Workshops, residencies and collaborative firings that make ceramics accessible while exploring woodfiring as a method of research and artistic practice.
Oxford Kilns creates a welcoming space for makers of all levels while serving as a laboratory for practice-based research. Through affordable tasters, flexible workshops, collaborative firings and residencies, we support hands-on learning, material experimentation and cultural exchange. Led by Dr. Robin Wilson, Oxford Kilns positions woodfiring as a form of embodied knowledge and performative art—where craft, sustainability and scholarly inquiry come together. Whether you’re trying your first pinch pot or proposing a research residency, the Kilns are a site for shared learning, careful making, and projects that generate both objects and ideas.
Oxford Kilns is led by Dr. Robin Wilson — artist, academic researcher, and teacher — whose work brings together academic inquiry and hands-on practice to develop woodfiring as both a sustainable craft and a site of artistic and philosophical reflection.
Our research agenda pairs traditional wood-firing techniques with contemporary questions of environmental and material practice. Current strands include low-carbon kiln adaptations, glazes from recycled materials, and historical kiln studies in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Archaeology Department and partner HE institutions. Experiments in the kiln produce technical protocols, public outputs and short research reports — work that is practice-led and publicly accountable.
Oxford Kilns welcomes artists, makers, students and curious beginners. We run tasters, technical workshops (fast-fire to anagama), seasonal collaborative firings and residencies. Sessions emphasise peer learning, expert mentoring and inclusive access. Participants join a global network of makers and researchers and are invited to present work-in-progress at communal firings and public events.
Environmental responsibility is central: we prioritise locally sourced wood, material reuse, and experiments in renewable kiln technologies. Findings, glaze recipes and low-impact protocols are documented and shared so the wider community can adopt more sustainable practices.
Oxford Kilns is led by Dr. Robin Wilson — artist, researcher and teacher — whose practice explores woodfiring as embodied, performative knowledge and convenes collaborations across craft, archaeology and contemporary art.
Oxford Kilns values transparent authorship: collaborative projects and research outputs include clear contribution notes. See Research & Collaborations for project details and credit conventions.
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Help keep our kilns burning! Your support ensures affordable workshops, sustainable firings, and community access.
