A two-week pottery residency at Laima Ceramics, Latvia
Applications are open throughout the year.
The Studio Residency offers two weeks of studio access, accommodation and time to focus on your ceramic practice in a working pottery studio.
It is suitable for both experienced potters who want time and space to develop their own work, and beginners who would like to learn more about ceramics.
The residency is self-directed rather than a structured course. You will have access to the studio and its equipment, work at your own pace, and share the space with us (Laima & Oksana). We are happy to answer questions and offer informal guidance along the way.
What to Expect
During your two-week stay, you can:
Work independently on your own ceramic projects.
Experiment with different forms, techniques and materials.
Develop an existing collection or start exploring a new direction.
Learn from the everyday work and processes of an active ceramics studio.
There is no fixed curriculum or required final outcome. How you use your time depends on your experience, interests and goals.
What's Included
13 nights of accommodation.
Daily access to the pottery studio and equipment.
Shared studio space with Laima and Oksana.
Clay and firing package.
Materials & firing package includes:
4 × 10 kg stoneware clay.
Glazing and one bisque firing at 980°C for up to 30 small-to-medium pieces, or up to 5 kg of work.
At the end of the residency, you can choose to take your bisque-fired work home or leave it with us for glazing and a subsequent firing in a colour of your choice.
If you choose to leave your work for glazing, we can arrange international shipping after firing. Shipping costs depend on the destination and parcel size.
Total price: €1,500 for a two-week residency (13 nights).
Learning Opportunities & Individual Classes
The residency is suitable for both beginners and experienced potters. As it is a self-directed stay rather than a structured course, the amount of individual teaching depends on your experience and interests.
For beginners, we recommend arranging some individual lessons alongside the residency to get started with the basic techniques and make the most of your studio time. Depending on your interests, options include:
Wheel throwing lessons – €180 per individual lesson. Beginners usually benefit from booking 1–4 lessons to learn the basic techniques and become comfortable working on the pottery wheel.
Dinnerware making class – €320. An individual class focused on making a functional dinnerware set.
Handbuilding introduction – €140. An individual introduction to handbuilding techniques.
For more experienced potters, the residency can be taken as it is, with independent studio work and informal guidance. Alternatively, you can arrange individual sessions to explore a particular technique or develop specific skills.
Some additional possibilities include:
Porcelain wheel throwing and handbuilding: Explore the qualities of porcelain and techniques for throwing, lifting and shaping this material.
Large-scale forms: Learn approaches to making larger pieces, such as platters and sculptural vessels.
Specialty firing experiences: Explore alternative surface techniques through horse-hair raku or obvara firing.
Introductory horsemanship: An opportunity to learn about groundwork, horse communication and observing the herd.
All additional lessons and experiences should be arranged in advance.
You can find details and prices for our pottery classes under 1-Day Class options.
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided in our family home, a historic brick building originally built in 1878 and renovated in 2021.
The house is shared with our family, including five cats and one dog. The horses' paddock and stable are located between the house and the pottery studio.
There are two accommodation options:
Second floor
First floor
Both rooms include bedding, towels and Wi-Fi.
Studio Space
The pottery studio is a 140 m² light-filled workspace, located approximately a two-minute walk from the house through the garden.
Daily access and use of the equipment are included.
The studio has:
2 pottery wheels.
2 Electric kilns.
Large working tables and shelving.
Designated glazing room
Upstairs gallery space.
A separate lounge room with a sofa, tea corner and small book library.
Studio Etiquette & Self-Catering
The residency is self-catering and self-directed.
Residents are responsible for their own meals, maintaining their personal space and cleaning their pottery wheel and working area after use.
This is a shared working environment, so we ask everyone to be considerate of other studio users and leave equipment and common areas clean and ready for use.
Getting Here
The nearest international airport is Riga International Airport (RIX).
Our studio is located in the Zemgale region of Latvia, approximately 70 km from Riga Airport.
There are several ways to reach us:
Bolt taxi: Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from Riga Airport. The journey usually costs around €70
Public transport: You can take a bus from Riga to Bauska town. The ticket costs less than €10. From Bauska, we will arrange pick you up by car to our studio (20min drive)
Rental car: Renting a car is another option if you prefer to explore Latvia and have your own transport during the stay.
A rental car is not essential. Many previous residents have managed perfectly well without one, using public transport and arranging their transfers when needed.
For further practical information about arrival arrangements, what to bring and shipping finished work, please see our Residency Q&A page.
For the two-week residency, arrivals and departures are welcome between 10:00 and 17:00.
We are happy to be flexible where possible to accommodate travel arrangements. Please note that arrivals are not scheduled on Sundays.
Full reservation terms are available in our Terms & Conditions.
To learn more about the studio, its surroundings and everyday life here, you are also welcome to read our Residency Story.
The residency described here is a fixed two-week stay. Shorter or custom-length stays may occasionally be possible, depending on availability.
Longer-term residencies (5–12 weeks) may also be arranged. These are self-funded residencies, not sponsored or grant-based placements. Stays longer than five weeks are priced at €500 per week.
How to Apply
If you are interested in joining us, please email laimaceramics@gmail.com.
Please include:
A short introduction about yourself and your ceramics experience.
What you would like to learn, practise or work on during your stay.
Whether you are interested in any additional individual classes.
We look forward to hearing from you!
A two-week pottery residency at Laima Ceramics, Latvia
Applications are open throughout the year.
The Studio Residency offers two weeks of studio access, accommodation and time to focus on your ceramic practice in a working pottery studio.
It is suitable for both experienced potters who want time and space to develop their own work, and beginners who would like to learn more about ceramics.
The residency is self-directed rather than a structured course. You will have access to the studio and its equipment, work at your own pace, and share the space with us (Laima & Oksana). We are happy to answer questions and offer informal guidance along the way.
What to Expect
During your two-week stay, you can:
Work independently on your own ceramic projects.
Experiment with different forms, techniques and materials.
Develop an existing collection or start exploring a new direction.
Learn from the everyday work and processes of an active ceramics studio.
There is no fixed curriculum or required final outcome. How you use your time depends on your experience, interests and goals.
What's Included
13 nights of accommodation.
Daily access to the pottery studio and equipment.
Shared studio space with Laima and Oksana.
Clay and firing package.
Materials & firing package includes:
4 × 10 kg stoneware clay.
Glazing and one bisque firing at 980°C for up to 30 small-to-medium pieces, or up to 5 kg of work.
At the end of the residency, you can choose to take your bisque-fired work home or leave it with us for glazing and a subsequent firing in a colour of your choice.
If you choose to leave your work for glazing, we can arrange international shipping after firing. Shipping costs depend on the destination and parcel size.
Total price: €1,500 for a two-week residency (13 nights).
Learning Opportunities & Individual Classes
The residency is suitable for both beginners and experienced potters. As it is a self-directed stay rather than a structured course, the amount of individual teaching depends on your experience and interests.
For beginners, we recommend arranging some individual lessons alongside the residency to get started with the basic techniques and make the most of your studio time. Depending on your interests, options include:
Wheel throwing lessons – €180 per individual lesson. Beginners usually benefit from booking 1–4 lessons to learn the basic techniques and become comfortable working on the pottery wheel.
Dinnerware making class – €320. An individual class focused on making a functional dinnerware set.
Handbuilding introduction – €140. An individual introduction to handbuilding techniques.
For more experienced potters, the residency can be taken as it is, with independent studio work and informal guidance. Alternatively, you can arrange individual sessions to explore a particular technique or develop specific skills.
Some additional possibilities include:
Porcelain wheel throwing and handbuilding: Explore the qualities of porcelain and techniques for throwing, lifting and shaping this material.
Large-scale forms: Learn approaches to making larger pieces, such as platters and sculptural vessels.
Specialty firing experiences: Explore alternative surface techniques through horse-hair raku or obvara firing.
Introductory horsemanship: An opportunity to learn about groundwork, horse communication and observing the herd.
All additional lessons and experiences should be arranged in advance.
You can find details and prices for our pottery classes under 1-Day Class options.
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided in our family home, a historic brick building originally built in 1878 and renovated in 2021.
The house is shared with our family, including five cats and one dog. The horses' paddock and stable are located between the house and the pottery studio.
There are two accommodation options:
Second floor
First floor
Both rooms include bedding, towels and Wi-Fi.
Studio Space
The pottery studio is a 140 m² light-filled workspace, located approximately a two-minute walk from the house through the garden.
Daily access and use of the equipment are included.
The studio has:
2 pottery wheels.
2 Electric kilns.
Large working tables and shelving.
Designated glazing room
Upstairs gallery space.
A separate lounge room with a sofa, tea corner and small book library.
Studio Etiquette & Self-Catering
The residency is self-catering and self-directed.
Residents are responsible for their own meals, maintaining their personal space and cleaning their pottery wheel and working area after use.
This is a shared working environment, so we ask everyone to be considerate of other studio users and leave equipment and common areas clean and ready for use.
Getting Here
The nearest international airport is Riga International Airport (RIX).
Our studio is located in the Zemgale region of Latvia, approximately 70 km from Riga Airport.
There are several ways to reach us:
Bolt taxi: Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from Riga Airport. The journey usually costs around €70
Public transport: You can take a bus from Riga to Bauska town. The ticket costs less than €10. From Bauska, we will arrange pick you up by car to our studio (20min drive)
Rental car: Renting a car is another option if you prefer to explore Latvia and have your own transport during the stay.
A rental car is not essential. Many previous residents have managed perfectly well without one, using public transport and arranging their transfers when needed.
For further practical information about arrival arrangements, what to bring and shipping finished work, please see our Residency Q&A page.
For the two-week residency, arrivals and departures are welcome between 10:00 and 17:00.
We are happy to be flexible where possible to accommodate travel arrangements. Please note that arrivals are not scheduled on Sundays.
Full reservation terms are available in our Terms & Conditions.
To learn more about the studio, its surroundings and everyday life here, you are also welcome to read our Residency Story.
The residency described here is a fixed two-week stay. Shorter or custom-length stays may occasionally be possible, depending on availability.
Longer-term residencies (5–12 weeks) may also be arranged. These are self-funded residencies, not sponsored or grant-based placements. Stays longer than five weeks are priced at €500 per week.
How to Apply
If you are interested in joining us, please email laimaceramics@gmail.com.
Please include:
A short introduction about yourself and your ceramics experience.
What you would like to learn, practise or work on during your stay.
Whether you are interested in any additional individual classes.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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