Creative Workshops
Pottery wheels, paint brushes, printmaking presses, and hands covered in clay. Melbourne's creative studios and workshops, where you make something and take it home.
What this looks like
Melbourne runs hundreds of creative workshops every week. Pottery studios in Collingwood where you throw bowls on a wheel. Painting classes in converted warehouses in Brunswick. Printmaking workshops at artist-run spaces in Northcote. Candle making, jewellery crafting, leatherwork, and textile dyeing at studios across the inner suburbs.
Most workshops are beginner-friendly. An instructor walks the group through each step, materials are provided, and you leave with something you made. Some are one-off sessions. Others run as multi-week courses where you build skills over time and work on bigger projects.
Your support worker joins the workshop alongside you. They help follow instructions, manage materials, and keep you comfortable in a group setting. If you need extra time with a step or want to ask the instructor a question, they're there to bridge that gap.
Experience info
- 2 to 4 hour workshop sessions
- 3:1 support during the class
- All materials and tools provided
- NDIS Core Supports funded
What we include
Each workshop covers selection, support in the room, sensory comfort, transport, continuity and encouragement.
Workshop selection
Your support worker finds workshops that match your creative interests, whether pottery, painting, screen printing or woodwork. They book spots, check accessibility, and make sure the studio knows what to expect.
In-class support
Your support worker sits alongside you during the workshop. They help follow instructions, pass tools and materials, and give you space to work while staying close enough to help when you need it.
Sensory comfort
Studios can be messy, noisy, and warm. Your support worker helps with the sensory side: aprons, gloves, ear protection if needed, and breaks whenever things get too much.
Transport and scheduling
Pickup from your home and drop-off after. Your support worker manages booking confirmations, parking, and timing so you arrive relaxed and ready to start.
Project continuity
For multi-week courses, your support worker keeps track of where you're up to. They bring your supplies, remember which kiln shelf your piece is on, and help you pick up where you left off.
Creative encouragement
Your support worker values creative work. They take photos of your work in progress and talk through what you've made when it comes off the wheel or easel.
On the day
Your support worker picks you up at 9:30am for a pottery workshop in Collingwood that starts at 10. The studio is in a converted warehouse with high ceilings and shelves of glazed pieces drying along the walls. The instructor sets everyone up at their own wheel with a lump of clay and a bucket of water. Your support worker sits next to you at the spare wheel. The instructor demonstrates centering the clay and you watch her hands before trying your own. Your first attempt wobbles off centre. The second one holds. Your support worker passes you the sponge when your hands get too dry and takes a photo when the walls of your bowl start rising. By noon, you've thrown three bowls. Two collapsed but one survived and the instructor puts it on the shelf to dry before glazing next week. Your hands are caked in clay up to the elbows. You wash up in the industrial sink, grab a coffee from the cafe next door, and spend the drive home deciding what colour to glaze your bowl.
Who this is for
- People who love working with their hands and making things
- Anyone curious about pottery, painting, or printmaking
- Creative people who want structured classes with expert instructors
- Anyone looking for a regular weekly creative outlet
- People who enjoy learning new skills in small group settings
- Anyone who wants to try something creative with support alongside
Tell us what kind of creative work interests you and we'll find the right workshop.
NDIS Core Supports funded
What a creative workshop session costs, whether it fits your plan, and how to book your first pottery, painting, or printmaking class.
What it costs
Pricing follows the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. The amount depends on the type of support and whether your workshop falls on a weekday, evening, weekend, or overnight. If you don't have a relevant plan category, you can pay fee-for-service. Cost is always confirmed with you in writing before the experience starts.
Am I eligible?
Creative workshops like pottery, painting, and printmaking are usually funded under Assistance with Social & Community Participation, a Core Supports category. If your plan includes it, you're covered. A support coordinator can help check, and fee-for-service is available if you don't have a current plan.
Where we work
We're based in Thomastown and cover Greater Melbourne, including the northern, western, and eastern suburbs, for studios in Collingwood, Brunswick, and Northcote. Many respite experiences extend into regional Victoria too, and studio retreats further afield can be planned as an overnight experience.
How to start
Tell us what you'd like to make and we'll find the studio and book the spot.
Call us and we'll find a workshop that suits.
Tell us what you'd like to make and we'll find the studio and book the spot.
Get in Touch