Vase by Maria Buzuglaya
Clay, Glaze & Material
27 JUNE - 3 JULY 2027
Get curious about what your clay and glazes can do, then mix, test and experiment your way towards glazes and material combinations of your own.
A small change in a glaze recipe, clay body or firing can completely change the final result. Understanding why gives you more control over what comes out of the kiln.
Spend five days exploring clay bodies, glazes, slips, oxides and raw materials, with daily guidance and plenty of time to mix, test, compare and experiment.
Eight people. One ceramicist. One week. All levels welcome. Secure your place with a €300 deposit.
With only eight places per retreat, booking early is recommended. We know all too well that plans can change. You can move your booking to another date when arranged well in advance.
Guiding ceramicist announced early 2027.
Accommodation booked separately.
€1,350
Book before 31 December 2026 for the launch price of €1,080.
This ceramics course is for you.
IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD, WORK WITH YOUR HANDS AND SPEND FIVE DAYS ABSORBED IN MAKING AWAY FROM HOME.
01.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET OTHER CREATIVE MINDS, SHARE IDEAS, AND CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS OVER DINNER OR A LONG WALK IN NATURE.
02.
IF YOU WANT TIME TO DISCOVER THE WILD BEACHES, BUZZING TOWNS AND MEET THE MAKERS OF THE WESTERN ALGARVE.
03.
What makes one clay behave differently from another? What can we learn from the earth beneath our feet?
This course gets closer to the materials ceramics is made from. Work with different clay bodies, slips, oxides, minerals and raw materials, guided by a ceramicist whose own practice is rooted in material exploration.
Depending on the week, you might go out and find your own clay, investigate locally found materials, compare clay bodies, make test batches, explore what temperature and firing do to them, and mix glazes from raw ingredients.
You don't need to know ceramic chemistry. Curiosity is enough. Learn by mixing, testing, firing and comparing, gradually understanding not just what worked, but what happened and why.
Porcelain by Chiara Caselli
Wild clay comes with its own recipe, written by geology: its particular mix of clay minerals, sand, iron, limestone and organic matter shapes its colour, texture and behaviour when fired.
Included
Six-day get-away. Sunday evening - Saturday morning.
Five-days wheel throwing course led by a practising ceramicist
Small group of up to eight participants
Clay, glazes, tools, studio use and firing
Shipping of your finished work up to €50
Breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the retreat, including two dinners out
Time for activities away from the studio
Making your own olla and planting for the landscape
Two additional activities, such as yoga, breathwork or a visit to a local maker or craftsperson
Not included
Accommodation
Travel to and from the studio
Alcoholic drinks
Optional activities booked separately
Shipping costs above the included €50 allowance
For more information on what’s included and excluded, accommodation, travel, arrival and departure, the weekly schedule, changing dates and our cancellation policy, and more see Plan Your Week & FAQs
Time beyond the studio
THE SOUTHWEST OF PORTUGAL HAS BEEN MAKING WITH CLAY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. IT IS ALSO HOME TO FARMERS, CREATIVE MAKERS, SURF CULTURE, AND REGENERATIVE PROJECTS FINDING NEW WAYS TO WORK WITH THE LAND AND PRESERVE HERITAGE CRAFTS.
Hands on / Hands off
During the week, we step outside the studio and off the land to discover more of the area. We will eat out at local places serving seasonal food, visit local makers and craftspeople, and spend time in the Bravura landscape.
You’ll also have the possibility to explore the wild Atlantic coast between the west Algarve and Alentejo.
Two additional activities are part of every retreat, think of yoga and a visit with a local maker, grower or craftsperson.
"Basta esta luz para se ser feliz."
This light alone is enough to be happy.
Raul Brandão, Os Pescadores (1923)
If you’re looking to do more
If you want to explore further, we can advise where to go for surf classes, mountain biking, a visit to the springs of Monchique, or other activities around the region.
Meet your guide
YOUR GUIDE WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS THE 2027 PROGRAMME UNFOLDS. SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO BE THE FIRST TO HEAR ABOUT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEW RETREATS.
Ricardo Lopes
Meet the circle
Chiara Caselli
Maria Bezuglaya
Clear head. Calm nervous system.
Fired-up creativity.
Leave with stronger skills, work you’re proud of, new friends, and that strange combination of being tired yet feeling rested and reset, wondering how six days somehow feel so much longer.
All that, and an unstoppable urge to keep making.