The work culminates in surrendering the pieces to the action of fire, through a prolonged 36-hour wood firing that reaches up to 1300ºC.
The course begins with an introduction to clay formation and the ceramic process - essential knowledge for making informed decisions about clay preparation and firing options, ensuring the success of each project.
Participants will explore different approaches to ceramic sculpture, from figurative to abstract. Modeling techniques will serve to study proportions and the expressiveness of the human face. The slab-building technique will guide us into drawing, planning, and construction. Through pieces thrown on the potter’s wheel, we will discover new possibilities of composition.
DATE: July 14 – 24, 2026
PRICE: €2200 / person
SCHEDULE:
July 14: 3:00 PM – Participant reception and check-in
5:00 PM – Reception and group introduction at the atelier
7:30 PM – Welcome dinner
July 15 – 24: Course from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM*, with a two-hour lunch break (1:00 PM – 3:00 PM)
Free access to the atelier daily from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
*The schedule is flexible on the days of firing and baking the pieces. During the wood-fired baking at Sasukenei – smokeless kiln, students will be divided into 4-hour shifts.
July 25: until 11:00 AM – Accommodation check-out
THE COURSE FEE INCLUDES:
. 6 hours of daily training, delivered in Portuguese and English;
. Lunch during the course, from July 15 to 24;
. Accommodation in a dormitory at the hostel during the course (11 nights)*;
. All materials needed for the course;
. Access to the atelier from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM;
. Wood-fired baking at Sasukenei – smokeless kiln;
. Welcome dinner on the first day of the course;
*The hostel is equipped with two dormitories (female/male), kitchen, and bathrooms. The reservation includes towels and bedding.
Registration deadline: June 14, 2026
National Registry of Tourism Animation Agents No. 135/2021
Requirements
Surrounding Area
Nossa Senhora de Fátima Chapel at 25m
Candal Shop at 1.6km
PR4 LSA - Schist Walking Trail Lousã - Rota das Quatro Aldeias at 1.6km
Talasnal School at 2.7km
Casa da Eira at 2.7km
Nossa Senhora da Piedade Shrine at 3.4km
River beach of Senhora da Piedade at 3.5km
Lousã range at 3.5km
PR 2 LSA - Schist Walking Trail Rota das Aldeias do Xisto da Lousã at 3.5km
PR5 LSA - Schist Walking Trail Lousã - Rota dos Serranos at 3.6km
Information
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
You may withdraw within 14 days of registration, paying the correspondent transfer fees. Following the EU consumer protection legislation, payments are not refunded past 14 days of registration. The payment will be fully reimbursed if the training cannot be held because of insufficient students.
Suppose the training is canceled by Cerdeira - Home For Creativity for reasons of significant force such as a pandemic, civil disorder, a natural catastrophe, medical or family issues of the teacher, and others beyond our control. In that case, Cerdeira will offer a voucher for a different workshop of your choice. The voucher is valid for two years.
All prices include VAT at the current legal rate.
He has studied clay and ceramic materials intensively and has extensive experience in preparing ceramic pastes and glazes. She lives and works between Angra do Heroísmo, where she was born, and Cerdeira.
Kerstin Thomas, a sculptor, studied Fine Arts and Woodcarving in her native Germany. Back in Portugal, she graduated in Portuguese Language and Culture from the Faculty of Letters of the University of Coimbra and also studied Social Sciences. With a preference for indigenous woods, he has developed sculpture work inspired by rural life and the expressiveness of the human face. The construction of the Forno sem Fumo (smokeless kiln) for firing high-temperature ceramics in 2015 sparked her interest in ceramics as a means of expression and, since then, she has intensified her learning of techniques and firing to realise her sculptures. Co-founder of the Cerdeira Home For Creativity project, she currently combines her artistic work with the project's artistic direction.