Mindful Clay Club

Mindful Clay Club is running free ceramics workshops across Gloucestershire this autumn and winter, led by ceramicist Jonathan Walker. The sessions are open to all ages, and the first one is free to attend, so you can get a feel for working with clay before deciding if you want to stick with it. If you do, you can commit to a project over four sessions and see it through to a glazed and fired piece.

There are a few different paths you can take. You can just drop in and play around with the medium, or you can work towards something specific, like making lanterns and bells from porcelain clay. The lantern workshops are held at Llanthony Secunda Priory, a heritage venue set within the remains of a 12th-century priory, where you handbuild from paper clay and decorate your own piece. The whole thing is rooted in the idea that working with clay supports wellbeing and connection, and it's designed to be accessible, so you don't need any prior experience to join in. Children are welcome, provided they're accompanied by an adult.

Because the club runs across several community hubs, there are plenty of dates and locations to choose from. The sessions run from 6pm to 8pm. At Llantony Priory, you'll find them on 8, 22 October and 30 November. The Friendship Cafe (Room 2, GL4 6PR) has the most dates: 8, 22 October, 30 November and 6, 20 December. Via Nova Coffee hosts on 17, 24, 31 October, and The Beacon Centre runs on 14, 21 October and 4, 11 November. The workshops are supported by Together Gloucester, Culture Matson and Your Gloucester Grants.

Most of the sessions are free to attend, with the first one free to get you started. The lantern workshops at Llanthony Priory are £75 each, which includes materials and firing.