A person shaping a clay vase on a pottery wheel, with hands covered in wet clay.

Meet the Team

The Teachers

Our pottery teachers are experienced ceramic artists, passionate about sharing their craft through high-quality pottery lessons in Edinburgh.

A man with dark hair and a beard smiling while holding a small ceramic vase in a pottery studio with shelves of ceramic dishes and a brick wall in the background.

John Burgess

John first tried making ceramics in 2019 as a hobby after work. He instantly felt a passion for wheel throwing, so bought his own potter's wheel and set up a mini studio in his spare room at home.

By 2022 he had left his job as an Engineer to pursue pottery full-time, and in 2024, he opened his own studio - John Burgess Ceramics - where he sells his work and has taught lessons ever since. He teaches both beginners and those who are more advanced, and enjoys watching their skills develop and flourish.

“advancing as a potter is all about growth through failure - the best way to improve is just to show up, make some mistakes and get stuck in!”

www.johnburgessceramics.com @John_Burgess_Ceramics

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a colorful headband and a gray embroidered blouse, holding a red mug with a leaf design, standing in a room with framed art and shelves in the background.

Lynsey Vanderbeck

Lynsey took her first pottery course in university and has been making pottery full-time for 10 years. She has a background in the visual arts including painting and photography which influences her work.

Lynsey loves working with both beginners and more experienced students, helping them develop fundamental skills in hand building, wheel throwing, and ceramic design. She has taught pottery to curious adults in both New England and Scotland, most recently at Doodles in Edinburgh.

“Pottery can quickly turn into a passion that occupies your waking thoughts with all the possibilities that it offers!” 

Wider Team

While you wont catch them teaching a class, our wider team are integral to EPL and keep everything running as it should!

A woman with long brown hair smiling and holding a laptop displaying 'Edinburgh Pottery Lessons' with a pottery vase icon, inside a brick-walled room.

Hollie Jenkins

Hollie is our Studio Manager, Customer Support, I.T Helpdesk and Web developer all rolled into one!

With a background in Marketing and Social Media, she handles all things online. When in the studio she is often accompanied by her 2 sidekicks - her cocker spaniels Hugo and Spencer!

“I can’t make a pot, but I can build you a website!”

www.TheEdinburghSpaniels.com @TheEdinburghSpaniels

Want to join the teaching team?