After Dark Raku & Pit Fire Workshop: July 30 - August 1, 2027, Hosted by Leon Potgieter – Potterbakker, Koringberg, Swartland
If you ever wanted to do Raku firing at night, this workshop is for you. The immersive three-day workshop explores alternative and Raku firing techniques through structured preparation, carefully paced firings, and shared learning.
The workshop begins Friday, July 30, at 14:00 and ends Sunday, August 1, at 12:30.
Cost: R4,500 per person; R1,500 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot (breakfast, lunch, and dinner included). 8 spaces available. I also offer a 3-month payment plan of R1,500 per month.
For group bookings, please get in touch with me to arrange and confirm availability.
Either full payment or an R1,500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.
I will send you my bank details once I confirm your attendance.
Please also fill in the contact form so I can add you to the correct event database.
If you don't have any pottery pieces to fire and still want to attend a workshop, fear not; for an extra R500, I will provide 10 pottery pieces on the day of the workshop for you to fire (2 pieces per firing).
For payment, please WhatsApp me, and I will send my banking details after I verify your request.
Location and Accommodation:
Koringberg is approximately an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Multiple Airbnb options are available in the village, as well as accommodation at the Marrian George Hotel, which offers a 10% discount if you book directly and provide Leon Potgieter as a reference.
Click on the links below for Koringberg accommodation.
Marrian George Hotel Koringberg
Temperature and Climate
Koringberg sits in the middle of the Swartland, and in peak summer it gets very hot during the day: 32-42 degrees, always about 10 degrees warmer than Cape Town. I do everything possible to keep the workshop comfortable, so I hold firings early in the morning, late in the afternoon, and into the evening. Firing Raku at night is an incredible spectacle, and the Swartland cools down at night. Bring sunblock and big hats.
Important Information:
All techniques produce non–food–safe, porous work.
Participants may bring 1–3 bisque-fired pieces per firing for Raku and 1- 4 works each for Pit firing & Saggar.
Maximum size for Raku works: grapefruit width (15 cm height x 15 cm width).
Maximum size for pit-firing works: 30 cm height x 30 cm width.
Clay must be highly grogged stoneware (approximately 10% grog).
We strongly recommend white clay bodies, as results are clearer than on darker bodies such as terracotta or black clay.
Unsuitable work may be excluded to protect other participants’ pieces.
Firings Included (5 firings):
Clean pit firing and Saggar (including ferric chloride/combustables) (overnight)
Raku matt copper fuming
Traditional white glaze Raku firing
Obvara firing, and if you want to do horsehair and feather firing, we do it at the same time
We'll divide participants into firing groups during Raku firings to ensure smooth rotation and safe kiln access.
If you want to purchase any pieces to fire on the day of the workshop, I have some pieces available, and prices vary from R50 to R200 a piece.
Workshop Schedule:
Friday – July 30
14:00 Welcome, introductions, safety briefing
15:00 Preparation of all work for weekend firings
17:00 Pit firing / Saggar
18:30 Dinner
Saturday – July 31
08:00 - Unpacking of pit firing and review with coffee/tea and rusks
09:00 - Copper Fuming
12:00 - Lunch/Brunch
13:00 Siesta Time
17:00 Dinner
18:00 Traditional Raku firing till all works are fired
Sunday – August 1
09:00 Preparation for Obvara firing with coffee/tea and rusks
10:00 Obvara firing
13:00 Lunch
12:30 Farewell
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Firing / Materials Guide
This guide explains exactly how to prepare your work and what materials are used in each firing.
The workshop provides all firing materials, glazes, chemicals, and additives.
General Requirements
All work must be bisque-fired.
All results are non–food–safe and porous.
Maximum size per piece: grapefruit width, 15 cm height.
Clay body must be highly grogged stoneware (approximately 10 per cent grog).
White clay bodies are strongly recommended.
Each participant may fire up to 3 pieces per Raku kiln firing. If the group is fewer than 5 participants, I will let everyone know they can bring 3-4 works. Please send photos of the work to be fired to me via WhatsApp before the workshop so I can review them and suggest any needed adjustments.
For pit firing, you may fire up to 4 Saggar pieces and 4 standard pit-fired pieces. Pieces up to 30 cm are permitted; however, the larger the piece, the higher the risk of cracking or explosion.
Firing and Materials
Pit Firing (Overnight)
Materials used: wood, ash, sawdust, charcoal, organic plant material, copper wire, copper carbonate or oxide, and salts.
Surface effects: smoke blackening, earthy tones, flashing, organic markings.
Pot preparation: no glaze; burnished, terra sigillata, or smooth raw clay surfaces.
Saggar Firing (Including Ferric Chloride)
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Materials used: ferric chloride, copper wire, copper carbonate or oxide, salts, steel wool, sawdust, organic materials.
Surface effects: rust tones, flashing, soft staining, layered atmospheric effects.
Pot preparation: no glaze; burnished or terra sigillata surfaces preferred.
Raku & Raku Copper Firing
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Materials used: copper-based raku glazes and reduction materials.
Surface effects: metallic flashes, iridescence, crackle, smoke effects.
Pot preparation: bisque-fired only; glazes applied during the workshop.
Traditional Raku with Horsehair and Feathers
Materials used: horsehair, feathers.
Surface effects: carbon lines, feather impressions, smoky halos.
Pot preparation: no glaze; highly polished, burnished, or terra sigillata surfaces.
Obvara Firing
Materials used: fermented obvara mixture and water.
Surface effects: mottled browns, creams, organic patterning.
Pot preparation: no glaze; smooth or lightly textured surfaces.
What not to bring
Glazes or chemicals.
Oversized or heavy work.
More than 3 pieces per Raku firing.
Functional ware intended for food use.
Clothing and Safety
Closed shoes are mandatory.
Sunhat
Sunblock SPF50+
Natural-fibre clothing suitable for heat and smoke.
Gloves recommended.
Hair tied back.
Firing groups will be assigned on arrival and remain consistent throughout the weekend.
Happy students
