friday 18 December? Here's what we recommend:
Bisque pieces in for firing by Monday 30 November
Glazed pieces in for firing by Monday 7 December
We'll still happily accept pieces after these dates, and we'll keep firing right up until we close, but we can't guarantee you'll get them back this year.
We're still waiting on the replacement element for Kiln 5, so we're still unable to take private kiln bookings, sorry! We know this is stressful, especially for our commercial and high-volume potters, but it's necessary for now so we can keep the work on the shelves flowing through the kilns. We really appreciate your patience, and we'll let you know as soon as we have news.
New class prices from Term 1 2027
We're sorry to be the bearers of not-so-fun news, but to keep up with rising costs, our class prices will be going up from Term 1 2027. Our prices haven't changed since Term 4 2023, and in that time just about everything else has: power, gas, water, insurance, glaze materials, consumables and all the bits and pieces that keep the studio humming. The new prices will be:
8 week classes:
Member $270
Non-member $300
4-week classes
Member $170
Non-member $200
We didn't pluck these numbers out of thin air! We looked closely at what it actually costs to run each class, and compared our prices with pottery groups around the country, like for like (clay and firing charged separately):
Our 8-week classes will work out at about $11–$13 an hour, right alongside Auckland Studio Potters ($11–$12 an hour), the closest match to us in the country.
Mt Pleasant Pottery Group in Christchurch sits at about $12–$14 an hour, and Craft Potters in Nelson at $20–$23 an hour.
So we've kept it deliberately modest. As a not-for-profit society, we're not here to make a fortune, just to make sure classes cover their costs so we can keep the studio open, the kilns firing and our tutors paid fairly for years to come. Thank you so much for your understanding and support, it really does mean the world to us.
Term 1 2027 classes: coming soon!
Get in early for the new year! Our Term 1 2027 classes go live for enrolments at 9am on Monday 7 December, and the term starts the week of 1 February 2027. Classes do fill fast, so pop a reminder in your phone. We'll share the full class line-up in an upcoming newsletter.
Raku firing
Our next WSP raku firing is on Saturday 28 November, running alongside Saturday Play with Clay, and it's open to members and non-members. Come and get up close to a firing that's all flames, sparks and smoke, with breathtaking (and wonderfully unpredictable) results!
Bring your bisqueware, glazed with raku-labelled glazes
Firing is charged per piece, based on size (for example, about $5.90 for a 10cm x 10cm piece), plus the usual studio use fee
First time? Please read the event details before you come along
Booking is much appreciated so we can get everything ready. Find more info and register here.
That's is for another week - we'll leave you with these beauties and cuties we spotted on the shelves...
