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 (£100) 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 a full months notice must be given otherwise the next months fee will be payable.
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, reclaim and clay etc must fit within the shelf space allocated to your membership. Please do not leave glaze and or other items in the studio.
Please bear this in mind before committing to a membership.
There are weekly rollovers for both Bronze and silver memberships so if you are not able to make it into the studio one week that month you can use up your time within the month.
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. This however is not set in stone so if you need help it is best to email the pottery in the first instance.Studio Access
Membership does not include unlimited studio access. Studio time must be used during available membership sessions and booked in advance.
As this is a working studio, there will be times when the studio is being used by the owner or for classes. Members are not able to use the studio during class times.
However, we keep classes to a minimum so that members have a good range of opportunities to book studio time throughout the week.
Available studio times:
Monday: 9-6pm
Tuesday: 9-6pm
Wednesday: No access
Thursday: 9-6pm
Friday: 9-9pm
Saturday: 9-9pm (2nd Saturday of the month no access unitl 13:00 and last Saturday of the month no access from 12 midday)
Sunday: 9-9pm
We occasionally run weekend masterclasses but these are infrequant events and we will give you at least a months notice.
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 3 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.
We use B17c at the studio or Draycott white stonware clay. Please do not bring any other clay into the studio.
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