Open Studio Drop In - Terms and Conditions

Open studio participants must be able to work independently and safely without supervision in the studio. If unsure of equipment, materials or procedures please check with a member of staff.

 

Non-attendance:

In the event of non-attendance or arriving late to classes it is not possible to provide alternative studio time, or for a class to be rescheduled. 

​Refunds:

Refunds will only be issued up to 7 days before your open studio session. After this period, if you cannot make the session your payment will be retained but you can reschedule up to 24 hours before the session. 

 

Storage

Work that is thrown will now need the date to be added to the ‘Post It’ along with your name that you would usually put with your work. This means that work in the tubs can be tracked by date – if work is still in the tubs after a month and we haven’t heard from you asking for longer, it will be recycled.

Bisque fired pieces will now go on to a shelf with the month they are fired labelled on. Once 3 months have passed the whole shelf will be emptied and any work not glazed will be disposed of. We will send out an email near to the time to remind you!

Lastly glazed pieces will need to be collected within a month or they will be removed and disposed of – again do let us know if this is an issue and we can possibly store for longer if necessary. 

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Clay / glaze / firing costs:

Clay is charged at £3.50 per 3kg and reclaim clay if available - is charged at £2 per 3kg. Please see a staff member at the beginning of your session to pay for clay and we advise you weight the full 3kg to then section up as you would like during the session. We are unable to store clay in the studio for individuals and clay used at drop ins must be purchased and not brought in from home. Handles/lugs for trimming and other small pieces of clay for trimming stage will not be charged for.

Firing fees are applicable to bisque ware which must be weighed and then added to the book in the drop in area (one page per person to include name/signature on pots/weights/description of pots for us to identify). This is priced at £5 per 500g. Firing fees must be paid in advance of the glaze firing. Please bring the book to us to complete payment and we will stamp to acknowledge receipt.

Finally, if glazed work causes significant damage to the kiln shelf, a sticker notifying you will be put onto your work with a charge for the damage – please do check with us before firing to avoid this where possible!

We cannot guarantee that work won’t be damaged in the kiln or not survive a firing. If it is deemed a studio issue we will cover the cost, but if it is a personal choice not to keep after bisque firing or is a build fault, you will still be required to pay firing fees.

 

Ceramics from out of the studio

If you would like to buy clay from the studio, please prearrange this to ensure we have enough available as, if we have low supplies, we will wait until a new order has been placed which is usually once a month.

We have also had to make the decision that any work that is taken out of the studio or made at home will not be able to re-enter the drop in system. This is due to it becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to track when pieces are part made in the studio or glazed at home etc. Therefore, anything that has been taken or made at home, that you would like fired, will need to be booked in for firing by emailing us and arranging dropping it in to the studio. Work must be ready to fire when dropped off at the studio. The firing will be charged either per kiln shelf or for an entire kiln firing. Work must be collected within 3 days of the firing taking place again due to limited space for storing fired pieces. Please see below for kiln shelf firing fees – these are the same for bisque or glaze firings, but bisque can be stacked if kept below the height stated.

 

Half Kiln Shelf (up to 11cm high) = £15 (bisque only)

Kiln shelf, (up to 11cm high) = £30

Kiln Shelf, work over 11cm high/wide = £60

Whole kiln firing = £125

Kiln shelf width = 67cm diameter
Whole Kiln = 67cm diameter, 60cm max height

This cost includes us loading / unloading and advising of any issues. Ideally bring your work in a box/crate for storage. 

Please note this now means you cannot make ceramics at home and use drop-in sessions to glaze – this just isn’t sustainable for us and drop ins are priced to account for the whole making process. Pieces made and bisque fired in the studio can be taken home to glaze once firing fees are paid but will need to be booked in and a kiln hire fee paid for the final glaze firing. Any glazes applied at home will need to be approved by the studio manager before firing and ideally a test tile fired to check compatibility with our firing temps.

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Health & Safety

It is important that everyone respects all Health & Safety regulations, Claire's House staff and local residents. 

Main points:

• Claire's House cannot be held responsible for any injuries caused through the misuse of the studio or equipment.

• Claire's House will not be held responsible for any illnesses or infections. You are responsible for your own personal hygiene.

• Classes are for over 18's only unless clearly specified.

• Please familiarise yourself with our evacuation procedure, our fire assembly point is opposite the shop on the corner of Hatter Street and Churchgate Street.

• If you are unsure of anything regarding Health & Safety, please ask your teacher or a member of staff at the beginning of the course or via email before the start date.

• Claire's House is not responsible for any damage caused to work and is not responsible for any work, belongings or money going missing or getting stolen.

We reserve the right to suspend or cancel any person’s studio attendance if any of the above points are not respected.

Please note: if you have a disability or injury, you should make the studio manager aware of this prior to attending the studio so that we can ensure we make appropriate adjustments in the interest of your safety.

​Participants will use the Studio at their own risk with awareness of the inherent hazards of a studio environment, which include but are not limited to use of sharp tools and sharp edges, exposure to toxic materials, the dangers of using materials and equipment at high temperatures, and the risks associate with breathing silica dust. Long hair should be tied back when throwing and ideally fully enclosed shoes should be worn at all times.

Students must comply with all health and safety instructions given by Claire's House staff at all times.

Each participant is required to keep all surfaces clean of clay and glaze and to clean all areas including the floor around their workstation thoroughly before completing their session. This is to minimise the risks to members and staff caused by breathing clay and glaze dusts. This also includes communal areas used for wedging clay/hand building or preparing handles etc.

We discourage eating in the studio, if you do, please use the front part away from the wheels/clay/glaze. Any drinks/food containers need to be cleared away. Smoking/vaping is forbidden in the building.

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Cleaning Essentials

All students are required to spend at least 10 minutes cleaning the studio at the close of each session. Clay and glaze dusts are toxic and must not be left anywhere in the studio. 

Work areas should be left cleaner or as clean as when the member began working. Please ensure all tools and equipment are placed back where you found them and not stacked by the sink.

Participants are required to comply with the studio’s cleaning system for cleaning equipment for the use of clay and glazes as well as hand washing. This means clay removal must be in the designated sink where the clay trap is fitted and not elsewhere. Glaze washing should be done in the green bucket by the sink and any other washing up/liquids should go down the toilet sink.