Upcoming Member Events
All WPA events, including social and club activities, are listed on this page and link through to your HelloClub account.
Our workshops are open to Life, Associate, and Full members. If places remain available closer to the start date, we may then make the workshops available to members of the public, and this will be noted in the descriptions below. As we price classes only to cover tutor compensation and materials, once you have signed up no refunds will be given unless we are able to replace your spot in the class.
Workshops that don't have enough attendees will be cancelled a minimum of 5 days in advance. In this case, ticket prices will be refunded and credited to your HelloClub account to can be used for other workshops, rentals, or membership subscriptions. If you want the fee refunded to your account (less the original Stripe transaction fee), please contact our Treasurer to arrange this. Note that refunds will take 5-10 days to appear in your account.
Refining the Basics on the Wheel | 4-Part Course
Tuesdays starting 2 June - 23 June | 6:00 - 8:00PM
Finished your beginners’ class and joined WPA but you’re still struggling with some of the basics? Then this class could help!
Over four sessions, beginners will be reminded of the basics but also be exposed to alternative ways of centring, pulling walls, and trimming vessels. There will be plenty of time to practice and find techniques that work best for you. Tutor James Dickman will go over the basics at the beginning of each session and then provide targeted advice to individuals to overcome challenges.
Tealight Houses w/ Peter Rumble | Weekend Workshop
Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 June | 9AM - 4PM
Brighten your life (and maybe someone else’s, too) by making one or two little tealight houses over two days.
Peter Rumble, handbuilding maestro, will guide, jolly, and gently cajole you into delving the depths of your building and decorating creativity, helping you make the most of this two-day workshop.
Slab Building Bootcamp with Peter Rumble | 2-Part Course
Wednesday 8 & 15 July | 5:30 - 8:00PM
Looking to learn the basics of handbuilding?
This 2-part course has been designed by Peter Rumble to teach the basics of making and preparing quality slabs for use in hand building as well as the various techniques required to build components.
Experience required
This course open to all, from those new to handbuilding to those looking to sharpen up their handbuilding technique.
Tagines (and Casseroles) with Vivian Rodriguez | 3-Part Workshop
Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 July | 9:30AM - 4:30PM
Thursday 30 July | 6:00 - 8:00PM (Glazing session)
Ever wanted to make your own crockery?
In this hands-on three-part workshop, Vivian will guide you through making a tagine (or casserole) from scratch — covering the full process of throwing, trimming, decorating, and glazing, with a finished, functional piece to take home at the end.
Bring Your Child/ren - July Session
Bring your kid(s) to play with clay!
The club rooms will be open for 3 hours in the school holidays for you to bring your child/ren along to play with clay. No tutors are provided by WPA though so you are to be responsible for your child's behaviour and safety while in the rooms.
Photography for Potters w/ Mel Waite | 2-hour Workshop
Want to learn how to get consistently great photos of your creations, be if for selling your work, submitting for exhibitions and awards or just having an amazing instagram feed?
This is the class for you! Mel is going to fill your brain with as much photographic learning as your brain can take in 2 hours :)
Anagama Working Bee | Final Prep
The final anagama working bee is here!
It's the last day of work for getting the anagama ready for firing. We'll be kiln washing shelves, and a bit of other final prep.
Anagama Receiving Day 2026
Members, want to submit your pot/s to our Anagama firing?
Receiving Day is happening Sunday 30 August with drop off running from 10am until 2:00pm (note earlier finish time than previous years).
Anagama 2026 | 21st Firing
Wednesday 9 September - Sunday 13 September
WPA's annual wood-fired anagama firing at Graeme and June Houston's farm in Horokiwi is one of the highlights of the club calendar.
Over five days of continuous firing, the kiln reaches temperatures that transform clay and ash into surfaces impossible to achieve in a conventional electric kiln — natural ash glazes, flame flashing, and carbon markings that make every piece unique.
AGM 2026 | Pot Swap
Make your voice heard!
This year we're again combining our AGM, a pot swap, and Anagama Show & Tell to create a fabulous social occasion. BYO drinks and nibbles to share and let's make a night of it!
Anagama Show & Tell | 21st Firing
We know how excited you are about your anagama pots—bring them along to share both your triumphs and your misfires!
Following the AGM and Pot Swap, we'll move right into Anagama Show & Tell! We’ll cover how to remove wadding and other firing marks, and discuss when it does (or doesn’t) make sense to put your anagama pots through a Cone 6 club firing with a transparent glaze.
Friends and Family Fridays | June
Come join us for our fun friends and family evening!
This is your chance to bring ONE friend or family member and dive into the world of ceramics and pottery! Hosted by Christine Winbush, you and your guest get to explore your creative sides while having fun together.
Slips and Underglaze: Production, Use and Applications | Weekend Workshop
Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 June | 9:30AM - 5PM
Learn how to make your own underglazes, base slip and coloured slips with Richard Stratton.
Once the slip and underglazes are made, explanations into the application techniques such as (marbling, mono printing, trailing) will be discussed and demonstrated then the participants can practise these various techniques demonstrated with their own slips and underglazes.
Kiln Biscuit Making for Club Kilns | Volunteer Event
Help stock the studio with a fresh set of kiln biscuits!
WPA tutors Ingrid Peek and Peter Rumble will be on hand to teach both thrown and hand-built techniques, with the goal of building up a club collection that can be used multiple times across firings.
Clay Club | June
Join the Clay Club and dive into the world of clay recycling!
Discover how clay can be reused again and again — you’ll get hands-on experience with the recycling process, learn about grog and its benefits, explore different clay types and firing temperatures, and even operate a pug mill to make your own recycled clay (available for members to purchase). No experience needed, and your time can count toward volunteer hours!
Anagama Information Evening
Come and join us at our Anagama information evening to hear all about our annual firing.
Whether you're a newbie to anagama or been there since the beginning, we’d love to have you at this information night. The Anagama Team will guide you through everything you need to know about the wood firing process, with samples on display to show how flame, ash, and high heat interact with different clays and glazes.
Glazing Basics with Bella Florence | May Session
The perfect 1-night course for club members who aren't yet confident with glazing.
Join our Studio Technician, Bella Florence, for one evening to learn the basics of glazing at WPA.
WPA subsidises this course to give members a solid grounding in glaze fundamentals. It’s designed to help you avoid common glaze mistakes that can damage your work—or worse, the kiln and shelves.
Hand-built Gremlins with Peter Rumble | 1-Day Workshop
Spend a day exploring character-driven ceramics in this hands-on workshop led by our gremlin-master Peter Rumble.
Using a combination of moulds and traditional hand-building techniques, you’ll create your own expressive gremlin sculpture from scratch.
Glaze Mixing 101 | 1-Evening Workshop
Ever wondered what it takes to mix your own glazes?
Join James Dickman for an introductory session on the fundamentals of glaze mixing. This 2 hour workshop will cover the basics of glaze materials and chemistry, how to read a glaze recipe, and essential health and safety practices.
Club Working Bee | Spring
Help us give the studio a seasonal refresh at our next Working Bee.
A couple of times each season we come together for a studio Working Bee — a chance for members to give the space a bit of extra care. These sessions help us tackle repairs, deep cleaning, and small projects that keep the studio organised, functional, and ready for everyone’s work.
Salt & Soda with Julie Harrington | 5-Part Workshop
Curious about alternative firings? Explore salt & soda in the Hautere Kiln!
Explore the transformative effects of salt and soda firing in this five-part workshop series led by Julie Harrington. Participants will fire the Hautere Kiln at Lavender Creek Farm, learning how to design work, glaze, load, fire, and unload a high-fire kiln.
The Perfect Cup/Mug | Weekend Workshop
April 25 & 26 | 9:00AM - 4:00PM
What makes a cup feel just right in your hands?
Design and create your ideal cup or mug in this focused, hands-on weekend workshop. Guided by Vivian Rodriguez, you’ll explore form, proportion, and function while refining your wheel-throwing skills.
WPA field trip to The Kilns at Te Horo
Want to go check out the beehive kilns at Te Horo?
Join WPA President Martin Henty at 10:30 AM on Sunday 19 April at the beehive kilns at Te Horo for an informal tour and discussion of their history and use.
Surface and Form with Imogen Carter | 1-Day Workshop
Spend a full day exploring the rich dialogue between shape and surface in this hands-on, playful workshop with our Potter-in-Residence, Imogen Carter.
This one-day workshop invites you to experiment boldly — layering pattern, texture, and imagery onto handbuilt clay forms while developing your construction skills.
Get Bottled with James Dickman | 1-Evening Workshop
Ready to take your wheel-throwing skills to new heights?
In this 3-hour workshop, James Dickman guides you through the art and architecture of bottle forms — one of the most elegant and technically satisfying challenges on the potter’s wheel. From perfectly controlled collaring to refined multi-part construction, this intensive evening workshop will expand your technical confidence and creative range.
Intro to Hand-built Sculpture | Weekend Workshop
Led by Paola Nigris, this weekend workshop introduces handbuilding through a sculptural lens.
You’ll learn core techniques — slab building, coiling, and mould pressing — while exploring form, texture, balance, and proportion. The focus is on thinking in three dimensions: working from observation, understanding material limits, and building strong, intentional forms rather than relying on templates or formulas.
Cracking Surfaces | 1-Night Workshop
Dive into the art of intentional cracking — transforming a process often seen as a flaw into a powerful surface language.
Led by Paola Nigris, this one-day workshop explores slabs, slips, and resist techniques to show how controlled drying, material choice, and timing can create rich, expressive textures — each with its own character and unpredictability.
Working Bee | Outdoor Maintenance
Let's finish up our exterior!
We've had a lot of building work done over the holidays and it's time to finish up the remaining tasks. This bee will focus on landscaping/maintenance, exterior repairs, and general site upkeep to make sure our shared spaces are safe, functional, and looking their best.
Ramen Bowls with Vivian Rodriguez | Weekend Workshop
You’ve thrown bowls before — but have you thrown a set that actually matches?
This two-day intensive is for wheel throwers ready to dial in proportion, repetition, and weight while designing and making a cohesive set of ramen bowls. Expect a strong focus on form, function, and the small decisions that turn “close enough” into intentional.
Glaze Club | February
Join the Glaze Club and get hands-on with studio glazes!
Glaze Club is where our studio glazes are mixed, tested, and maintained for everyone at WPA. You’ll learn how glazes are made from raw materials, how to weigh and sieve accurately, and how to test the glazes that are made. No experience is needed — we’ll show you the ropes, and your time counts toward volunteer hours.