open access sessions at maxability

Our Open Access Sessions are designed for experienced potters who want dedicated time to work independently in Maxability’s fully equipped pottery studio in North London. Whether you prefer Throwing on the Wheel or Handbuilding, these sessions provide the space and tools you need to develop your skills and create your own ceramic work.

You can book individual 3-hour sessions or choose from discounted packages of five or eight sessions.

Before attending, please review our terms and conditions and let us know in advance if you have any specific support needs—we’re here to help you make the most of your studio time.

If you are attending an Open Access Session with Maxability for the first time, the first half hour of your session will be for an induction to the studio. If you have any questions about the Terms and Conditions listed below, please ask these then.

Terms and Conditions for Use of the Studio:

Clay

• Only reclaimed pugged Draycott White clay may be used.  Do not use new bags of Draycott White clay or your own clay.

• Close up the clay bags using wire twists before you leave to prevent the clay from drying out

• Put empty clay bags into a bucket of water (under sink) for staff to rinse later (this prevents dust forming in dried out bags)

Cleaning

• Please clean up very thoroughly, putting your cleaned tools away in storage pots on the shelf.  Do not leave them on the draining board.  For Studio Two, please see the cleaning guidelines there.

• Ensure you allow enough time for thorough cleaning (suggested: 30 minutes for Studio 2, 20 minutes for Studio 1).

• Use the reclaim clay bins in Studio Two for your clay water and any wheel tray waste clay.

• Students must bring their own aprons for use and take them home after each session.  We recommend you wash after each use to prevent inhalation of clay dust.

Storage, Labelling & Signing

• Students are responsible for wrapping & labelling any work.  We will not be able to wrap, store, spray or check work for you between your sessions.

• Work can be stored in the blue cabinets in the common area. Please mark your work clearly with your name and the date using masking tape and a sharpie. Any work un-labelled or left in the cabinets for over 1 month since they were last dated, will be discarded.

• Sign your finished pieces clearly with initials / potters mark and add your mark and name to the list in Studio Two so that our kiln technician can identify your pieces and return them to the correct Open Access shelves. Unsigned work will not be fired.

• You may use one of the lockers in the common room to store your own tools if coming to multiple sessions. These can be locked with your own padlock. Please empty the locker after your final session or if you will be away for 1 month or more. If a locker is left unused for 1 month, it will be emptied, and the contents will be discarded.

• Fired work will be left on the Open Access labelled shelf in Studio Two.  We will date work in pencil as it comes out of the kiln, and if not collected within two months it will be discarded.

Glazing and Firing

• Only studio glazes may be used.

• For work to be fired, please make sure it is placed in the kiln room on the correct shelf for Bisque, Earthenware glazing or Stoneware glazing.  If the shelves are too crowded, please ask a staff member for help.  Do not move other people’s work.

• We will not fire work that is not signed or is obviously risky to fire (for example if the bases aren’t wiped clean of glaze properly). Any such work will be placed on the ‘naughty shelf’ in the kiln room.

• Please include a note with your piece that lists what glaze/s you’ve used.  If you have any doubts about the firing temperature required or the glazes you’ve used, please ask!

• All work that is fired must be paid for and taken home (including if work has been bisque fired and you chose not to glaze fire it).  Students can donate unwanted work to the Maxability ‘For Sale’ table (please let a staff member know).

• The fee for fired work is £10/kg. Before taking your work home, please weigh it and ask a team member on site to take payment. This can be via cash, card or bank transfer. If you require an invoice with bank details for this, please email info@maxability.org.uk 

General

• Please report any damage or breakages of equipment/tools to the team immediately.

• Use of the studio is done so at your own risk.  Note that anyone with a pacemaker is advised not to use an electric wheel.

• Students must adhere to all the Maxability studio rules as outlined in the Student Induction Pack (There is a copy in each Studio).

• Please ensure you have cleaned up properly and are ready to leave by the end of your session.