Provence pottery retreats

Francesca - a trained chef and passionate pottery enthusiast - invites you to join her immersive retreats at Maison Lou Roucas, her beautifully restored village home in Provence. These unique retreats blend pottery, cuisine, and culture for an unforgettable experience.

A typical retreat…

5 nights in her charming home surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. Each day balances creative time in the pottery studio with various local trips and opportunities to explore the rhythms of Provençal life.

Francesca’s retreats are not only about ceramics. They are a way to share her village with you: wandering through local markets, cooking and tasting regional dishes, learning snippets of history, discovering secret olive mills, foraging in the countryside, and taking stunning walks among the vines and hills.

Each day is balanced between clay and culture. Mornings are devoted to ceramics, with Francesca teaching hand-building, wheel-throwing, and other creative techniques - ideal for beginners and those looking to refine their skills. You’ll learn to prepare and shape clay, explore recycling, drying, firing, and glazing, and practice centring and pulling on the wheel. More experienced potters are free to dive straight into their own projects, with Francesca on hand for guidance.

NEW FOR 2026 - RAKU- playing with fire!

Afternoons and evenings are for immersion in Provence: picnicking on market delicacies, wandering vineyards and village streets, and sharing meals that blend local dining with dishes you’ll prepare together in a Provençal cookery lesson with Francesca.

This is more than a retreat. It’s a chance to immerse yourself in Provençal culture, reconnect with creativity, and share in Francesca’s love of clay, cuisine, and community.

Prices >

Retreat dates

2026

May 13th - 17th - FULL

June 6th- June 10th - FULL

June 18-23rd - FULL

June 11th - June 16th - FULL

NEW DATES ** August 20th - 25th - 3 spaces available

August 27th - September 1st - FULL

September 4th - September 9th - FULL

PLEASE NOTE:
• I can also organise bespoke retreats - minimum of three people.
• If a partner would like to join you on a retreat but not take part in the pottery - this is possible. Please enquire and I will be happy to accommodate.

Contact / email me to enquire.

Enquire / Book >

Summer 2027〰️

Summer 2027〰️

Thursday 13th May - 18th May

Thursday 20th May - 25th May

Thursday 27th May - 1st June

Thursday 3rd June - 8th June

Thursday 10th June - 15th June

Thursday 17th June - 22nd June

Thursday 24th June- 29th June

2nd September - 7th September

9th September - 14th September

To enquire
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Raku

FIRING

Originated in Japan around 1580’s- It was developed in connection with the Japanese tea ceromony

You will start the week, handbuilding a plate or a bowl. It will be dried and biscuit fired - Then on your last day - the excitement starts as we heat the item to 1000°c - when it is white hot, we then pattern it with feathers, horse hair, your own hair or any other magic and finally - thermal shock it, so the glaze becomes crackled. This will be ready to take home with you.

Prices & inclusions

  • 1 person in a double room @ 1155 euros.

    1 person sharing a twin room @ 855 euros per person.

    1 person sharing a 2 bedroom duplex room for 3 people (with private sleeping area but shared bathroom) @ 795 euros per person.

    We only have 2 rooms available for single occupancy and are on a first come first served basis. You will be informed at the enquiry stage if you will be required to share a room.

  • What’s Included

    • 5 nights B&B accommodation & 2 x evening meals (BBQ & cookery lesson)

    • Daily ceramics sessions (half-day) covering hand-building, wheel-throwing, glazing and more. Suitable for all levels

    • Daily activities with Francesca - such as village walks, market visits, olive mills, foraging and exploring the local area.

    Not Included

    • Lunches and 3 x evening meals - this is your opportunity to eat out and enjoy what the village has to offer.

    • Alcohol / drinks, meals / picnics out and excursions

  • We will create your booking and send a pro-forma invoice with instructions on options of how to pay a 30% deposit.  The balance of your retreat is due 8 weeks before arrival.

Enquire / Book >

  • I have just returned from a truly special and memorable Pottery Retreat. Francesca arranged an amazing range of activities, including pottery (of course!) in her well-equipped studio, local market visits, lots of delicious meals, walks through vineyards, cherry and olive groves, chateau visits, swimming in the plunge pool and a beautiful blue lake and a Provençal cookery demonstration. All of this with a friendly small group in a very comfortable and beautiful house. I would highly recommend this holiday to anyone wanting to try out/improve their ceramics whilst experiencing the food, scenery and culture of a very beautiful part of the world. 

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Google Review

  • This was a hands-on pottery retreat and our host, Francesca, organised a range of activities including her own authentic Provençal cuisine cooking demonstration (which we had for dinner!), visiting local markets, beautiful walks through the olive & cherry groves, swimming in the lake and an evening of music & entertainment at a vine yard. Obviously we sampled the local food & wine and there was a lot of laughter. We were a small mixed group and I have never tried pottery before, but it did not matter - Francesca was there to show and expertly guide us. Francesca runs the B&B providing a homemade breakfast, delightful accommodation & loads of local knowledge. This is truly a unique place which I fell in love with!

    Victoria Wollard

  • What a wonderful, relaxing, all consuming experience! Wonderful location! Maison lou roucas is beautiful, spacious, stylish and very very comfortable! Relaxing itinerary. Pottery lessons are intermingled with trips to the gorgeous local markets full of delicious local French produce, vineyards and lakes. Lazy lunches, a spot of foraging and some fascinating history. All the locals were super welcoming! All consuming Pottery! You can't think about anything else while the wheel is turning! Francessca is clearly very talented and knowledgeable and a great teacher. We all came away with lots learnt and pots to be proud of! Epitomises retreat!

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Google Review

  • My little family had the most amazing week at the Chilly Powder Pottery retreat in Provence! I booked myself into the pottery course and Francesca was so accommodating to make the trip work for me, my partner and my little one year old girl. We all got to stay together, adventure to markets, each delicious food (including Francesca’s amazing dishes) go on local walks, visit the lake, day trip and I got to create masterpieces in the pottery studio with Francesca as my guide. Was definitely the highlight of our month long trip and we can’t wait to go back. She even went and got some pastries for Father’s Day, very special!

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Google Review

Contact me
to enquire or book

francescaeyre70@gmail.com
+33 663099499