Escape the Busy Mind: Pottery Workshops in Auckland’s Peaceful Rural Setting

Tucked away in a quiet, rural corner of Auckland, Ārā Design Studio offers intimate pottery workshops where you’ll be gently guided into the art of hand-building pottery—an experience designed to ground your senses, calm your thoughts, and reconnect you to the slow beauty of creating with your hands.

Grounded in Clay, Guided by Feel

These workshops are not about symmetry or perfection. They're about flow, organic forms, and making space for your inner world to surface through touch. You’ll learn free-form techniques like coiling, slab-building, and the pinch technique—no wheel, just you and the clay.

Together, we shape pieces that are soulful, raw, and beautifully handmade. Whether your form turns into a vessel, a sculptural object, or something in between, it’s about allowing your hands to lead while your mind unwinds.

A Setting That Holds You

Workshops are held in a warm, homely space surrounded by trees, birdsong, and open skies—designed to be a therapeutic, grounding environment. The space itself holds and softens you, so you can slow down, settle in, and truly drop into the moment.

Small Groups, Big Energy

Workshops are limited to a maximum of eight participants, which allows for personalised guidance, meaningful group energy, and a sense of calm connection. Each session becomes its own little community—supportive, relaxed, and inspiring.

Prefer something quieter? I also offer private sessions if you’d rather not be in a group or would like to come with a friend or loved one for a shared creative experience.

What You'll Make

The forms we make are often sculptural yet usable—imagine vessels, platters, or artful objects that carry the spirit of the hands that shaped them. I’ll guide you through the process, offering techniques and gentle direction, but what you make is led by your own instinct and what speaks to you in the moment.

Workshops

Sessions are 3.5 hours long, with all materials provided. You don’t need any experience—just the curiosity to explore and the desire to slow down.

Go to the Workshops page for upcoming workshops