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Spend an intensive weekend in Rotorua refining powder, frit and colour-bar methods at a four-student hot-shop workshop. Small class size, hands-on instruction, and resident studio cats make this a focused, memorable step up for experienced beginners.
Spend an intensive weekend in Rotorua refining powder, frit and colour-bar methods at a four-student hot-shop workshop. Small class size, hands-on instruction, and resident studio cats make this a focused, memorable step up for experienced beginners.
Book with Amokura Glass
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Operated by Amokura Glass · Rotorua, Bay of Plenty
At the heart of Rotorua, New Zealand, the Glassblowing Colour Application Workshop offers a focused, hands-on weekend for students with prior hot-glass experience. The two-day course runs Saturday 12pm-6pm and Sunday 10am-4pm (12 total hours) and limits enrollment to four people so each participant gets generous bench and kiln time to experiment with colour. This workshop focuses on colour application techniques—powder, frit and colour bars—and on wraps, optic-mould work, and cane drawing. You will practice surface powder application, wiping powder into optic mould ridges, and learn how colour reactions and reductions change appearance under heat. Wrap techniques include thin wraps, body wraps, lip wraps and feathering; colour-bar moves cover colour drops, collar pick-ups, fades and layered colour. Students choose the approaches they want to explore and may bring personal colour if they prefer. The hot shop setting is instructive: dealing with molten soda-lime glass teaches you about temperature, timing and material behaviour in real time. Class size and scheduling mean plenty of one-to-one instruction from experienced teachers (operator name not provided), and the studio's two resident cats, Kupe and Jeff, are part of the room's personality—note any allergies before you book. Located in Rotorua within New Zealand's Bay of Plenty region, the studio sits in a distinctive landscape of geothermal activity and strong Māori cultural presence; after class, a short walk to Lake Rotorua or Kuirau Park provides contrast between the hot shop and the region's steaming terraces and springs. Practical details matter: participants must be age 16 or older and have completed Weekend Workshop 1 and 2 or an equivalent skills course. Wear natural-fibre clothing, long pants and close-toed shoes; bring a lunch and water bottle. The workshop requires a minimum of three students to run and applies a cancellation policy that refunds 75% normally and adjusts to 50% if cancelled within seven days. Why book this experience? It compresses advanced colour technique into an intensive, supervised laboratory where you can try multiple colour methods in a single weekend and leave with several fired pieces. For makers who want to develop nuanced colour control, the combination of small group instruction, focused exercises and the kinetic clarity of working hot glass makes this workshop an efficient, tactile step forward. This class is not a spectator demonstration but a practical, example-driven studio course: expect heat, close attention, repeated practice and a lot of colourful learning. Booking requires at least one day's lead time; full prepayment policies are managed through the provider's booking link. Because the course works hot glass intensively, instructors emphasise safety protocols and hands-on guidance. Bring eyewear for kiln viewing if you use prescription glasses, and plan for lingering heat smells when you return to nearby accommodations and relax.
moderate.
2 days (12 hours).
Able to stand for extended periods, move around the bench, and handle light repetitive motions; basic stamina required.
You must have completed Weekend Workshop 1 & 2 or an equivalent hot-shop skills course to ensure you can safely work at the furnace.
Participants must be 16 years or older to enroll in this weekend workshop.
The studio refunds 75% of the class fee normally; if you cancel within seven days of the class the refund is adjusted to 50%.
Class size is limited to four people, and the workshop requires at least three students to run.
The workshop is a hot-shop environment with high temperatures and heat smells; it is cat-friendly with two resident cats—inform the studio about allergies.
Bring natural-fibre clothing, long pants, close-toed shoes, lunch, a water bottle and any personal colour materials you'd like to use.
Rotorua is a long-established center of Māori culture and geothermal activity; the area's hot springs and terraces have shaped local art and craft traditions.
Bring reusable containers for your own colour supplies and minimize waste glass; studios often consolidate trimmings and reuse melt when possible.
Amokura Glass is a Rotorua-based studio in the Bay of Plenty that teaches glass art through hands-on workshops and weekend courses. The studio offers a range of beginner-friendly experiences including fused glass ornament and soap-dish sessions, short blown-glass projects such as a 45-minute pumpkin workshop, a paperweight class with multiple designs and colors, and multi-day weekend introductions and follow-on intensives. Each class emphasizes personalized instruction with limited class sizes so participants receive one-on-one guidance from skilled instructors. Amokura Glass presents both glass fusing—cutting and assembling colored glass sheets and kiln-firing—and hot glassblowing techniques involving gathering, shaping, and coloring molten glass. Visitors can expect safety briefings, step-by-step demonstrations, and hands-on practice that result in finished pieces to take home. The studio is suitable for individuals, couples, small groups, and those seeking a creative addition to Rotorua itineraries. All workshops include materials, tools, and post-process handling such as kiln firing when required. Booking ahead is recommended to secure a spot in popular sessions. Safety equipment is provided on site.
Book with Amokura Glass