Life Model Clay Sculpting Workshop

Open to beginners; sculpting the nude form in a body positive, educational and creative atmosphere.



2 hours - 6 hours

Class size 1 to 20 (public classes), 5 to 40

  £40 - £140 (price varies across dates)

Life Sculpting at ClayLife
You asked for more time with the clay, so alongside our original two-hour Nude Model Sculpting Sessions, we’re introducing immersive six-hour sculpting days at our new studio in Hope Mill, Ancoats.
Led by Nina, ClayLife’s founder and a figurative ceramicist, these sessions take life drawing into three dimensions. You’ll work from a live nude model and learn how to turn a block of clay into a sculpture of the human form. Beginners are welcome: Nina will guide you through the process step by step, while anyone with experience is free to work at their own pace.
Each session features a different model. We celebrate a range of bodies, ages and identities in a relaxed, body-positive space where everyone can focus on making something personal.
Choose the session that suits you
Our two-hour sessions are an introduction to life sculpting. To give you a choice of finishes and prices, you can:
* Take your unfired sculpture home on the day in the packaging provided.
* Pay extra to have it bisque fired, giving it a solid, stone-like finish.
* Pay extra to have it glazed and fired in a colour you choose from our selection.
You can choose and pay for a firing option during the session by contactless payment.
Our six-hour sessions give you the time so many of you have asked for. Spend a full day getting immersed in the process: study the model from different angles, develop your sculpture in more detail and settle into the rhythm of working with clay. We’ll take breaks throughout the day, including a lunch break, so you can step back and return to your work with fresh eyes. Glazing and firing are included in the six-hour ticket price.
All tools and materials are provided. If your piece is being fired, we’ll let you know when it’s ready to collect from Hope Mill in Ancoats. Delivery can also be arranged for an additional fee.
Our new studio
Life Sculpting now takes place at the ClayLife studio in Hope Mill, Ancoats (M4 7JA). It’s around a three-minute walk from New Islington tram stop, with free parking on site. The studio is BYOB, and there’s a hot drinks machine just outside.
The studio is on the 3rd floor of an older building. There is a lift, but if it’s unavailable, you’ll need to use three flights of stairs. The doorways are too narrow for standard wheelchairs. Please get in touch before booking if you’d like to discuss access.
Private Life Sculpting sessions
Looking for something memorable for a birthday, hen celebration or another group occasion? We can arrange private sessions and bring Life Sculpting to venues across Manchester. Get in touch with your group size and what you have in mind, and we’ll talk through the options and pricing.
A note about our model
Life Sculpting is a respectful, creative space. Please don’t photograph or touch the nude model, or make personal comments about them. We ask everyone to treat the model and fellow participants with care; antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated.
Please arrive 10 minutes early so you can settle in. Sessions begin promptly, and late arrivals may not have enough time to finish their sculpture.
We can’t wait to sculpt with you!

Upcoming dates for Life Model Clay Sculpting Workshop

Times are London time. Dates and prices as of 8 Oct 2026, 5:16pm; availability and price are confirmed live when booking on this page.

8 upcoming dates between 17 Oct 2026 and 24 Jan 2027.

  • Sat 17 Oct 2026, 10:30am-4:30pm (Hope Mill Theatre, Pollard St, Manchester • 6 hour life sculpting session • £140)
  • Sat 31 Oct 2026, 5pm-7pm (Hope Mill Theatre, Pollard St, Manchester • HALLOWEEN Special • £40)
  • Thu 5 Nov 2026, 6:30pm-8:30pm (Hope Mill, 113 Pollard Street • Life sculpting • £40)
  • Sun 22 Nov 2026, 2pm-4pm (Hope Mill Theatre, Pollard St, Manchester • £40)
  • Sun 29 Nov 2026, 1pm-5pm (Hope Mill, 113 Pollard Street • 4 HOUR SESSION • £100)
  • Sat 12 Dec 2026, 1pm-5pm (Hope Mill Theatre, Pollard St, Manchester • 4 HOUR life sculpting • £100)
  • Sun 10 Jan 2027, 1pm-5pm (Hope Mill, 113 Pollard Street • 4 HOUR SESSION • £100)
  • Sun 24 Jan 2027, 2pm-4pm (Hope Mill Theatre, Pollard St, Manchester • £40)
What you'll get
  • All materials are provided, including artisanal clay, tools, a nude model, and a bag and box to take your work home with you afterwards.
  • Sweet treats
  • Jazzy playlist
Read more details   
Knowledge required
Beginner friendly
What to bring
No requirements
Suitable for

This class is great for individuals and couples as well as for a date idea, team building activity, Christmas party, birthday or hen do.

This experience would also be a unique gift for her, gift for mum, Xmas gift or gift for couples.

Location

Hope Mill Theatre, Pollard Street, Manchester and Hope Mill, 113 Pollard Street (varies by date; click the date selector to see details)

Your teacher can also travel within 20 miles of Manchester, to a venue of your choice for a private class.

Life Model Clay Sculpting Workshop location
Verified reviews


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Recent reviews of Life Model Clay Sculpting Workshop

  • 5/5 from Lunna Mendonca, attended May 2026: Super nice and friendly environment, amazing for all levels-experience was 10/10.
  • 5/5 from Lucy Dean-Moore, attended Mar 2026: Great teacher and really welcoming atmosphere. My mum loved it too. Thanks for a great time. Would recommend :)
  • 5/5 from Rebecca Dean, attended Mar 2026: Really good professional tutor. Everything was well explained and demonstrated. Brilliant model. Lovely comfortable atmosphere.
  • 5/5 from Tayla Fletcher, attended Oct 2025: Our teacher was really welcoming, friendly and really helpful. We had the best tme at the life sculping session and are looking to return in the future.
  • 5/5 from Ibbie Dachtler, attended Oct 2025: Nina was lovely and set a really nice welcoming and safe atmosphere. The sculpture is ambitious for 2 hours especially for beginners but it was so fun to try something new.
  • 5/5 from Chris McCarthy, attended Oct 2025: Excellent introduction and sweets and chocolates as we went along. A great evening and a lot learnt. Thank you.
  • 5/5 from Pilar Arechiga, attended Oct 2025: So much fun
  • 5/5 from Mark Javin, attended Sep 2025: Our teacher was incredibly approachable and hands on and really aided in teaching the basic principles of how the body is made up and how to sculpt it well. The 2 hours flew past!
  • 5/5 from Gabriele Kurpyte, attended Mar 2025: Excellent class! Received it as a gift, so went solo but the teacher and the group was lovely! the teacher was super helpful and gave step by step instructions as well as showed us how to mould, then gave us individualised advice if we wanted it! The ambience of the class was great and the pace was very manageable even for beginners. There was a selection of options after about firing your clay model at an additional cost at the end to really take your clay model that extra mile. Would recommend and will likely be returning :)
  • 5/5 from Rachel Evans, attended Jan 2025: What an absolute treat! Nina is super friendly, encouraging and an amazing teacher, giving very clear instructions and still gives everybody the opportunity to put their own unique spin on what they create. The most lovely evening I have spent in a very long time - thanks so much Nina! Keep doing what you're doing! I will definitely be back :) x
  • 5/5 from Anonymised ClassBento customer, attended Oct 2024: Nina was fantastic. She gave clear instructions and attentive support throughout the session. I really enjoyed the class.
  • 5/5 from Patti Turfrey, attended Sep 2024: This class was great! The teacher was really informative, supportive and fun! It was a great session and I came away with something I was proud of! Loved it! Will defo do a class again!
  • 5/5 from Francesca Shallcross, attended Sep 2024: This was a brilliant class!! I Had loads of fun and really learnt a lot!!!
  • 5/5 from Anonymised ClassBento customer, attended Sep 2024: Excellent experience at the Life Model Clay Sculpting class. Wonderful facilitator with a very natural teaching style and a lovely spacious yet intimate environment! Quite pleased with the results too!
  • 5/5 from Feifei Lo, attended Jul 2024: We booked this as a hen do event and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. The classes were chilled, fun and Nina helped us whenever we were struggling. We wanted something chilled. The venue was a little hard to find but the studio was set up nicely. Would recommend
  • 5/5 from Carol Palk, attended Jun 2024: Good venue and a great teacher (thank you Nina) - a birthday treat with a difference! Everything we needed and individualised support to produce a recognisable sculpture of a beautiful life model, and scope to go your own way, as my imaginative friend did, if you wanted to! Great fun, loved it!
  • 5/5 from Manda Thompson, attended Jun 2024: Nina was a great teacher: she guided us all through at a steady pace, to complete a clay model of our lovely lithe model Jonny! Her playlist was pretty cool too!! I was with a friend who’d never sculpted a life model before and she felt confident and supported by Nina throughout.
  • 5/5 from Lydia Loukaides, attended May 2024: Amazing class would recommend to everyone!! I bought this class as a gift for my mums birthday and it was well worth the money we paid. Nina was an amazing teacher, she made everyone including the model feel super relaxed and comfortable, she talked you though each step whilst also letting you enjoy yourself and be creative. The venue was perfect, very welcoming and had a full bar for anyone like us wanting to have a prosecco whilst sculpting. You get the option at the end to take our clay away with you or pay an extra £10 to get it fired and collected at another date. My group opted to get it fired as we were so happy with how our sculptures looked! I would definitely go back to another class
  • 5/5 from Anonymised ClassBento customer, attended Apr 2024: An amazing therapeutic evening. Small group setting, wonderful soundtrack and an excellent and encouraging teacher.
  • 5/5 from Uchenna, attended Apr 2024: Had an awesome date night and Nina was the perfect host. Will defo be back!
  • 5/5 from Ope Anthony, attended Apr 2024: I decided to take myself on a date and chose this class - I definitely don’t regret it. The teacher was very encouraging and helpful, and it was genuinely a great experience. I’ll be doing it again for sure.
  • 4/5 from Nicola, attended Apr 2024: We attended the class as complete novices and still came away with something worthwhile. The class was well led, the teacher was really approachable and friendly and helped whenever we got anything wrong. I’d definitely recommend and consider returning. We all really enjoyed it I’d say the class is worth the money and very easy to get to in Manchester location.
  • 5/5 from Katie Sails, attended Mar 2024: Incredibly friendly and welcoming host Amazing studio & pottery set up A fantastic evening for any experience level
  • 5/5 from Jay Evans, attended Feb 2024: Lovely session really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was relaxed and advice and guidance available as needed. Would definitely recommend it.
  • 5/5 from Ellen Thorp, attended Feb 2024: Had such a wonderful time. Nina was so nice and helpful and I learned loads. It was really fun, I will definitely go again
  • 5/5 from Laurence Gasser, attended Feb 2024: Such a fun and laid back way to spend a Sunday evening while getting your creative juices flowing! Thanks a mot for the experience.
Your teacher

Claylife
Claylife

5.0 (48)
female Women-owned

Hey there
My name is Nina VHVK & I have been playing with clay ever since I can remember :) I am now a professional ceramicist - specialising in figurative sculptures & interior design with extensive experience teaching clay to all ages.. so without further ado I bring to you; Claylife:
Clay sessions varying in unique themes & locations around Manchester, we will be providing :
Nude model sculpting sessions
An array of ‘MUST haves for the home’ interior decor
Mobile private events catering to any occasion large or small (5-80 people)
My mission is to inspire people to find happiness with clay & to stay creative!

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class 0 1E57MXLBSX b30fa37a8c654059964d2a78c24cea95 1 production manchester Manchester North West GB manchester