POTTERY SESSIONS 

2024 STUDIO GUIDELINES 

Appointments 

1. Location 
2. Pottery Sessions is located at 6057 R. Palma Street, Poblacion, Makati City.

    Signage of the studio if visible from street view. The frontage of the studio is

    black grills, through which you can see the glass door main entrance. It can be

    easily navigated on Waze or Google Maps. 

1. Hours of Operation 
2. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday to Sunday, 9:00am to 6:00 pm.
3. Wednesday night sessions are at 6:00pm to 9:30PM but are not open regularly.
     Pre-booking is required and a minimum number of 4 students is needed to open
     the night session slots.

III. Booking Policies 

1. Workshops & Sessions
   1. By appointment 
   2. Appointments can be made 12 hours before. 
   3. No walk-ins allowed. 
   4. We encourage you to arrive 15 mins earlier than your appointment to accomplish the necessary log-in forms. 
2. Open Studio
   1. By appointment 
   2. Appointments can be made 12 hours before. 
   3. No walk-ins allowed. 
   4. We encourage you to arrive 15 mins earlier than your appointment to accomplish the necessary log-in forms. 
3. Private Bookings 
   1. By appointment
   2. Appointments can be made 5 days before. 
   3. No walk-ins allowed. 
   4. 4. We encourage you to arrive or prepare your venue 15 mins earlier than your appointment to accomplish the necessary forms. 

1. Rebooking Policies 
2. Appointments made the day before are not eligible for rebooking. 
3. Rebooking can be done within the 24 hours prior to the original date of appointment;

    This can only be done once.

1. Cancellation and Refund Policies 
2. Appointments made the day before are not eligible for refund. 
3. No-shows on the actual date of appointment are not eligible for refund or reschedule.
4. Cancellation made a week (7 days) before the workshop or studio open session is eligible for 80% refund. The 20% deduction is to cover processing fees.
5. Cancellation made less than a week before the workshop or open studio session is eligible for 50% refund. There is a 50% no-show fee.

General

1. Students/members must log in upon entry for their appointment in the studio. 
2. Each person will be assigned a cubby hole for the storage of their personal belongings. Do not place/leave your belongings on the floor, on top of work surfaces, etc.
3. Each person will be assigned their respective work stations for wheel throwing and handbuilding. You are only allowed to use the station assigned to you. 
4. Pottery Sessions will not be held liable for any losses/damages that occur in the studio. Everyone is expected to be vigilant and to uphold good moral character.
5.  Everyone is expected to clean up after themselves. Spills on the floor must be cleaned up immediately. Broom, rags and mops are available for shared use.
6. As courtesy to the other individuals using the studio, you may listen to your own music through earphones/headphones. If there are only a few people present, music may be played through speakers, at a reasonable volume. 
7. Students/members are welcomed to document their stay while working in the studio, however please be mindful of the privacy and personal space of others.
8. No smoking within and around the premises of the studio. This includes e-cigarettes.
9. Alcohol is only allowed at events such as end of session potlucks and special events.
10. We will not accept inebriated or intoxicated individuals within the premises.
11. The studio staff and Instructors have the right to refuse service to students or members that do not adhere to our general policies.

Studio Work 

1. Tools and Equipment 

1. Please inform the studio management if you will be borrowing any tools and equipment during your studio time. 
2. If you are not familiar with handling specialized equipment, please request for assistance. 
3. Borrowed tools and equipment must be returned clean and in good condition.
4. Any damage to the equipment will be charged to the person responsible.

1. Clays
   1. Clay can be purchased in the studio however if you are bringing your own clay please bring your own buckets for slurry and recycling. Please inform the studio management if you are using your own clay.
   2. The Studio reclaims the clay from the clay trap, thus clay that is not from the studio can not be dumped down our sinks and buckets. We recommend you wipe down all tools and equipment into your own reclaim bucket before rinsing at the sinks.
   3. Do not cover your works on wooden bats and boards with plastic for a long period of time. This can cause molds and can also damage the board or bat.
      1. When your piece is stable enough to move, you can wrap it loosely inside a plastic bag before putting it in the studio storage boxes.
   4. Do not leave your work on the wedging tables and other tables for common use. Move them to your assigned shelf or box for storing.
2. Glazes
   1. Only glazes from the studio are allowed to be used. 
   2. Tongs will be provided for dipping. Please make sure to clean them before using a different color to avoid contaminating and mixing the colors. 
   3. Use only one glaze at a time, again, to avoid contaminating and mixing the colors. 
   4. Keep the glaze buckets closed when not in use. Do not open multiple buckets at the same time. 
   5. Each glaze behaves differently, please refer to the glaze description labeled on the buckets before applying. 
   6. The bottoms of your pieces must be glaze free. Please wipe them clean before putting them on the drying rack. 
   7. If you are not familiar with how to glaze properly or which glazes to use, please ask for assistance. 
   8. Any major spillage of glaze will be charged to the person responsible.
   9. You will be charged for any damages to the kiln or kiln furniture due to improper application of glaze.
      Please see firing form for more details: Firing Guidelines
3. Sanding
   1. Whether you will sand during bone dry stage or before bisque firing, sanding must be done outside (if weather permits), and over a basin filled with water. Any nearby door and window opening must be closed.
      1. If sanding indoors, students/members must still use a basin filled with water to catch the dust particles. 
4. Firing
   1. Monthly firing schedules will be released on the 1st week of the month. Please note that these schedules are tentative and can still be moved or rescheduled.
   2. Lead time of at least 1 month is needed for works to be fired. The kilns need to be at full capacity before we are able to fire works. 
   3. Kiln rentals are only by appointment and must be paid in advance to reserve the firing schedule slot. 
   4. We will only accept clays and glazes tested by the studio for firings.
      Please provide your own test tile or sample before firing clay and glazes that are not purchased from the studio.
   5. Firing forms must be filled out before leaving your pieces for firing.

Please read the firing guidelines and measure accordingly. 

1. Before you bring works for firing, you must know how to handle and glaze your own works. If you have no prior experience, please take a workshop first before having work fired with us. 
2. The studio reserves the right to refuse pieces for firing if there are issues with construction, thickness or the stability of the works. 
3. The studio is not liable for any damages or loss from the transportation of works to and from the studio..

Cleaning 

1.  Washing 
   1.  There are designated basins and sinks for each type of material that will be cleaned off. Sinks in bathrooms will only be for washing of hands with no clay or glaze. 
   2.  Washing of clay from hands and tools must be done at sinks with clay traps.
   3. Washing/scraping of glazes will only be done at assigned basins. 
2.  Wheels 
   1.  Sponges and rags will be provided to clean the wheels, pans and stools. 
   2. Final wiping of the wheels, pans and stools must be done with clean water.
   3.  Splash pans must be placed at the designated drying racks. 
   4. When the wheel is clean and dry, please switch it off. Stools must be placed upside down on the wheel counters, and the foot pedal and brick on the wheel’s front tray. This is to signify that you are done using the wheel. 
3. Bats, Tables and other Work Surfaces 
   1. Everyone is expected to scrape and wipe the bats, their respective work stations and tables that they used during their studio time. 
   2. Final wiping of surfaces must be done with clean water. 
   3. Bats cannot be rinsed or soaked in water. Please wipe them well before drying them to minimize dust in the studio. They must be placed at the designated drying racks to dry fully before returning to storage. 
   4. When your station at the handbuilding area is clean and dry, please place your stool underneath the table. This is to signify that you are done using the area.
4. Trimmings and Slurries 
   1. You may recycle your excess clay and trimmings. There are designated recycling bins for this. 
   2. Slurries must also be discarded in the designated bin.
5.  Floor 
   1.  Spills must be mopped immediately by the person responsible. This is to prevent clays and glazes from drying and turning into fine silica dust, which is harmful to everyone’s health over long periods of exposure. 
   2. Do not sweep dry clay and glaze. Use a damp sponge or rag to wipe. Again, this is to prevent fine silica dust from spreading in the air. 

1. Leftover Works 
2. Greenware or bisque ware left after studio hours with no name indicated and not properly stored will be discarded. 
3. Your works must be collected immediately after firing. If works are left for more than 1 month (30 days), these will be sold or disposed accordingly. 

FAQs 

1. Can I add another person to my appointment? 

Yes you may, it is an option you can select upon signing up for the booking

of appointments. Please forward all guidelines and necessary details to your companions if you are booking for multiple people under one appointment.

1. Do you sell clay by the bag? 

Yes, we do, as well as tools and other materials. You can already add them to your booking on the website as an add on or  you can inquire on the day itself.

Please ask the studio for more information on this.

2. How long do you keep my work for? 

We can only keep your work for a maximum of 1 month (30 days). This is to give space for other students and members. 

3. What happens if my piece cracks in the kiln? 

Pottery Sessions will not be responsible for works cracking, breaking, or

exploding during and after the firing process. 

4. Can I fire works that were made elsewhere? 

We accept works outside the studio but clays and glazes used must be fromPottery Sessions or the type of clay is declared in the firing form. Also note that we will prioritize works by our students and members. 

5. Do you offer glazing services? 

No, we do not have this service. Please join one of our workshops to learn how to glaze.