Clayspace Studios Ltd Terms & Conditions

We hope you enjoy your Clayspace experience, our mission is to support you in creating beautiful work in a healthy, collaborative, inclusive and respectful studio space. Being a small business we are able to accommodate customers on a more personal and friendly basis, but in certain areas we have need to adopt strict guidelines in order for the studio to be a safe and comfortable environment for everyone to use.

Please ensure you have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions and Advice & Safety information before you book a Clayspace class or session. By participating in a class or using the studio you will be deemed to have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions.

Paying for sessions and materials

We are a not for profit community organisation. All monies are reinvested in the pottery and we do our best to keep prices as low as possible whilst ensuring that Clayspace can continue to run without making a loss.

Payment of class fees for regular sessions must be made through our booking system. Payments for materials and firings can be made in the studio, we accept cash, debit or credit cards, Apple Pay or bank transfers (BACS).

All sessions and classes are booked on a first-come first-served basis.

Unless otherwise stated the class and session fees do not include materials and firing costs. These costs are clearly posted above the scales in the studio and updated regularly. Finished glazed work will be charged based on the type of clay used, the amount of glazes used and the volume of kiln space used to fire the works. A small to medium pot thrown on the wheel and biscuit fired, glazed and glaze fired would typically cost around £5 to £15.

Arriving at the studio

We generally open the doors a few minutes before each class is due to start. Please don’t turn up too early as you may have to wait outside while we finish cleaning or preparing the studio for your class or session to start.

Sign-in

Fire safety regulations require all persons to register and sign-in when visiting or using the studio.

Advice & Safety

Users of the studio do so at their own risk with awareness of the inherent hazards of a pottery studio environment. These 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 associated with breathing dust. Most ceramic materials (clay and glazes) are made from finely ground minerals and if not handled correctly can pose a general respiratory risk.

Health and safety and good studio practice will be explained to all studio users as required as they use the studio and it’s facilities.

Studio Clean-up

All working areas and tools must be cleaned after use. The last 15 minutes of all studio visits is dedicated to gathering tools and cleaning work tables, floors, tools, and other equipment. This is a communal studio and its cleanliness depends on everyone doing their part. We feel that it is important for students to understand the health and safety risks of working with clay especially as they may go on to set up their own studios or work with clay at home.

A good rule of thumb – When you are done it should be CLEANER then when you started. No Exceptions.

If you don’t have time to clean up you don’t have time to do it!

Environment and Recycling

We try to run Clayspace as a zero waste organisation. All materials are reused or recycled wherever possible. Clay, glaze and sedimentary materials are NEVER to be poured down sinks in the studio.

We use a 3 bucket water system in the studio for cleaning, washing and clay recycling. Hands, tools and equipment contaminated with clay are washed using the 3 buckets. These are settled out over night and all the clay sediment is dried and recycled back into studio clay and the clean water is siphoned off to be re-used in the buckets and also used as cleaning mopping water for the studio. Brushes and tools used for glazing are cleaned in a Glazey Water Bucket, again this is settled out over night and all the glaze sediment is made up and adjusted to make new studio glazes and the water is siphoned off and used to process the new glazes and wash glaze sieves etc

Unclaimed Pots

Due to space restrictions we can only keep hold of finished or bisque fired pots for 1 additional term after the current term.

  • Unclaimed greenware will have probably dried out too much to be re-worked, turned, altered after about 1 month. At the end of every term all unfinished pots will put on shelves in the basement for the duration of the next term and then recycled.
  • Unclaimed biscuit fired pots will either be donated to the communal Unloved Pot Box or be smashed and disposed of.
  • Finished glazed pots will be sold as part of Clayspace Studios fund raising activities.

Conduct and Exclusion

Disruptive or abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

Users of the studio and facilities must be respectful and courteous at all times. Inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated and Clayspace Studios Ltd reserve the right to exclude any offending parties from the studio at any time if behaviour in it’s opinion is deemed dangerous, inappropriate or causes (or has the potential to cause) offence, harm or injury.

Cancellations and Refunds

We are a small not for profit company and want to keep our class fees as low as possible, if we don’t have time to refill cancelled sessions we struggle to break even. We hope you understand.

To cancel a session or booking, you must inform us by email at studio@clayspace.org.uk

Refunds

Bookable adult casual sessions
Cancellations received more than 24 hours before the session start time can be refunded minus a £3 cancellation fee. Alternatively the booking can be transferred to another available session for free.

Cancellations received less than 24 hours before the session start time will not be eligible for a refund.

One-to-one and small group private classes
Cancellations received more than 48 hours before the session start time can be refunded minus a £5 cancellation fee. Alternatively the booking can be transferred to another available session for free.

Cancellations received less than 48 hours before the session start time will not be eligible for a refund.

Kids Clay Club
Each block of 3 sessions is payable at the beginning of each term. Cancellations received less than 48 hours before the start of the first session will only be eligible for a refund if the place is filled before the start date less a £5 cancellation fee.

Family friendly casual sessions
Cancellations received less than 48 hours before the start time will only be eligible for a refund if the place is filled before the start date less a £3 cancellation fee.

6 week pottery courses
Cancellations received more than 7 days of the first session can be refunded minus a £5 cancellation fee. Or the booking transferred to another available course.

Cancellations received after 7 days will only be eligible for a refund or transfer if the place is filled before the start date of the course.