Workshops & Retreats
Upcoming Experiences
Breathe, make space, create
Join us for small-group workshops and retreats thoughtfully designed to slow the pace and gently reconnect you with your hands and your creativity. Held in our sunny Athens studio and at other carefully curated locations across Greece, our experiences blend hands-on making with gentle mindfulness, helping you discover your creative flow with intention and ease. Leave with handmade pottery, knowledge and skills, and a quieter, more centered sense of creativity. Perfect for beginners, curious makers, and anyone craving a peaceful moment to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and feel grounded through clay.
Workshops & Retreats
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Hosted in a charming 19th century stone house, in a secluded spot close to the seaside village of Skala Eresou, this immersive ceramics retreat invites you to slow down and connect to your creativity.
Nestled in a lush, green valley by the crystal waters of the Aegean island of Lesvos, Chalantra Residence will be our home and our pottery studio for the week. Join us for a week of making, glazing and firing beneath the ancient olive tree in the courtyard of our traditional stone house.
What to expect
Clay Practice: Five days of making in our serene, shaded courtyard. Morning and afternoon sessions (3 hours each) with options to explore hand-building, wheel-throwing, and surface decoration techniques, giving you time and space to experiment and build your skills.
Skilled Facilitation & Guidance: Led by two experienced craftswomen passionate about sharing their craft, this retreat is for everyone. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced potter, we will meet you where you are in your clay practice, and help you create pieces designed with intention.
Pottery wheel-throwing: You will learn essential skills to throw with confidence and ease, covering clay preparation, centering, opening and pulling, as well as shaping simple and complex forms. For experienced throwers, tailored sessions will concentrate on your specific goals such as throwing larger/taller, improving consistency, or developing mastery of a particular shape or technique. Taught in small groups (max. four participants), each session will include hands-on practice with tailored feedback and guidance.
Hand-building: Come with ideas, images, drawings and be ready for lots of coiling. We will have plenty of time and lots of clay to make big or small pieces. I will show you how I coil according to a design, paying attention to measurements, curves and proportions, and how I sgraffito, inlay, and add decorative elements. Things will dry fast enough so we can work on many pieces. I will bring some plaster so we can also make sprig molds, exciting!
Glaze making 101: Find out how glazes work in this hands-on session combining essential glaze chemistry with practical testing so you leave with real results. Bring your curiosity, glaze inspo pics, and a notebook.
Firings: There will be one bisque firing mid-way through the retreat for smaller pieces, followed by a surprise alternative firing. Any larger works which are not ready for firing during the retreat will be bisqued once dry and shipped to you (shipping costs not included).
Free time: We will balance our clay practice with time to enjoy the island. Hike to a local viewpoint, go for swim, chill at the beach, grab a cocktail by the water, read, rest. Or simply enjoy some independent clay time in our outdoor studio. This choice is yours.
Accommodation & Meals
Six nights in a beautiful, traditional stone house set in valley of Eresos, just minutes from the sea. The house offers restorative communal spaces, light-filled bedrooms, and peaceful outdoor areas for creativity, reflection and gathering.
Breakfasts and lunches will be served daily, prepared with care from locally-sourced produce. Snacks and beverages will be available through the day. Dinner is not included.
Optional excursions
Visit to the traditional island pottery of Dimitris Kouvdis, for a demonstration of the harvesting and preparation of wild clay and a tour of his wood fire kiln.
Trip to the Petrified Forest, an otherworldly landscape and quiet place to walk and reflect.
Who this retreat is for
Beginners and experienced makers welcome. With a maximum group size of 10 people, facilitated by two experienced craftswomen, teaching will be intentionally paced and person-centred, adapted to meet you where you are as a human and a maker.
Pricing
Your own room
1 person, Main House Double Bedroom, Shared Bathroom - €1600
Shared room (3 with double beds, 1 with separate beds)
2 people, Main House Double bedroom, Shared Bathroom - €2600 (€1300/person)
Studio/annex
2 people, Studio/Annex Double bed + Sofa bed, Ensuite - €3000 (€1500/person)
3 people, Studio/Annex Double bed + Sofa bed, Ensuite - €3600 (€1200/person)
Safe Space
Our retreats are safe spaces.
We create an environment grounded in respect and kindness, where you can arrive as you are and be seen without judgment. We honour diverse identities, experiences, and ways of being. Harmful language or behaviour will not be tolerated.
Join us in sunny Eresos for a week of mindful making and restorative nature.
Hosted in a charming 19th century stone house, in a secluded spot close to the seaside village of Skala Eresou, this immersive ceramics retreat invites you to slow down and connect to your creativity.
Nestled in a lush, green valley by the crystal waters of the Aegean island of Lesvos, Chalantra Residence will be our home and our pottery studio for the week. Join us for a week of making, glazing and firing beneath the ancient olive tree in the courtyard of our traditional stone house.
Who this retreat is for
Beginners and experienced makers welcome. With a maximum group size of 10 people, facilitated by two experienced craftswomen, teaching will be intentionally paced and person-centred, adapted to meet you where you are as a human and a maker.
What to expect
Clay Practice: Seven days of making in our serene, shaded courtyard. Morning and afternoon sessions (3 hours each) with options to explore hand-building, wheel-throwing, and surface decoration techniques, giving you time and space to experiment and build your skills.
Skilled Facilitation & Guidance: Led by two experienced craftswomen passionate about sharing their craft, this retreat is for everyone. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced potter, we will meet you where you are in your clay practice, and help you create pieces designed with intention.
Pottery wheel-throwing: You will learn essential skills to throw with confidence and ease, covering clay preparation, centering, opening and pulling, as well as shaping simple and complex forms. For experienced throwers, tailored sessions will concentrate on your specific goals such as throwing larger/taller, improving consistency, or developing mastery of a particular shape or technique. Taught in small groups (max. four participants), each session will include hands-on practice with feedback and guidance adapted to you as an individual.
Hand-building: Come with ideas, images, drawings and be ready for lots of coiling. We will have plenty of time and lots of clay to make big or small pieces. I will show you how I coil according to a design, paying attention to measurements, curves and proportions, and how I sgraffito, inlay, and add decorative elements. Things will dry fast enough so we can work on many pieces. I will bring some plaster so we can also make sprig molds, exciting!
Glaze making 101: Find out how glazes work in this hands-on session combining essential glaze chemistry with practical testing so you leave with real results. Bring your curiosity, glaze inspo pics, and a notebook.
Firings: There will be one bisque firing mid-way through the retreat for smaller pieces, followed by alternative firings (including Raku). Any larger works which are not ready for firing during the retreat will be bisqued once dry and shipped to you (shipping costs not included).
Free time: We will balance our clay practice with time to enjoy the island. Hike to a local viewpoint, go for swim, chill at the beach, grab a cocktail by the water, read, rest. Or simply enjoy some independent clay time in our outdoor studio. This choice is yours.
Accommodation & Meals
Eight nights in a beautiful, traditional stone house set in valley of Eresos, just minutes from the sea. The house offers restorative communal spaces, light-filled bedrooms, and peaceful outdoor areas for creativity, reflection and gathering.
Breakfasts and lunches will be served daily, prepared with care from locally-sourced produce. Snacks and beverages will be available through the day. Dinner is not included.
Optional excursions
Visit to the traditional island pottery of Dimitris Kouvdis, for a demonstration of the harvesting and preparation of wild clay and a tour of his wood fire kiln.
Trip to the Petrified Forest, an otherworldly landscape and quiet place to walk and reflect.
Pricing
Your own room
1 person, Main House Double Bedroom, Shared Bathroom - €2000
Shared room (3 with double beds, 1 with separate beds)
2 people, Main House Double bedroom, Shared Bathroom - €3400 (€1700/person)
Studio/annex
2 people, Studio/Annex Double bed + Sofa bed, Ensuite - €3800 (€1900/person)
3 people, Studio/Annex Double bed + Sofa bed, Ensuite - €4800 (€1600/person)
Safe Space
Our retreats are safe spaces.
We create an environment grounded in respect and kindness, where you can arrive as you are and be seen without judgment. We honour diverse identities, experiences, and ways of being. Harmful language or behaviour will not be tolerated.
Join us in sunny Eresos for a week of mindful making and restorative nature.
For those ready to dive deep into the world of the pottery wheel, this four day workshop, taught in my sunny pottery studio in the heart of Athens, is an opportunity to immerse yourself in this mindful craft.
Whether you are a total beginner or a seasoned thrower, these small group workshops (max. 3 people) will be tailored to your existing knowledge and skills to help you meaningfully progress your practice to the next level.
Over five focused days you’ll deepen your knowledge of clay and refine your skills and technique —guided step by step as you build your confidence and develop a sustainable and intentional ceramics practice.
Course Structure:
Day 1 - Studio Day - 10:00-17:00
Day 2 - Studio Day - 10:00-17:00
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - Studio Day - 10:00-17:00
Day 5 - Studio Day - 10:00-17:00
The workshop is structured over five days, with four studio days and one rest day half-way through. On studio days we will spend around six hours at the pottery wheel, with regular breaks for coffee and lunch (and to stretch out your back, hips and wrists). Teaching will take place in English or French, depending on your preference.
What to expect:
20+ hours (approx. 6 hours/day) of focused small group (2:1) tuition at the pottery wheel with a curriculum personalised in pace and content to suit your current skills, experience and goals for the workshop
Trauma-aware and person-centred approach to teaching, focused on mind-body connection and breath.
Lunch and refreshments each day (I’ll be asking you about any dietary requirements and preferences each day, but please reach out if there’s anything you’d like me to know in advance)
All the tools and materials you will need will be provided (you are more than welcome to bring along any favourite tools/aprons etc. to support your practice)
Up to 40 kg of high quality stoneware clay and use of studio glazes.
Bisque & glaze firing of 4-8 pieces (depending on volume)
Good to know:
Materials : You will be working with high quality stoneware clay and high temperature glazes, so everything you make will be strong, durable and safe to to use for many years to come. Any food or drink ware will be both microwave and dishwasher friendly.
Accessibility: Pottery wheel-throwing is physically active but there is plenty we can do to make it accessible; please let me know about any mobility or health considerations so that I can do my best to adapt and make your experience as welcoming and comfortable as possible. Equally, if you have any sensory sensitivities, please let me know ahead of time so I can minimise distractions and adapt my teaching to suit you better.
The studio is on the ground floor with one shallow step at the entrance. Unfortunately, the toilet is downstairs and not easily accessible. However, I will be happy to do my very best to adjust the workspace to welcome you.
Accommodation and more: If you are not Athens-based, please feel free to reach out if you would like some carefully curated recommendations for places to stay, eat or visit.
Cancellations, Date Changes & Refunds: Non-refundable 50% deposit is required upon booking, with the second payment due 60 days before the workshop start date.
For those choosing to pay the full course cost up front, cancellations more than 30 days before the start of the workshop will receive a 50% refund or the option to postpone to a later date. In case of a refund request a €30 administrative fee will be charged.
Date changes may be requested no less than 30 days prior to the course date.
No refund or date change will be possible within 30 days of the start of the workshop.
Your Questions, Answered
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Your Questions, Answered *
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There is flexibility to schedule pottery wheel and glaze workshops in my Athens studio on dates other than those listed. Get in touch and let me know which dates would work for you. I’ll do my best to accommodate you.
For retreats outside Athens, the schedule is fixed.
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Yes! Let me know what you have in mind, and I'll work with you to create a bespoke experience to suit your vision and budget.
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You can reach me anytime via my contact page or by email. I aim to respond quickly—usually within a couple of business days.
What People Are Saying
“Wonderful experience that I am ready to reiterate as soon as possible. Julie was a wonderful teacher and I could get back very fast into the basics. She was also (and foremost) very flexible to adjust to my pace.”
Veronique N.
Clay Immersive - 4 day Pottery Wheel Workshop
“From glazing masterclasses to intensive wheel throwing workshops and all of the advice and help in between, Julie is generous with her time, knowledge and studio space … [this] pottery studio is a must for anyone visiting or living in Athens.”
Logan B.
Clay Immersive - 4 day Pottery Wheel Workshop
“Pottery with Julie is a journey of creative flow and peace of mind. You will learn to slow down and center your self along with the clay.”
Angeliki M.
Clay Immersive - 4 day Pottery Wheel Workshop