SET is a contemporary arts organisation and registered charity that transforms vacant buildings across London into spaces for eclectic, experimental culture, collective making, and community.

Founded by three artists in 2016, SET has grown into a series of city-wide centres, shaped and sustained by the communities who inhabit them. Everyone who contributes to SET – Associate Studio Members, the team, local artists and residents – is part of what SET is and does.

SET Ceramics is a community ceramics studio in a former Key Cutters and Cobblers, and part of the contemporary arts organisation and registered charity, SET. It is located on Crutched Friars, less than a minute from Fenchurch Street Station and round the corner from Tower Gateway.

The fully equipped studio features a 220-litre capacity kiln, four pottery wheels, hand-building and glaze facilities. This is an opportunity to see the space, get a feel for it and register interest in what the studio has to offer, including Studio Memberships, Throwing and Hand-building courses, and more.

Guided by an experienced ceramicist/artist with their own unique style and approach, these courses ensure that you learn something truly personal.

Classes are small to ensure everyone gets proper guidance and support and room to experiment. Spaces are limited so sign up now.

Hand Building 8 Week Course with Ceramicist Lauren Nicholl

Join ceramicist Lauren McNicoll for this new Hand Building 8-Week Course: Exploring making techniques from the conventional to the novel at SET Ceramics.

There are 6 spaces available for this course, this is to ensure there is sufficient space to work in the studio and that students get the most from both the course and the tutor.

Course Overview:
This 8-week hand-building ceramics course at SET Ceramics introduces the essential techniques of sculpting, building, and decorating with clay. Suitable for beginners to intermediate makers, it encourages playful exploration and hands-on learning. As the course progresses, participants are invited to experiment and work more adventurously, including using the body as a tool for sculptural creation, offering a unique, embodied approach to working with clay.

Course Dates:
Week 1: Sunday 11 January 2026
Week 2: Sunday 18 January 2026
Week 3: Sunday 25  January 2026
Week 4: Sunday 1 February 2026
Week 5: Sunday 8 February 2026
Week 6: Sunday 15 February 2026
Week 7: Sunday 22 February 2026
Week 8: Sunday 1 March 2026

Please note classes missed cannot be made up at a later date.

Class Times:
Classes will start at 10:00 lasting 2.5 hours and finish at 12:30.
The last 30 minutes of the class are for cleaning up and organising work in progress.

Please do not arrive any earlier than 5 minutes prior to the class starting as there is no waiting area and the tutor will be busy setting up the studio for the class ahead.

Hand Building: Surface and Substance – 8 Week Course with Artist Francisco Zhan

Join artist Francisco Zhan in this 8-week Hand Building course at SET Ceramics.

There are 6 spaces available for this course, this is to ensure there is sufficient space to work in the studio and that students get the out the most from both the course and the tutor.

Course Overview:

Surface and substance is a 8-week course led by Francisco Zhan.
This course is an introduction to making ceramics by hand, using both conventional and experimental techniques. Exploring ceramics’ potential both as painted sculpture, as well as functional objects.

Throughout the course of 8 weeks, participants will learn the basic building blocks of working with clay by hand, through pinching, coiling, slab-rolling and block carving.
Participants will be guided in using slips, glazes and resists to achieve a variety of decorative effects.

Surface and substance will provide learners with key knowledge of ceramic techniques and processes, as well as a space for free material experimentation. Using the skills learnt during the course, there will be time given to work on personal projects.

The course will cover:
– Hand building techniques:  pinching, coiling, slab-rolling and block carving
– Decorating techniques: slips, glazes and resists.
– Experimental surfaces: inlays, Sgraffito.
– Recycling clay

This course is suitable for beginners. It also provides further support and training for those with some experience.

Course Dates:
Week 1: Monday 12 January 2026
Week 2: Monday 19 January 2026
Week 3: Monday 26 January 2026
Week 4: Monday 2 February 2026
Week 5: Monday 9  February 2026
Week 6: Monday 16  February 2026
Week 7:  Monday 23  February 2026
Week 8: Monday 2 March 2026

Please not classes missed cannot be made up at a later date.

Class Times:
Classes will start at 19:30 lasting 2.5 hours and finish at 22:00.
The last 30 minutes of the class are for cleaning up and organising work in progress.

Introduction to Wheel Throwing – 8 Week Course with Ceramicist Lewis Hayes

Course Overview:
Lesson 1: Introduce the students to the studio, ceramics materials and processes. Go through relevant health and safety protocols. Students will learn how to prepare and wedge clay, and then start by learning the steps to create cylinders on the wheel, including, clay centring and basic wall-pulling techniques. Note: nothing will be kept in this first session, so students can get a feel for the clay without feeling too precious about their work.

Lesson 2-6: Students will continue to learn the basic steps to create work on the wheel. Lessons will work in pairs. In the first lesson, they throw the pieces, learning new shapes each time, such as bowls, plates, and vases. The following week they learn to trim these thrown pieces and again the relevant tools and techniques to do so. This is where they’ll also learn a range of decoration techniques, slip trailing, carving and inlay. As well as learning to attach handles and other things to their pieces.

Lesson 7-8: These are glazing lessons. Students will learn what glaze is and the process of glazing their work.

Course Dates:
Week 1: Wednesday 14  January 2026
Week 2: Wednesday 21 January 2026
Week 3: Wednesday 28 January 2026
Week 4: Wednesday 4  February 2026
Week 5: Wednesday 11  February 2026
Week 6: Wednesday 18  February 2026
Week 7: Wednesday 25  February 2026
Week 8: Wednesday 4 March 2026

Please not classes missed cannot be made up at a later date.

Class Times:
Classes will start at 20:00 lasting 2.5 hours and finish at 22:30.
The last 30 minutes of the class are for cleaning up and organising work in progress.

Please do not arrive any earlier than 5 minutes prior to the class starting as there is no waiting area and the tutor will be busy setting up the studio for the class ahead.

Book Now