Altar Pottery

Name: Altar Pottery
Address: 68 Upper Hill Street, Liverpool, L8 1YR, GB
Telephone: +44 727606002
Price range: From £85

LiverpoolAges 14+

Courtesy of Altar Pottery

BEST FOR

Ages 14+

ENTRY

from £85

WHERE

Liverpool

What it’s like

Wheel-thrown pottery workshops for adults and teens 14+, learning to throw clay through three set challenges over one session.

This is a proper introduction to the potter's wheel, not a paint-a-mug session. You work through three creative challenges with a facilitator on hand, and the group's kept small, five participants at most, so you actually get shown what your hands are doing wrong rather than left to guess. Aprons, materials and tools are all supplied.

It's not for absolute beginners looking for a quick drop-in either, or rather, it is for beginners, but everyone starts at the same introductory level and has to work through Level 1 and Level 2 before regular classes open up. That's a bit of a commitment if you just fancied an evening out, but it means nobody's thrown in at the deep end without instruction. The workshop itself runs at £85, which is a serious spend for one evening, though the skill you walk away with is the real payoff, not a takeaway trinket.

Under-18s aren't generally admitted, but 14 to 17 year olds can attend the introductory workshop alongside an adult family member, and there's a separate private option for children 12 and up with a parent present. Long hair needs tying back, jewellery comes off, and food and drink stay outside the studio, small rules but worth knowing before you go in wearing your favourite dangly earrings.

Patience is genuinely part of the process here. Your piece needs to dry, then gets fired, glazed and fired again, and the whole cycle can take four to five weeks before you see the finished thing. Regular class work is kept for 60 days and weekend workshop pieces for nine weeks, after that they take no responsibility for anything uncollected.

Facilities

Booking required

Need to know

Best for: Teens 14+ with an adult, though it's really built for adults
Parties: Birthday parties, hen dos and group events available, tailored to your group

Long hair tied back and jewellery off before you start, and no food or drink in the studio
You can't skip to regular classes, everyone works through Introductory, Level 1 and Level 2 first
Gift vouchers last 12 months if you're buying for someone else
Uncollected work isn't kept forever: 60 days for regular classes, 9 weeks for weekend workshops

Plan your visit

How much does a workshop cost?

£85 for a session. It's the same introductory format everyone starts with, regardless of experience.

Can teenagers come along?

14 to 17 year olds can join the introductory workshop with an adult family member. There's also a separate private workshop option for children from age 12, with a parent present.