The fun, hands-on activities will vary from day-to-day and you can design your own pieces to be sent home later.
The workshops are part of a programme of days out, exhibitions and festivals celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ironbridge Gorge being designated as one of the UK’s first World Heritage Sites in 1986.
At Coalport China Museum you can take part in creative sessions from Monday to Friday between 25th July and 2nd September to make Greek style vases and commemorative mugs inspired by ancient Greek sports.
Activities will vary from day-today – on Mondays and Fridays you can try your hand at ceramic mug painting, while between Tuesday and Thursday there’s a chance to make a clay coil pot and decorate it with slip colours using the sgrafitto or scratch painting technique to turn it into a modern-day Olympic vase. The mid-week activities also include painting china flowers and creating colour designs on paper plates. Sessions will take place daily from 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm. There is a charge to take part in ceramic workshops in addition to the museum entrance fee plus p&p to send home after firing.
The nearby Jackfield Tile Museum will also be running drop-in tile decorating workshops from Tuesday to Friday between 26th July and 30th August where you can try the tube lining technique to produce a 6 x 6 inch tile featuring your own design and choice of colours. The price is £7.50 per tile (p&p extra to have your tile sent home after firing) plus the museum admission fee. Workshops start from 10am, but allowing up to 1½ hours to decorate your tile, last admission is at 3.15pm.
Coalport and Jackfield are members of the ten-strong Ironbridge Gorge Museums, an annual Passport can be purchased for entry into all ten valid for twelve months and unlimited return visits priced at £22.50 per adult, £18.25 for the 60 plus, £14.75 for students and children and £61.50 for a family of two adults and three children aged up to 18 years in full time education; under 5s free. For those on a shorter time scale, individual admission is available into any of the sites.
The museums are open seven days a week from 10am until 5pm; activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee, for further information, contact the Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre on Tel: 01952 433 424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk The Gorge is easily reached via the M6 and M54 motorways exiting at Telford (M54 junction 4 or 6).
