Workshop 01
Pottery Hand Building
The workshop ROA began with. Pinch, coil and slab until it becomes something.
Book on WhatsApp
The workshop ROA began with. Pinch, coil and slab until it becomes something.
Book on WhatsAppHand building is the oldest way of making pottery — older than the wheel by thousands of years. There is no machine between you and the clay. You press, pinch, roll and join with your fingers, and the object slowly becomes what you decided it would be. It is the workshop ROA Art opened with in 2022, and it remains the one we recommend to anyone visiting a pottery studio in Ras Al Khaimah for the first time.
You will work with a soft stone-coloured clay that holds its shape well and forgives beginners. Your session begins with wedging — pressing the air out of the clay so it fires cleanly — and then moves through the three fundamental hand building techniques.
Once the form is finished you decorate the surface: texture with tools, press botanicals into the clay, carve lines, or add small sculptural details. Most people make one substantial piece, and many finish a small second one if time allows.
Complete beginners are the majority of the room, and the workshop is built for them. It is also a favourite for friends coming together, mothers and daughters, birthday groups, and anyone who wants a slower alternative to the usual weekend outing in RAK. Because hand building does not require the coordination that the wheel demands, it suits mixed groups where confidence levels differ, and it works well for those who prefer to take their time rather than race a spinning wheel.
Your piece stays with us to dry, then goes through two firings in our kiln. We bisque fire first, then glaze in the colour you choose and fire again to stoneware temperature. This makes the piece food safe, watertight and permanent. Collection is usually two to three weeks after your session, and we message you on WhatsApp as soon as it is ready. If you are visiting the UAE and cannot return, we can arrange delivery within the Emirates.
No. Most people who come to ROA Art have never touched clay before. The session is taught step by step from wedging the clay onwards, and our studio team stays with you throughout. Hand building is the gentlest entry point into pottery because it does not require the timing or coordination that the wheel does — you work at your own pace, and there is no way to ruin a piece that cannot be reshaped.
A hand building workshop at ROA Art is AED 200 per person. That price includes all clay and tools, guidance during the session, glazing in the colour you choose, and both kiln firings. There are no additional charges to collect your finished piece. Sessions run 1.5 to 2 hours and all visits are by appointment, so message us on WhatsApp to arrange a time.
You choose — a bowl, a mug, a tray, a small vase or a sculptural object. Most people complete one substantial piece within the session. Your work cannot go home the same day because wet clay must dry slowly and then be fired twice. Expect two to three weeks between your workshop and collection. We message you on WhatsApp when your piece comes out of the kiln.
Yes, hand building suits children well and we regularly host family sessions and birthday groups. For younger children we recommend an adult works alongside them. If you are planning a children's party or a school group, message us and we will tailor the session length and the pieces to the age group.
By appointment. Send us a date and how many are coming.
Book on WhatsApp