Sussex

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-Kinga.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery founder, Chichester" class="wp-image-81114" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-Kinga.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-Kinga-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-Kinga-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-Kinga-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-Kinga-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



With studios in Chichester and Selsey, <a href="https://www.chiselpottery.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chisel Pottery</a> runs a full, fun programme for all levels of confidence and commitment. Fancy trying something new for a couple of hours over the weekend? Or maybe you’re ready to sign up for a full eight-week course? You’ll find it all here, with classes covering an equally broad range of techniques, from wheel-based creations to slab builds and pinch pot making.&nbsp;



Chisel’s founder is Fine Art-trained Kinga Amielucha. She grew up in Poland, and has been passionate about all things ceramic since her teens, thanks to an after-school club run by an elderly artist who made pots in her barn.&nbsp;Don’t expect rustic here though: what’s distinctive about the Chisel Pottery experience is its blend of functional flair and polished earthiness. You’ll get your hands marvellously mucky but you’ll leave with something both useful and beautiful (dishwasher-safe, too). There are no splashy primary colours either – it’s all hushed pastels and soothing neutrals, meaning that even the most homely-looking vessel comes home looking downright chic.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-exterior.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81115" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-exterior.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-exterior-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-exterior-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-exterior-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-exterior-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



I signed up for two sessions, both of them in Chisel’s Chichester studio. It’s tucked inside the city’s Graylingwell Chapel, a Grade II listed building that’s been transformed into a bustling community hub and events space, with not one but two branches of local micro-chain Caccia &amp; Tails on site. Kinga calls this space her ‘pod-ery’, and it’s petite but not cramped, the walls lined with inspiring examples of other students’ work and intriguing tools of the trade.&nbsp;



Pitching up solo to workshops like this can sometimes trigger new-girl nerves, but there’s no chance of that here: Kinga’s relaxed, wry manner means everyone’s sharing smiles and excitement even before aprons have been donned. It helps that classes are kept small, and while they attract all sorts, my experience showed them to be a uniformly friendly bunch, whether it’s the couple expecting their first baby, the retired teacher gifted a class as a birthday present from her son, or the chatty, brightly dressed duo who turned out to be old school pals. It was mutual encouragement and group enthusiasm all the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-classes">THE CLASSES </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-thumbs.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81134" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-thumbs.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-thumbs-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-thumbs-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-thumbs-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-thumbs-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



With zero clay experience beyond fashioning the odd coil pot with my daughter, I signed up for sessions using two different techniques: wheel-throwing, which is all about smooth symmetry and seems likely to be a lot more challenging than it looks, and hand-building, a method that&#8217;s slower but more organic and sculptural. 



First comes the 2-hour pottery throwing taster class. An early surprise? Posture is crucial and the first few minutes spent sitting at our wheels feel a bit like a Pilates class – a grounding way to begin what turns out to be a deeply physical craft. For instance, one of the most important aspects of working at the wheel is making sure your masterpiece-in-progress doesn’t fly off as it spins. This requires flinging the clay onto the disc to ensure proper suction. It’s certainly therapeutic.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-pot-wheel.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81110" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-pot-wheel.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-pot-wheel-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-pot-wheel-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-pot-wheel-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-pot-wheel-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



The wheels are electric, controlled by foot pedals that require a sensitive approach, but once your speed has been set (oops, not so fast!), harnessing its centrifugal force with your fingertips is exhilarating. The first task is to let your lump of clay rise up tower-like between your palms before squashing it firmly back down. Next, you let it grow again, this time using your thumbs to open up the centre, creating a circular wall as – ta-da! – a pot magically takes shape. Over our two hours, we get to make three of them. Espresso tumbler, nibbles bowl, cacti planter, toothbrush holder, bud vase… The endless scope for these objects to earn their keep only adds to the appeal.&nbsp;



Kinga’s an excellent teacher – clear, intuitive and quick to spot when something might be about to go awry – and she soon had us all feeling like naturals. A Muddy tip: don’t let this go to your head! I got a bit ambitious with pot number two and while Kinga was ready to rescue it, she was also prepared to let me dig in my (stiletto) heels and go my own way (scroll down for photos – no prizes for guessing which one it is). It was back to basics for pot number three and I’d gladly have made more. Even at its most elementary, working at the wheel quickly becomes addictive.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-teaching.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81136" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-teaching.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-teaching-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-teaching-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-teaching-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-teaching-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



At the end of the session, our works are carefully labelled and set to one side ready for firing and glazing by Kinga. Mine are ready by the time I pitch up for a second session but there’s no time for resting on my laurels. This is a slab build class, so we gather round a table with mats for flinging our chunks onto. Force is good at this point, eliminating any air bubbles (and tensions in the flinger, dare we say), but later on the process becomes more gentle. “Cuddle the pot!” Klinga insists. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-rolling-pin.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81135" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-rolling-pin.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-rolling-pin-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-rolling-pin-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-rolling-pin-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-rolling-pin-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



The aim is to craft a pair of conical bottles that can be stoppered and used for olive oil and vinegar. This we do by rolling out our clay, using a template to cut a witch’s hat shape that we drape over a cardboard cone. We then carefully slice the top off to fashion our spout. Another hairy moment comes when it’s time to remove the mould and secure a base. Next – phew! – it’s the decoration. My thrown pots were coated in a clear glaze that let the clay’s natural tones shine. In this class, there’s a choice of coloured glazes in petal-soft shades like buttercup and sea green – you&#8217;ll want them all. Kinga shows us how to use mark-making tools to add texture, too. 



At 3 hours, this second course is a little longer but the time flies, and we&#8217;re so engrossed we barely pause for the tray of coffees and chai teas she conjures up. There’s a rhythm to it all that is completely absorbing, and light chat ebbs and flows. One of my fellow makers is a regular and tells me she made a bottle like this on another course: she uses it all the time, and is regularly asked where she got it. One of the best parts, we all agree, is that while you have the satisfaction of seeing what you’ve made, the anticipation of collecting it later on means you leave with something to look forward to.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-result">THE RESULT</h2>



The firing and glazing process takes up to six weeks so I’ve not yet collected my bottle set (stand by for photo updates!) but here’s how the group&#8217;s work looked at the end of the class…&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-tips-1000x667.jpg" alt="Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81113" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-tips-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-tips-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-tips-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-tips.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Check out those spouts! 



And here&#8217;s my trio of pots in their finished, glazed and fired glory&#8230; 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-ta-da.jpg" alt="Pots made at Chisel Pottery, Chichester" class="wp-image-81211" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-ta-da.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-ta-da-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-ta-da-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Chisel-ta-da-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



There’s something thrilling about handling a useful object that’s not only completely unique but that you made yourself. And the physical objects are only part of what you take away. There’s a lot of concentration involved in these classes – combine it with the need to be mindful about how you use your body as you express yourself, and the effect is oddly similar to a really immersive yoga class. Even when that glow fades, you’re left with fresh skills and a newfound sense of creative empowerment. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-damage">THE DAMAGE</h2>



My Pottery Throwing Taster and the Olive Oil and Vinegar Bottle Set Making Class were £95 each. Other prices range from a ‘Cosy Clay Evening’ involving pinch pot making at £50 to an 8-week course at £385, and you can even buy a 12-month membership.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-verdict">THE VERDICT </h2>



Good for: complete beginners, seasoned professionals and everyone in between. It would make a brilliant hen party activity but it&#8217;s equally great if you’re in need of some mindful me-time. Thinking about Christmas shopping already? Buy Chisel Pottery vouchers and you might just be thanked with an original creation!&nbsp;



Not for: anyone averse to getting their hands dirty or who insists on rocking up in their glad rags – clay washes out easily enough but you&#8217;re bound to get a bit messy, especially at the potter&#8217;s wheel.&nbsp;



Chisel Pottery also features in our <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/chisel-pottery-chichester-and-selsey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Little Black Book</a>. 



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