All members must agree to read and adhere to the below policies to be eligible for membership.
Purpose of Studio Membership:To practice skills and be part of a ceramic arts community, to have the opportunity to enjoy being creative and take time out for yourself. I want you to leave the studio feeling like you have had the chance to forget the hustle and bustle of the busy world and immerse yourself in just making.
About Membership
After completing a one-month trial, a member may be offered a rolling membership with a minimum initial term of three months. To cancel after that minimum term, the member must give at least one calendar month’s written notice by email to pendlepotterystudio@gmail.com. Membership fees remain payable during the notice period.
Membership is sold as a monthly package containing a specified number of studio sessions. Package availability is limited by category. A member may request one package change in any rolling six-month period; approval depends on availability and takes effect only when confirmed by the studio. A member may purchase additional sessions on no more than two occasions in any rolling six-month period, subject to availability.
Membership fees are charged monthly through Kiln Fire, which is also used for studio reservations and firing fees. Members must maintain valid payment-card details in Kiln Fire. Membership fees and any firing fees shown as due will be charged automatically on the first day of each month. If a payment fails or remains unpaid, the member’s ability to reserve sessions and submit work for firing will be suspended until the outstanding amount is paid.
Membership studio time is for independent work and is available only to members who can use the relevant materials and equipment safely without continuous supervision.
Before using a potter’s wheel during membership sessions, a member must either complete a full wheel course at the studio or pass a practical assessment conducted by the studio director. The assessment will consider safe preparation, operation, cleaning, and shutdown of the wheel; the studio director will confirm the outcome to the member.
Standard membership is intended for personal practice and small-scale, occasional sales; it is not intended for full-time commercial production, repeated batch production, or activity that materially exceeds the storage, equipment, kiln, or session capacity included in the chosen package. Members planning sustained commercial production must obtain the studio director’s written approval and may require a separate arrangement.
Each member is responsible for ensuring that any work they sell or give to others is fit for its intended use and complies with applicable safety and legal requirements.
Members have access to dedicated storage space for work in progress and for a limited amount of personal tools and glazes. Please do not leave large bags/tool boxes at the studio. The studio is not responsible for the loss or damage of any personal items belonging to studio members.
Building Safety
Pendle Pottery Studio is situated in a multi-let space, other tenants in the building run their own creative businesses. Members must not conduct themselves in a way that causes any disruption or disturbance to other tenants. When members are accessing shared areas of the building e.g. entrance doors, corridors and toilets please do this in a quiet and respectful manner. If members wish to listen to music whilst they are in the studio, then please ensure this does not cause a disturbance or disruption to other studio users.
Except in an emergency, members are not permitted to access any other areas of the building except Pendle Pottery Studio (Unit 26), the entrance door, toilets, and corridor in front of the studio. CCTV monitoring is in place to ensure peace of mind for all tenants.
Smoking or vaping is not permitted anywhere inside the building or at the entrance way, please go outside and away from the doors to smoke.
Keys & Door Access
It is vitally important that all members fully appreciate the need to maintain a secure building. Any incidents resulting in members leaving doors unlocked, key safes not closed, numbers not scrambled will result in the withdrawal of membership for that individual. Such behaviour also jeopardises the studios’ ability to offer any membership at all. Always remember this is a shared space, so your actions do not only affect the security of our studio, but the security of the whole building and its tenants.
Entrance for members is via the green wooden double doors on Foreside, this door has a mortice lock and the key will be stored in a keysafe on the outside of the door. You must open the keysafe with the code given to you by the studio director, you must not share this code with anyone else, the key must be returned to the keysafe once you have unlocked the door. Do not forget to scramble the numbers on the keysafe lock to prevent anyone else from opening the key safe after you. Once through the green doors you must fully shut the door behind you to ensure it locks.
Making Studio Reservations·
All members must reserve their studio time before entering the building, this can be done at anytime up to 10 minutes before the session start via Kiln Fire (space permitting). Studio sessions can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance for all members.· A member who cannot attend a booked session must cancel it through Kiln Fire no later than one hour before its scheduled start. A later cancellation or failure to attend will count as one used session. The studio director may restore the session where the member provides a prompt explanation and evidence, where reasonably available, of an emergency or a Kiln Fire service failure that prevented timely cancellation; the decision will be communicated to the member.
Members must not share their personal Kiln Fire log in details or attempt to make a reservation on behalf of another member. Memberships are individually issued and cannot be shared with another person.
Access to the studios is strictly for registered members, you must not permit any non-members (adults or children) to accompany you or gain access to the studios. Anyone found doing this will be in breach of their contract and have their membership cancelled with immediate effect.
It is a Health & Safety requirement that Pendle Pottery Studio complies with all building and fire safety regulations. All members entering the studio must complete a digital check in and check out using the tablets in the studio. Forgetting to check in or out will give false information for both health and safety purposes and also to Kilnfire and may affect the remaining balance of your monthly sessions.
Studio Etiquette·
Threatening, violent, harassing, discriminatory, or persistently abusive conduct towards staff, contractors, members, visitors, or other building occupants is prohibited. The studio may temporarily refuse access while an incident is investigated and may cancel membership for a serious breach or repeated breach after notifying the member of the conduct relied upon.
Please respect other studio members. Do not disrupt them while they are working, use their tools, or touch their work/possessions without their permission.
Please be respectful of instructors and studio staff that may be working on personal projects during non-teaching time. If you have questions or need assistance whilst at the studio please follow the procedure outlined in your studio induction.·
Please practice mobile phone courtesy when in the studio and take any phone conversations outside.
The studio promotes the sharing of best practices and an overall community appreciation of ceramic work. Please be respectful of intellectual property and do not photograph or otherwise appropriate any work, procedures, methods, or likewise of any studio members, staff, or guests without their express permission.
In the event that a member or a student breaks or damages any studio equipment, tools or ceramic work, they must notify the studio director as soon as possible by email explaining the incident. If the damage is a result of inappropriate use of equipment, negligence, or failing to adhere to a usage/safety policy the responsible person may be asked to pay for the cost of repairing the damage or replacing the loss.
Members are not permitted to bring their pets to the studio. The studio directors pets will be present in the studio on a regular basis. Anyone with any specific allergies or issues with pets being present must notify the studio director immediately.
Clay & Materials Usage
The studio uses off white and buff stoneware. Studio clay may be reclaimed and will require wedging before use. The studio fires to Cone 04 for Bisque and Cone 6 for glaze. No earthenware clays are allowed. Any member wanting to use non-standard clay must purchase this from the studio and be responsible for their own clay reclamation.
Members may use the studio’s dipping glazes and standard brush-on glazes for work produced during their booked sessions, in quantities proportionate to their membership package and the size and number of pieces being fired.
Branded or specialist brush-on glazes may be restricted or charged separately. A member must obtain the studio director’s approval before bringing or purchasing a glaze for studio use so that firing compatibility and safety can be checked.
Membership includes use of the studio’s standard oxides, underglazes, and coloured slips for work produced during booked sessions, in quantities proportionate to the member’s package and the size and number of pieces. Excessive, wasteful, or production-scale use may be refused or charged separately after the studio notifies the member.
Do not eat or drink in the glaze area. Only wet sanding is permitted indoors. All dry sanding must be done outside away from the studio, members must provide their own P2 dust mask when carrying out dry sanding. Dry glaze materials are off-limits to members unless supervised by a trained member of staff.
There is no use of plaster to make moulds without prior arrangement. Members are permitted to use the existing plaster formers in the studio for their work.
Health & Safety
Pendle Pottery Studio is a wet cleaning studio, clay dust is hazardous to the health of all studio users and actions and activities that may create dust must be prevented.
Members must follow the cleaning procedures for each area of the studio, failure to adequately clean up after yourself results in additional work for studio staff and other members. Repeatedly failing to follow the correct cleaning procedure may result in cancellation of your membership.
Members must not enter the kiln room whilst the kilns are in operation or when the closed sign is displayed on the door. Members must not open kilns, nor interfere with controllers or wiring at anytime.
Members specifically trained on kiln emptying and loading may perform this task only when requested by the studio director.
Members must not use or attempt to operate any studio equipment or devices without adequate training on proper usage, this will be provided at induction.
Members must not alter or interfere with any water, electrical, heating or lighting supplies at the studio.
Pendle Pottery Studio is not responsible for any accidents or incidents resulting from improper and/or unsafe use of the studio.
Pendle Pottery Studio is not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced items. Please be sure you check all areas of the studio where you may have worked before leaving.
Members are responsible for informing the studio of changes to their contact information, please ensure we have up to date email and telephone details on file.
Any accident, injury, fire, near miss, equipment failure, hazardous spill, or incident creating an immediate risk to a person or the premises must be reported to the studio director without delay. During independent studio time, call the number displayed in the studio; if there is an emergency, contact the emergency services first and, if the studio director cannot be reached, contact Martin Wilson on the displayed number. An accident form must be completed for any injury or other incident when requested by the studio. The first-aid kit is clearly signposted in the studio.
Firing of work
Kiln firings can have unpredictable results and, as such, we cannot guarantee the final product. Damage and/or unwanted results during the entire loading, firing, and unloading process are not the responsibility of the studio.
If it is determined that a member’s piece is the cause of any damage to the kilns, shelves, or any other kiln furniture, that member may be charged for the replacement of the items and/or the time it takes to clean them.
Accommodations
The studio will consider reasonable adjustments for a disabled member where an adjustment is needed to enable access to membership services or participation in studio activities.
A member who needs an adjustment should contact the studio director and explain the barrier and the support requested. The studio director will discuss available options with the member and confirm any agreed adjustment. Because the studio occupies a Grade II listed building, some alterations to the building may require consent or may not be practicable; where a requested alteration cannot reasonably be made, the studio will consider suitable alternatives.
INSURANCE LIABILITY
To the extent permitted by law, Pendle Pottery Studio and Heritage Trust for the Northwest are not responsible for loss, damage, or injury caused by a member’s acts or omissions, misuse of the premises or equipment, or failure to follow studio policies and safety instructions. Nothing in this policy excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability arising from the negligence of Pendle Pottery Studio or Heritage Trust for the Northwest.
No guarantee is offered, explicit or implied, regarding the quality or serviceability of fired work. Every precaution will be taken to ensure the best possible outcome for every firing. Use of the studio indicates you agree that you will not hold the studio, it’s volunteers, or any other person associated with the studio responsible for work that is damaged or defective in any way while in the studio at any stage of the process.
While working with clay is relatively safe, there are hazards and risks. These risks include the possibility of injuries or illness related to the use of the studio, materials, or equipment. Use of the studio indicates you agree that you have been informed of the risks and have signed the Pendle Pottery Studio waiver.
SURVEILLANCE
The studio is monitored by security cameras 24/7 to ensure the safety and well-being of all members, staff, and equipment.
The studio may update these policies to reflect changes in law, safety requirements, building rules, services, or studio operations. The current version will be published on the Pendle Pottery Studio website. Changes required immediately for legal, safety, or security reasons take effect when published; all other material changes take effect 14 days after members are notified by email. A material change is one that alters membership fees, access, included services, cancellation rights, member obligations, or grounds for suspension or termination. Minor corrections or clarifications that do not change members’ rights or obligations may take effect when published. Thank you for helping create a safe, positive studio environment.
Created August 2024. Updated September 2026.
