Intermediate Wheel Throwing 7-day course

Does one week in this stunning setting leave you wanting more? Looking for extra time to perfect your wheel-throwing skills?

Explore our 2-week Intermediate Wheel Throwing course! It’s designed for those eager to enhance their technique and fully immerse themselves in the world of ceramics.

This course is a one-week wheel throwing full-immersion, during which you will have a chance to immerse yourself in the practice of ceramics while also enjoying the tranquil pleasures of Sicilian life.

In this course you will have a chance to perfect your throwing skills: we will practise throwing taller pieces, thinner and more even walls, as well as pushing each student to throw shapes that are new for them. We will learn to make identical objects from the hump as well as individually, to throw larger and larger bowls, as well as exploring bottlenecks and vases. You will have a unique chance to fully immerse yourself in the practice of wheel throwing, making progress that would be hard to achieve within the noise of everyday life.

By the end of the course you will have the opportunity to choose which pieces you would like fired, glazed and shipped to you. As pieces need approximately a week to dry out, this will be done for you once the course has concluded.

Outcome

Although the course is focused on learning rather than making pieces, you will be able to keep some of the pieces you make:

  • The course includes the firing and glazing of up to 3 kg of dry clay (that’s 2 large bowls, or 3 medium bottles).
  • There is an extra charge of 20€/kg of clay for firing and glazing of more than 3kg of clay.
  • All pieces will be glazed with a standard transparent high temperature glaze.
  • We do not ship unglazed bisque pieces, as the chances of them breaking during shipping are too high.
  • Shipping costs are charged separately (we’ll provide you with a shipping fee document closer to the date)

We also offer advanced wheel throwing programs. Click here to see the full schedule.

Who is The Course Right For?

This course is right for you if:

  • You can already independently and autonomously centre +1.5kg of clay
  • You already have a hand at doing bowls and have tried larger objects, but could use some help throwing above 2kg
  • You are a ceramics student or practising ceramicist with wheel-throwing foundations and wish to perfect your skills 
  • You want to practise throwing taller, thinner, more regular pieces
  • You want to practise throwing larger pieces and centering larger amounts of clay
  • You want to learn to throw more complex shapes: vases, bottles and necks, lidder containers, teapots, etc…
  • You already have intermediate experience on the wheel and you simply want a chance to spend a whole week practising without worrying about anything else

If you’re unsure, feel free to take our self-assessment. It will give you a result based on your experience and skills, and show you which course is the best fit for you.

Discover the territory/ Discover Sicily

During this week, you won’t just get a ceramics course. We’ve also organised a program of activity so that you can connect with Sicilian culture, get to know beautiful Salemi and its rich history and territory. 

You will:

  • Eat breakfast like the locals do in our favourite local bars
  • Enjoy meals in a variety of authentic, local Sicilian restaurants / home-restaurants
  • Seasonal cultural excursions

What's Included

  • Ceramics classes and mentorship by established ceramicists
  • All materials
  • Palermo Airport pick-up (12 noon Sunday) or Palermo City Pick Up (11am Sunday). There is an additional charge for any pick-ups at other times
  • Return Palermo Airport transfer and Palermo City drop off on Saturday, departing Salemi at 7am
  • 2 x Yoga and 2 x meditation classes
  • All meals and non-alcoholic beverages from Sunday dinner through to Saturday breakfast
  • Glazing and firing a max of 3kg of pieces (this will be done after the course has finished)

What's Not Included

  • Accommodation
  • Shipping of pieces that will be fired by the studio
  • Additional cost for firing/glazing more than 3kg of pieces (it’s 20€/kg for each extra kg of clay)
  • Alcoholic beverages

Arrival/Departure

We ask that you plan your arrival for Sunday. We have an included pick-upfrom either Palermo Centre (in front of Hotel Politeama) at 1100 or PalermoAirport at 1200. On Sunday afternoon (circa 1630, subject to change), you willbe welcomed to Salemi by one of our team members, who will take you on anorientation walk of the historical centre. This will be followed by a welcomeapericena (light dinner) with a Salemi Spritz at one of our favourite localrestaurants.

We will bid youfarewell at the end of your time in Salemi with an included transfer to eitherPalermo Airport or Palermo Centre (Piazza Politeama), departing Salemi at 0700on Saturday morning.

**For pick-upsand drop-offs outside of these times and locations, please contact us for atransfer quote.

A Typical Day

This is an intensive learning week! Teaching is primarily group-based with moments of individual feedback built in. Please note this is not one-on-one tuition.

You will be in the studio from Monday at 0900through to approximately 1700 on Friday afternoon. Studio time is a combination of teaching and non-teaching time. You can expect a typical day to look like this:

0800 - Yoga in the courtyard (optional)

0900 - 1300 - Studio (teaching with a coffee/tea break at 1030 in the courtyard)1300 - Shared lunch in the courtyard
1400 - 1630 - Free Studio Time - Afternoon studio hours are primarily self-directed practice, with your teacher available in the studio for guidance

1900 - Dinners are a combination of eating at local restaurants, homerestaurants, and in-house at the studio

Please note

Our program is carefully designed to balance teaching, practice, meals, and cultural experiences, and we do our best to follow the planned schedule. However, all times and activities are indicative and may shift with the season, the weather, or the needs of the group. Studio sessions, meals, and excursions may be adjusted, rescheduled, or substituted at our discretion. Flexibility is part of the Salemi Ceramics experience, and we believe these small changes often add to the richness of your time with us.

Our Teachers

We have different visiting teachers every month, chosen amongst the most brilliant Italian and European ceramicists and ceramics instructors.

To see which teacher will lead our upcoming beginners course and learn more about them, go to View all courses and click on the teacher’s name.

(📷 by Sabela Andrés @sabelaandres)

Availability

2025 Dates

EUR €1250
31st Aug - 6th Sept 2025
7th Sept - 13th Sept 2025
19th Oct - 25th October 2025
26th Oct - 1st November 2025
2nd Nov - 8th November 2025
9th Nov - 15th November 2025
16th Nov - 22nd November 2025
30th Nov - 6th December 2025
Learn from our resident teacher
Daily local activities
Check 2025 Availability

2026 Dates

EUR €1300
22nd Febr - 28th February 2026
15th March - 21st March 2026
29th March - 4th April 2026
12th April - 18th April 2026
3rd May - 9th May 2026
7th June - 13th June 2026
14th June - 20th June 2026
21st June - 27th June 2026
28th June - 4th July 2026
12th July - 18th July 2026
26th July - 1st August 2026
30th August - 5th Sept 2026
Check 2026 Availability

Meet the team

Our team is passionate about bringing Salemi to life and providing you with an authentic Sicilian experience