Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions:

We hope you enjoy your Hazel Valley Studio experience, our mission is to support you in creating beautiful work in a healthy, collaborative, inclusive and respectful studio space. Being a small business we are able to accommodate customers on a more personal and friendly basis, but in certain areas we need to adopt strict guidelines in order for the studio to be a safe and comfortable environment for everyone to use.

Please ensure you have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions and Advice & Safety information before you book a Hazel Valley Studio class or session. By participating in a class or using the studio you will be deemed to have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions.

General Policies:

Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Every adult, or guardian of an underage child, must sign a Release of Liability Waiver to use the studio. Although we do everything in our power to minimize risk, there are health hazards associated with clay activities and we require that each person be responsible for their ability to participate.

When creating your masterpiece, please be aware that oversized and/or odd shaped pieces may delay the firing process because they don’t fit in the kiln well.

Clay sometimes cracks while drying or breaks in the kiln. Taking a class does not guarantee the success of your project. While we do our absolute best to prevent such an occurrence, some outcomes simply can't be controlled by our staff.

You have 45 days after your class to return and pick up your fired piece(s). The studio reserves the right to sell, donate or discard anything left longer.

Refund/Cancellation Policy:

A $10 processing fee is incurred for cancellations made two weeks prior to class start.

Cancellations made within the two weeks prior to class start window are not eligible for a refund.

We will transfer your registration to a different class at no additional cost if notified before close of business the previous Friday before the start of the class.

Missed classes a.k.a. “No Shows” are not refunded and are not eligible for transferring to a different class. We are not liable for your absences. Make-up classes are not included.

All refunds will be issued by written check mailed to the home address on the registration form.

Arriving at the studio:

We generally open the doors a few minutes before each class is due to start. Please don’t turn up too early as you may have to wait on the street while we finish cleaning or preparing the studio for your class or session to start. We may be having a meal or meeting between classes and sessions so please do not ring the doorbell if you arrive too early.

Advice & Safety:

Users of the studio do so at their own risk with awareness of the inherent hazards of a pottery studio environment. These include but are not limited to, use of sharp tools and sharp edges, exposure to toxic materials, the dangers of using materials and equipment at high temperatures, and the risks associated with breathing dust. Most ceramic materials (clay and glazes) are made from finely ground minerals and if not handled correctly can pose a general respiratory risk.

Health and safety and good studio practice will be explained to all studio users as required as they use the studio and its facilities. This information is clearly outlined in more detail in the Hazel Valley Studio Handbook which we encourage you to read before participating in any classes or using the studio. A copy of the Hazel Valley Studio Handbook along with these Terms and Conditions can be downloaded from our website and a copy of both are available in the studio.

Studio Clean-up:

All working areas and tools must be cleaned after use. The last 15 minutes of all studio visits is dedicated to gathering tools and cleaning work tables, floors, tools, and other equipment. This is a communal studio and its cleanliness depends on everyone doing their part.

A good rule of thumb – When you are done it should be CLEANER then when you started. No Exceptions.

If you don’t have time to clean up you don’t have time to do it!

Environment and Recycling:

We try to run Hazel Valley Studio as a zero waste organization. All materials are reused or recycled wherever possible. Clay, glaze and sedimentary materials are NEVER to be poured down sinks in the studio.

We use a 3 bucket water system in the studio for cleaning, washing and clay recycling. Hands, tools and equipment contaminated with clay are washed using the 3 buckets. These are settled out overnight and all the clay sediment is dried and recycled back into studio clay and the clean water is siphoned off to be re-used in the buckets and also used as cleaning mopping water for the studio. Brushes and tools used for glazing are cleaned in a Glazey Water Bucket, again this is settled out overnight and all the glaze sediment is made up and adjusted to make new studio glazes and the water is siphoned off and used to process the new glazes and wash glaze sieves etc

Unclaimed Pots:

Due to space restrictions we can only keep hold of finished or bisque fired pots for 1 additional term after the current term.

* Unclaimed greenware will have probably dried out too much to be re-worked, turned, altered after about 1 month. At the end of every term all unfinished pots will be put on shelves in the basement for the duration of the next term and then recycled.

* Unclaimed bisque fired pots will either be donated to the communal Unloved Pot Box or be smashed and disposed of.

* Finished glazed pots will be sold as part of Hazel Valley Studios fundraising activities.

Conduct and Exclusion

Disruptive or abusive behavior will not be tolerated:

Users of the studio and facilities must be respectful and courteous at all times. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated and Hazel Valley Studio  reserves the right to exclude any offending parties from the studio at any time if behavior in its opinion is deemed dangerous, inappropriate or causes (or has the potential to cause) offense, harm or injury.