Raku workshop
Raku Workshops
Experience the fire! Master the ancient Japanese raku technique where red-hot ceramics meet flames in a spectacular firing process that creates stunning, unpredictable results.
Raku firing is pure ceramic theatre. Watch as your handmade pieces glow cherry-red at 1000°C before being plunged into containers of sawdust that burst into flames on contact. The dramatic reduction process creates mesmerizing metallic lustres, crackled surfaces, and effects impossible to achieve any other way.
This is ceramics at its most exhilarating—and you’ll be hands-on for every thrilling moment.
A Two-Part Workshop Experience
Part 1: Making Session (2 hours at the studio)
Learn to create raku-friendly pieces using hand-building techniques. Paula will guide you through the unique considerations for raku—wall thickness, form, and design choices that give your work the best chance of surviving the intense thermal shock of the firing process.
Learn to create raku-friendly pieces using hand-building techniques. Paula will guide you through the unique considerations for raku—wall thickness, form, and design choices that give your work the best chance of surviving the intense thermal shock of the firing process.
Part 2: Glazing & Firing Day (from 10am in Longstanton)
The main event! Glaze your bisque-fired pieces, then experience the full raku process in Paula’s outdoor garden studio. You’ll use tongs to lift your glowing piece from the gas-fired kiln, place it in your own container of sawdust (which ignites instantly!), seal it for reduction, then quench it in water to reveal the final results.
The main event! Glaze your bisque-fired pieces, then experience the full raku process in Paula’s outdoor garden studio. You’ll use tongs to lift your glowing piece from the gas-fired kiln, place it in your own container of sawdust (which ignites instantly!), seal it for reduction, then quench it in water to reveal the final results.
All safety equipment provided—goggles, heavy-duty gloves, and tongs—so you can safely handle the drama.
What Makes Raku Special
The colours and effects are absolutely stunning: metallic coppers, iridescent lustres, dramatic crackle patterns, and deep carbon blacks. No two pieces are ever the same. The process is both daunting and exhilarating—a perfect blend of ancient tradition and pure creative adventure.
2026 Workshop Dates
Making at Studio (1–3pm) → Glazing & Firing in Longstanton (from 10am)
- 8 March → 28 March FULLY BOOKED
- 7 June → 27 June FULLY BOOKED
- 6 September → 26 September FULLY BOOKED
- Additional date 27 September →24 October
Making Location: Paula Armstrong Ceramics Studio, Fenstanton
Firing Location: Outdoor garden studio, Longstanton
Firing Location: Outdoor garden studio, Longstanton
Weather-dependent: If firing day needs to be postponed, we’ll simply reschedule for the next suitable day.
Limited to 8 participants per workshop. Book your place and discover why raku firing is one of the most thrilling experiences in ceramics!
“What I loved about your classes from day one is your relaxed and casual yet thorough approach to teaching someone about working with clay. I think the very supportive and positive environment you’ve created in your classes is an important feature to highlight. I’ve (also) really appreciated your flexibility around the workings of your studio, particularly during the pandemic.”
Lauren McBeath Jan 2021
Click here to find out more about Paula and why she loves teaching and clay.
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£100.00
