Studio Memberships

We’re really excited to now be offering studio memberships at The Pottery Chew Valley. Having been open for over a year, we’ve seen many students grow in confidence and skill, and we’re pleased to be able to offer the next step for those who are ready to work more independently.

Studio memberships are for people who are generally confident working without a teacher and able to develop their own projects independently. Occasional questions are always welcome, and some studio sessions are supported by a technician, but members should feel comfortable managing their own making most of the time.
In the future, there will be the option to book onto holiday masterclasses, so if you’re feeling under-confident with a particular skill, such as wheel throwing, you’ll be able to continue developing your skills by attending one of these workshops.

Is membership right for you?

Studio membership may be a good fit if you:

• Have completed at least one full course at The Pottery Chew Valley

• Are generally confident working independently without a tutor

• Are happy sharing space and equipment with others

• Can work within allocated studio time and shelf space

If you are still looking for regular teaching or close guidance, one of our taught courses may be more suitable

Membership start dates, payments and notice

Studio memberships will begin from 23 February 2026.

You must have attended an induction and signed an agreement form before membership begins.

At the time of booking, a one-month deposit (equivalent to one month’s membership fee) is required, along with payment for the first month of membership.

The minimum membership term is three months. After this period, one month’s notice is required to end a membership, and notice must be given before the 23rd of the month.

The deposit will be returned at the end of the membership, once your studio space has been cleared and cleaned, and any outstanding payments have been settled.

Important information about membership

Studio memberships are available to people who have completed at least one full course at The Pottery Chew Valley and who have been assessed as competent to work independently.

We are not able to accept production potters due to limited space.

All work made must fit within the shelf space allocated to your membership. Please bear this in mind before committing to a membership.

There are weekly rollovers for Bronze memberships.

Inductions

An induction is required before a membership can begin.

Inductions take approximately 2 hours and include signing a membership agreement.

• Induction fee: £50 (payable on the day)

Book your induction today

Some studio sessions are supported by a technician, generally between 11am–4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

If you feel you may need support with a project, it is best to attend during one of these sessions.

Membership Levels

Bronze Membership

£100 per month

Bronze membership is intended for members who want limited weekly studio access.

As a Bronze member, you can book:

• One 2.5-hour session per week (four sessions per month)

Additional sessions can be booked online on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Pay-as-you-go sessions cannot be changed once booked, so please ensure you are able to attend at the time selected, as spaces are limited.

Bronze monthly membership includes:

• Use of pottery wheels and shared studio equipment

• Use of red dot studio glazes

• Standard allocated shelf space

• 1/2 bisque kiln shelf firing

• 1/2 glaze kiln shelf firing

• Equates to 3 smaller items and 1 larger item or 4 smaller items (smaller items are classed as mugs)

Clay is bought separately

Silver Membership

£150 per month

Silver membership is designed for members who want more regular access and fuller use of the studio facilities.

As a Silver member, you can book up to 7.5 hours of studio time per week.

Silver membership includes

• 7.5 hours studio time weekly which can be rolled but must be used within the month

• Increased allocated shelf space

• Use of pottery wheels, slip casting equipment and shared studio equipment

• Use of red dot studio glazes

  1 bisque kiln shelf firing

• 1 glaze kiln shelf firing

• Equates to 6 smaller items and 1 larger item or 8 smaller items (smaller items are classed as mugs)

  Clay is bought separately