A vibrant and colorful break at La Potière

Aurélie and Yann Dirheimer welcome you, in the heart of the town, to their ceramics workshop to experience a true sensory journey, 'between land and sea', a moment of digital disconnection and refocusing on oneself through the practice of pottery. La Gazette du Var met with Aurélie and Yann. The latter decided to leave the Paris region in 2020 and buy Yann's grandmother's house in Hyères, which is filled with Yann's childhood memories.

The adventure began in March 2022 after extensive redevelopment and restoration work to create the workshop and the guest rooms that now welcome trainees.

What is your background, Aurélie? Aurélie DIRHEIMER. Previously, I was a Web Designer.

Always attracted to the creative and artistic world, I painted on canvas and pursued artistic studies. Ten years earlier, Yann bought me an introduction to wheel throwing in Paris. I was captivated.

I was first interested in it as a hobby, and then I began a career change in 2020. I felt that I needed this return to the physical material. Since my job was becoming increasingly digital, I was at a computer all day.

I missed the touch, the material, and experimentation. For a year, I was able to work in a studio discovering pottery from every angle: its history and pedagogy. I completed training to become a ceramics teacher.

So it is a family story? Yann DIRHEIMER. I had the opportunity to buy my grandmother's house in Hyères.

We refurbished it with the aim of teaching classes and practicing ceramics. I was able to join Aurélie's professional project, and I take care of administration, communication, and customer relations. This allows Aurélie to focus on the classes and the artistic approach.

A great team and a nice expansion? AD. I started out alone at first, and then other local ceramists joined the workshop to teach classes, both regular and one-off, during workshops.

Since its launch in 2022, La Potière workshop has grown significantly! We have introduced new offerings and surrounded ourselves with other ceramists. The workshop has welcomed more than 700 students and trainees from all over France and Europe.

Beyond the classes, the workshop also offers an open studio access service. This is aimed at budding ceramists wishing to benefit from the space and equipment to come and practice independently.

THE WORKSHOP OFFERS: PLEASE NOTE... Weekly ceramics classes (handbuilding & wheel throwing), Introduction to wheel throwing days, Pottery weekends, Handbuilding courses and workshops, Decoration and glazing workshops, 4-5 day pottery stays.

La Potière workshop is located at 12 Boulevard Chateaubriand in Hyères. You can find all the information on the website lapotiere.

fr and by telephone on 06 71 64 49 96.