HELP US kickstart A Dream project for the Ceramics Community!
A Brand New Ceramics Education Center in Austria.
We will be offering some special deals to help raise money to start this new Creative Space in Europe.
Join us as we create a whole new world of opportunities for the global ceramic community!
Community Studio
We will be making a large ceramics studio for the local & global population.
Ceramic Retreats
Artist Residencies & Retreats – Come for up to a month to focus on your ceramics whilst you enjoy Austria.
Artist Advisors
Ask for advice and learn from our world renowned resident artist advisors.
The Ceramic School at Heftgasse 4
For the last 3 years, we have been searching for a perfect place to launch a new ceramics center in Austria, and have just purchased this property!
Now we’re aiming to raise money to make renovations on a stunning property that has so much potential we don’t even know where to begin describing it!
This Austrian Convent, in the heart of Feldkirchen in Carinthia, on the border of Italy, is around 1,000 years old!Â
It has an 800m² (8,600ft²) garden, and has 1,350m² (14,530ft²) of indoor space for studios and accommodation split up between the two main buildings.
Space to Breath & Create.
With a total of 1,350 m² of indoor space to play with, this will be one of the largest ceramics centers in Europe.
The former convent is over 1,000 years old, with an history and inspiration pouring out of every room, it is 975m² large and will be the accommodation for the staff, residents, and workshop attendees. It comes with amazing rooms, and a communal kitchen and living area and a space for private studios for residents.
The Outhouse is 380m² and will be renovated into a modern ceramics studio and kiln room.
The buildings are in the center of town, but set in a wonderfully quiet 800m² garden, with a nearby river, forest, farmland and mountains – making it a truly idyllic destination.
Your Stay
Mother nature meant well when she created Carinthia, Austria’s sunny south. Numerous unpolluted, warm bathing lakes await visitors here in the middle of the Alps. So do mountains, ranging from the mighty three-thousanders to the gentle Nock Mountains. From their peaks, the view roams over country that is characterised by the cultural diversity of the Alpe-Adria region, by the mild and sunny climate on the southern side of the Alps and by people who greet their guests cheerfully, openly and with a large helping of joie de vivre.
When you come to one of our workshops, you can rest assured you will get a good nights sleep! All of our workshops will come with free accommodation – inside this amazing 1,000 year old former rectory/convent!
In the center of old town of Feldkirchen, but also with its own green oasis garden, this is the perfect space to let your creativity flow. You can relax in the garden, create in the studio, and then walk 30 seconds up the road to the town square full of coffee shops, shops and restaurants.
Whilst you’re over here, why not treat yourself with a day-trip to go hiking, mountain biking, ice-skating, skiing, swimming in the lakes, or get pampered in the Spa – all activities within a 20 minute drive away.
Workshops, Residencies, Community.
With a range of workshops, and the ability to live stream them to the wider world, we aim to become a main hub for ceramics education within Europe.Â
We will initially be focusing on ceramics, but we hope to end up with a community of creative people from all creative fields and from over the world – including ceramicists, painters, printer makers, sculptors…Â all mixing and inspiring one another.
World-Class Facilities
Advanced technology for creatives
Amazing Kilns
We will have a selection of Electric, Gas and Wood fired kilns.
We will be buying or building the following kilns
5 x Electric Kilns. 2 x Gas Kilns. 2 x wood-fired kilns.
Amazing Workspaces
With 1,300 m² there is enough room for everyone.
The Space
300m² communal studio. 300m² as individual studio spaces, plaster rooms, printing rooms, painting rooms. 600 m² accommodation. 700m² garden..
Modern Technology
We aim to have the most advanced studio space in Europe.
High Tech & Reliable
Free Fast WiFi. Live streaming studio so you can attend workshops from around the world. Air filtration unit in all studio spaces to keep you safe. 3D Printers. 3D Scanners. High end computers.
Amazing Nature
Perfectly located for you to get inspired by nature.
The natural world
Mountains, Forests, Mountain Biking, Lakes, Swimming, Ice Skating, Rivers, Skiing, Spas. This is the perfect place to fill up your creative energy.
Our Beginnings
Hi, my name’s Joshua Collinson, and in 2016, I started The Ceramic School to share my passion for ceramics. I set out to build an online community for makers, teachers, galleries, arts organizations and collectors alike. The Ceramic School has grown since then to provide an invaluable resource for the community, the first of it’s kind to set aside regionalism for a more inclusive international community to gather, share and support each other.
Our Values
I’ve been a huge supporter of “no secrets in ceramics” since the beginning – using our platform to share new ideas and inspirations, hosting free live streamed lessons on Facebook, and then by offering online workshops at affordable prices.Â
In 2018, when I couldn’t afford to fly my family to the USA to attend a ceramics conference over there, I decided to make The Ceramics Congress. This is now a bi-annual online conference, which sees thousands of artists and creatives come together for the 5 day long event which presents over 40 internationally recognized artists presenting workshops and artists talks, alongside online exhibitions, expo booths, virtual markets and a plethora of social events that make the geographical distance in our world fade away.Â
Accessibility has always been at the forefront of our vision. When we couldn’t afford to travel for educational opportunities or events, we’ve created platforms for us to experience these opportunities online. The cost of these events is extremely low for participants compared to the value and quality of content they present. (We also offer free tickets so that no one misses out)Â
Accessibility, diversity, and inclusivity are tenets of The Ceramic School, The Ceramics Congress and the staff and volunteers that have worked with me over the years.
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The Future
And now, we are looking forward and planning for amazing future growth.Â
That expansion includes a physical space to complement, not replace, the online platforms of the School and Congress. Picture a beautiful location in Austria, stunning studio spaces for resident artists to work, spacious classrooms for students to learn, a live-streaming studio where we can film & broadcast our workshops online to the world, and a gallery space for the community to appreciate the range and depth of what is being created in contemporary ceramics from the world over.Â
This new gathering space will bring together international artists of all levels of experience to dream, create, and research. With a range of workshops, and the ability to live stream professional quality content to the wider world, this new resort will become a main hub for ceramics within Europe.
And this is where you come in…Â
We are looking for community support and funders to help get this project off the ground.Â
It’s a big goal we admit, but we also think that the international ceramics community can see the value in this endeavor. We’re going to stick with our passion for clay and inclusivity by helping to offset costs that are a barrier for artists. We are going to build a space where all are welcome, all are supported and the ceramic arts can thrive.
And we want you to help us create it.
The Creative Space in the Heart of Austria.
Help make this dream a reality
Stay up-to-date with this Project
We need the community to support us.
Please Help us by filling out this short survey!
[form id="73047" /]
Fundraising Deals Coming Soon
Don’t Miss Out!
Enter your Name & Email below to stay updated!
Become a Monthly Member
We need the community to support us, and one of the best ways to support us is to become a monthly member for $29 USD / month.
As a member, you get unlimited access to watch all of our online pottery workshops!
Online Lifetime Deals
Pay Once - Learn for Life
These lifetime deals are for online content, and not for in-real-life workshops.
The Ceramic School
LIFETIME DEAL
$
997
USD
-
Instant Access to All of the The Ceramic School Online Workshops
-
Tickets to All Future Ceramic School Online Workshops.
The Ceramics Congress
LIFETIME DEAL
$
997
USD
-
Live & Replay Tickets to All of The Ceramics Congress Online Events.
-
All past recordings
School & Congress
LIFETIME DEAL
$
1990
USD
-
Instant Access to All Past & Future Online Ceramic School Workshops
-
Instant Access to All Past & Future Online Ceramics Congress Events
Pre-book In-Person Workshops
Amazing discounts for early supporters.
You get to choose to come to a workshop within 5 years.
Each workshop will have space for 5-10 participants including shared accommodation.
1-Day Workshop
HALF PRICE
$
297
USD
-
RRP $497 USD
-
Pre-book any 1-day In-Real-Life workshop
-
Price includes a 1-day workshop, and 1-night accommodation.
5-Day Workshop
HALF PRICE
$
497
USD
-
RRP $997 USD
-
Pre-book any 5-day In-Real-Life workshop
-
Price includes a 5-day workshop, and 7-nights of accommodation.
10-Day Workshop
HALF PRICE
$
997
USD
-
RRP $1,997 USD
-
Pre-book any 10-day In-Real-Life workshop
-
Price includes a 10-day workshop, and 14-nights of accommodation.
Reserve your next Ceramics Retreat
Amazing discounts for early supporters.
You get to choose when to come to Austria within 5 years.
We will have space for up 10 residents at a time in our shared accommodation.
This includes a bed in our shared accommodation, shared kitchen/lounge, 24/7 studio access.
1-Week Retreat
HALF PRICE
$
297
USD
-
RRP $597 USD
-
Come and spend 7-Days of pure creative self-indulgence
-
Price includes 24/7 studio space and shared accommodation.
2-Week Retreat
HALF PRICE
$
497
USD
-
RRP $997 USD
-
Come and spend 2-Weeks of pure creative self-indulgence
-
Price includes 24/7 studio space and shared accommodation.
4-Week Retreat
HALF PRICE
$
997
USD
-
RRP $1,997 USD
-
Come and spend up to 4-Weeks of pure creative self-indulgence
-
Price includes 24/7 studio space and shared accommodation
Sponsorship / Donations
Your name on a plaque on a wheel, kiln, or studio.
Sponsor an Artist
Help an Artist come for a 1-month Residency
$
997
USD
-
Your donation will help an artist come for a 1-month residency
-
Your name will be added to the studio's donors list.
Sponsor a Wheel
Your name on a wheel
$
1997
USD
-
Your donation will help buy a wheel.
-
Your name will be engraved into the wheel.
Sponsor a Kiln
Your name on a kiln
$
2997
USD
-
Your donation will help buy a kiln.
-
Your name will be engraved into the kiln.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
We have a big idea, but we cannot do it alone.
We need the support of The Ceramics Community to make this dream a reality.
We believe that if we are successfuly, then this will be a huge benefit to the ceramics community for years to come.
Lifetime Deals
The Lifetime deals are a special type of account where you will get access to either The Ceramic School online workshops (all replays and 2x new workshops per month) or The Ceramics Congress (2x big events per year) or both!
When you buy these accounts, you get them for life – and we have a 30 day refund guarantee.
Prebooked Retreats
These allow you to pre-book future retreats at half price. You can then fly over and spend some time in Austria with us while enjoying 24/7 access to the communal ceramics studio and your own private studio space. Accommodation and firings are included. You just need to pay for travel, materials and food.Â
Sponsorships
Sponsorships will allow you to send us money to help purchase wheels and kilns and other studio equipment. We will dedicate a wheel, kiln, or studio in your name.
No,
Because of the nature of this old stone house, it is not possible to separate the accommodation into single rooms with en-suite bathrooms.
Instead, this is going to be more like an creative ceramics hostel, broken up into three main flats, with a mix of single rooms, double rooms, and dorm rooms. This shared accommodation will come with a shared kitchen and lounge areas, and semi-private bathrooms.
We will have a couple of private rooms available, and we if you book to come over with 3 or more friends, then you may be able to get your own flat, or even the whole floor.
We will have card keys for the rooms to make sure only guests can get into the hostel. We will also have lockers in the dorms for you to lock away your valuables when you’re out.
Dorms are large rooms that sleep multiple people who aren’t usually traveling together. By staying in a dorm room, you can pay a fraction of the price per night compared to other types of accommodation.
All dorm beds will come equipped with a reading light, a power socket to charge your gadgets, and a privacy curtain. And ladies, if you don’t fancy sharing your sleeping space with guys, we will also offer female-only dorms.
Plus, all people staying in the hostel get 24/7 access to the ceramics studio.
You can fly to Klagenfurt Airport (20 minute drive away) or Salzburg Airport (1.5 hours drive away) or Venice Airport (2.5 hours drive away)
We would pick you up from Klagenfurt or Salzburg airports, but you would need to take a train from Venice airport to Villach.
Depending on where you live, you can get a 3 month visa to Austria no problem.
If you are planning to stay longer, you can also get longer Work & Travel visas.
You can find out more about that here:Â www.austriavisas.com
Please send us an email to support@ceramic.school and let us know what you would like to do to help us more 🙂
