About The Ceramic School

Hey, I’m Josh, founder of The Ceramic School. My journey with ceramics began long before I knew where it would lead. I was introduced to clay at a young age when my mum took a pottery lesson and soon after that our basement was transformed into a pottery studio, where I spent countless hours surrounded by clay, helping my mum prepare for art shows, and absorbing the creativity that filled our home. In high school, I was fortunate to have pottery lessons, and soon found myself immersed in the world of ceramics with my first paid job as a teacher’s assistant where I spent countless hours wedging clay, stacking kilns, and learning the fine details of the craft.

At home, I was surrounded by ceramics masterpieces – all sorts of mugs, vases, sculptures – the work wasn’t just part of the background; it shaped my view of ceramics as something profound and transformative. From the beginning, I knew ceramics was more than just an art form – it was a way of life.

But, as many artists can relate, the path wasn’t always straightforward. I went to university to study Fine Art, drawn to the sculptural possibilities of the medium. Yet, life took a turn when I discovered 3D Animation – a different kind of sculpting, where I could mold ideas in a limitless digital space. It was thrilling, and I pursued it fully, earning a BA from Ravensbourne in London. After university, I met my now wife, Hannah, and flew over to Austria with a one way ticket… and in order to pay rent, I started working with my dad who was a computer programmer – which turned into me becoming a lead developer for a company over the course of 10 years. However, there was always a part of me that was still connected to clay.

After years of working in web development and helping businesses grow online, I realized something. Ceramics, my original passion, was fading from the traditional education system. University and college ceramic courses were being shut down due to lack of funding, and fewer people had access to this incredible art form that had been such a crucial part of my journey. I began thinking about what I could do to help…

In 2016, after I handed in my 100th invoice, a week before my first child was born, I realized that this was not the life for me, and I wanted to get back to something artistic that brought me joy. That’s when I knew it was time to create something new. Something that would bring ceramic artists together, connect them globally, and make ceramics education accessible again.

And so, The Ceramic School was born.

What started as a simple idea – to share information and inspiration about ceramics that I was interested in – has grown into an online platform unlike any other. Today, we have a community of over 500,000 artists worldwide on social media and our email newsletter. Through online courses, live demonstrations, our world famous online events and a free Facebook group, ceramicists from around the globe can learn, teach, and inspire each other without borders. Our Ceramics Congress and Clay Camp online events are the best times of the year: Where else can you watch the techniques of a Japanese potter in one moment and then switch to learning from a Dutch ceramic artist the next, all the while chatting and laughing with ceramicists from all over the world?

But The Ceramic School isn’t just about learning – it’s about building a community of clay enthusiasts who share the same passion.

My journey, like many artists, has been full of twists and turns. Yet every step – whether learning in a high school pottery studio, working in animation, or building websites – led me back to where I started: clay. The Ceramic School is the result of that journey – a place for ceramicists to learn, grow, and thrive together.

In 2023, after 7 years of being online, The Ceramic School bought a property in Feldkirchen in Kärnten, with the aim of creating the most creative space for ceramics in real life. We are in the process of renovations at the moment and hope to be open in 2025. You can follow our journey here.

If you’re a ceramic artist, or someone who loves working with clay, you’re not alone. We’ve built this resource for you, and together, we can keep the spirit of ceramics alive for generations to come.

Ready to be part of this journey?
Become a member, join our newsletter, explore our online pottery courses, or reach out to collaborate. 

Let’s continue to spread the love of ceramics together.