Meet our team of teachers, technicians & managers
We’re super proud of our incredible team! We are lucky to have such a wealth of experience and diversity when it comes to skills and specialities.
Kyra Stratoudaki
Teacher & Technician
After decades as a ceramics hobbyist, Kyra has in the last 6 years become a full time maker and teacher. She mostly makes thrown functional ware and occasionally decorative stoneware or porcelain pots and jewellery. She has been a member of The Kiln Rooms since 2016
David McGuire
Studio Manager – Farringdon
David has been making in ceramics since secondary school, specialising in wheel thrown forms at Central St Martins BA in Ceramic Design. He works mainly with stoneware clay putting emphasis on form, blending functional and sculptural work. David oversees the smooth running of Copeland Park and teaches a few courses.
Lisa Darrer
General Manager
Lisa comes from a contemporary arts background, previously working in visitor services / operational roles at galleries and studying at Central Saint Martins. She ensures the smooth running of studio operations and splits her time between operations management and working on her own arts practice.
Elena Gileva
Teacher
Elena is an artist fixating on the decorative, historical and ornamental through the medium of ceramic sculpture. Elena has training both in ceramics, having graduated from the RCA and in fine art. She has been working in ceramic education since 2017 and also teaches at Morley College.
Manuel Calvo Perez
Teacher
Manuel is a ceramicist, visual artist and Illustrator. His practice focuses on thrown and altered sculptural ceramics with hand built elements. He has also recently exhibited ink drawings and ceramics on the theme of the ancient Earth Pangaea. As well as teaching Manuel has also painted two murals for the Copeland Park studio.
Yasmin Hamouda
Teacher
Yasmin is a chef, designer and maker who explores making tableware, cooking food and designing ways people can experience those things. She works primarily on the potters wheel, but loves incorporating hand building techniques to produce unique finishes. She has produced tableware for restaurants and cafes both in the UK and internationally. Teaching ceramics is a big part of her practice and she loves sharing the excitement she has for the material and it’s possibilities.
Krista Speakman-Brown
Bookings Manager & Teacher
Krista studied ceramics at Loughborough University. Soon after graduating in 2008, Krista began teaching ceramics whilst continuing with her own making. As well as being one of the teachers of our 12 week courses, Krista also manages the bookings here at The Kiln Rooms.
Shane Keeling
Teacher
Shane is a mixed media fine artist that specialises in ceramic. His ceramic work is handbuilt or slip-cast with an emphasis on intricate and colourful surface decoration. Shane’s role in The Kiln Rooms is to provide technical support for all 3 studios and he also teaches classes.
Yahya Amal
Teacher
Yahya started working with clay after studying Textile Design at DMU. What began as a hobby, has flourished into a colourful and glaze-filled extension of her creativity.
Creating under the name BLCK ABSTRKT, Yahya has been featured in exhibitions and art shows in South East London. Relishing and thriving in the spaces of The Kiln Rooms, this student has become a teacher!
Dena Haghsay
Teacher
Dena had a career in architecture, but discovered a passion for pottery upon encountering clay. She’s based at Staffordshire Street studios, crafting work that showcases bodily expressions in clay, exploring the juxtaposition between ‘storytelling’ and ‘making’ in a transformational process. She is also dedicated to sharing her passion and expertise, teaching ceramics at two studios in London.
Justin Page
Teacher
Justin was taught in the studio tradition of pottery at two of South Africa’s premier Ceramic Art Schools before moving to London. Over the last 5 years he has rediscovered his love for clay. Producing functional wheel thrown forms are where his passion lies – influenced by the urban and built environment and industrial design, with a nod to the history and forms of our craft.
Rebecca Griffiths
Teacher
Rebecca is a Peckham-based ceramic sculptor and graduate of the RCA. She has exhibited her work in galleries including Royal Academy of Art, Flowers Gallery, and Royal British Society of Sculptors. Rebecca also teaches in galleries, schools and organisations across London, designing workshops that celebrate tactility, invention and play.
Hannah Bould
Teacher & Assistant Studio Manager
Hannah started by taking pottery classes with Stuart Carey back in 2010 and has since developed a successful range of functional tableware. Hannah has a range of teaching experience and continues to make quality work which she sells at a number of outlets. She also has a background in fine art and is a keen printmaker.
Luke Kang
Technician
Luke developed a passion for ceramics and teaching while studying at university. The work he makes involves a combination of throwing and hand-building to create pots and sculptures that are more organic in form. At the Kiln Rooms, he leads on Sunday Taster classes and private classes.
Sean Bruno
Studio Manager – Copeland Park
Sean’s ceramics journey started in 2018 when his wife bought him a pottery taster class for his birthday. He was instantly hooked and quickly joined The Kiln Rooms as a student, and is now currently a member of the Copeland Park Studio where he also works as a teacher and studio technician.
Amanda-Sue Rope
Teacher
Amanda is a ceramicist who combines a wheel-thrown process with hand-building to create structural works evocative of architectural industrial forms. A former member of The Kiln Rooms Amanda is now co-owner and co-director of Grove Vale Ceramics, a gallery and studio in East Dulwich.
Saria Giobbe
Teacher
Saria is a full time designer, musician and interdisciplinary artist. Raised in a family of artists she discovered clay as a child in Italy and never abandoned the practice since then! After graduating in Fine Arts, she started working as a teacher, designer as well as a potter with her project Aryaceramics. She loves being versatile, experimenting with all types of clay, pushing the boundaries between materials and creating new things!
Sevak Zargarian
Studio Manager – Peckham Levels
Sevak graduated from CSM and has since had a lot of success with his Terrazzo style tableware. He has held senior technical roles in a number of quality ceramics studios and we’re chuffed to have him as such an important part of our team.
Phoebe Simmons
Teacher & Technician
Phoebe graduated from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Ceramic Design. She specialises in hand-built ceramic furniture, homeware, and lighting. Her work is inspired by geological features from around the world. She provides technical support at the Farringdon studio and teaches taster sessions.
Anne Athena
Teacher
Anne holds a BA from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and an MA from the Royal College of Art. She combines her love for ceramics and painting, by painting intricate images on her vessels and sculptures. She’s been teaching throwing, handbuilding and decoration over the last 10 years across different schools in Denmark where she is from and in the UK.
Monika Laskowska
Assistant Studio Manager
Monika is a ceramic artist who makes functional and conceptual work, using a variety of hand building methods, clays and surface design techniques. Her practice aims to distil and amplify moments of joy and beauty in everyday situations. She holds an MFA and BFA in ceramics from universities in the US and Ireland.
Harvey Brown
Technical Manager
Harvey is a qualified electrician with a hands-on approach, committed to keeping our studios running smoothly. He’s always worked with his hands, previously owning and operating a bicycle repair shop. Although new to ceramics, Harvey’s enthusiasm for expanding his skillset are driving his growth in this craft.
Stuart Carey
Technical Director & Co-founder
Stuart’s a ceramicist who’s been making for over 20 years. His wealth of experience allows the studios to all function smoothly. He has recently worked on commissions and is a consultant on The Pottery Throwdown TV show. Stuart is in charge of all the technical elements at The Kiln Rooms
Ben Cooper
Operations Director & Co-founder
Ben’s background is in Arts Management and fine art. He ran the bar/events at the RCA which is where he met Stuart, which is when The Kiln Rooms began. Ben is in charge of the operational aspects of the studios