Year 10 Work Experience at Wysing - Information for applicants
Each year Wysing offers two work experience placements to year 10 students for 1 week from state funded schools. We have the following project role you can apply for.
Ceramics Studio Assistant
On this placement you’ll work closely with members of Wysing’s team as well as our talented technicians and creative studio members. You will have the opportunity to learn and support the behind-the-scenes work that is essential for keeping our Ceramic Studio thriving.
This role will be a mix of practical and hands-on tasks. You will learn essential pottery techniques like hand building, as well as throwing with clay on a pottery wheel. You’ll also learn how to pack and unpack the kilns and help to recycle clay in a process called ‘reclaiming’.
When you’re not working in the Ceramics Studio, you will be an integral part of our team. You will get to know each member of staff that works at Wysing, and find out what their role involves. You will take part in meetings and get the opportunity to take photos and write a post for social media.
You will be supporting events planning, helping us set up and prepare for Wysing’s Open Studios event, one of our biggest public events of the year. At the end of this placement, you will present what you’ve learned to the rest of the team.
What you'll gain:
- Insight into the management of a Ceramics Studio
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Communication, time and task management skills
- Organisational and problem-solving skills
- Marketing skills, including the use of Wysing’s social media
No experience in the arts or ceramics is necessary, but it is important that you are interested in visual arts and have a desire and curiosity to learn and get involved.
Work experience with Wysing is a great opportunity to get a sense of what it is like to work in a visual arts organisation. You will gain insight and exposure into the sorts of roles which are available in the arts – some of which you might never have considered or even heard of. It is important to note that we are not a gallery or museum, and we do not host exhibitions. It’s really important that you check our website and see what we do so that you can be totally sure that we are the right fit for you.
To Apply
We want the application to be as straightforward as possible. We use a system called submittable to help us do this. In submittable, you can fill out the application form or you can upload your application in an alternative format. This can be a voice note, video or letter to answer the questions.
If you have access needs, or need any help or support with your application, please get in touch via email to info@wysingartscentre.org
Applications are open from October to December 2025. All applications are reviewed in January 2026. We will email all applicants to let them know if we are able to offer them a place. We do not review applications outside of these dates, so please make sure you apply at the right time.
Wysing is a very small team, this is why work experience places are limited. We receive lots of applications and try to make our decisions as fairly as possible. We consider the answers applicants provide to offer the spaces we have available to those we feel this opportunity has the most benefit and meaning to.
Position: Curator
Reports to: Director
Location: Wysing Arts Centre, Fox Road, Bourn, CB23 2TX
Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week. Some evening and weekend working necessary; additional hours claimed back under Wysing’s TOIL policy.
Salary: £30-£35,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Contract: Permanent (with review/probation in the first three months)
Line manages: Assistant Curator
Wysing Arts Centre is seeking an experienced, imaginative Curator to develop and deliver an ambitious artistic programme across residencies, commissions, exhibitions and events.The Curator will help shape Wysing’s artist-centred vision, fostering experimentation and critical discourse, while embracing the potential of our rural setting and growing focus on biodiversity and environmental sustainability. The role involves staying research-active, and creating thoughtful frameworks for artist support, ensuring that Wysing’s programme remains at the forefront of national and international artistic development.
We are looking for someone with relevant curatorial experience, a deep engagement with contemporary art, and a collaborative spirit. The successful candidate will bring strong organisational skills, commitment to equity and sustainability, and the confidence to represent Wysing’s values externally. This is a rare opportunity to contribute to Wysing‘s future direction at a critical moment for our sector, working within a supportive, values-led environment that champions curiosity, innovation and experimentation.
Click here to access the full recruitment pack
Application deadline: 9am on Monday 10 November.
We expect that interviews will be held onMonday 17th November 2025 on site at Wysing Arts Centre.
We are currently inviting applications for new members of our Ceramics Studio at Wysing in Cambridgeshire. Our public access programme offers members access to the studio for a 1-day membership (8hrs per week) or a 2-day membership (16hrs per week) with a monthly subscription.
About the Ceramics Studio
Our ceramics studio was originally founded in 2014 by Grantchester Pottery and has a range of equipment including moulds, wheels and two kilns. Historically, the space has been used primarily by Wysing studio and residency artists, but we'd like to invite people who live locally to enjoy the space too.
The studio will be open to members from 10.00am to 8.00pm Monday - Friday and10:00am – 6:00pm on Saturday – Sunday. You can access the studio for either up to 8 or 16 hours per week depending on your membership.
The room can support up to a maximum of 6 people working at any one time.
Some basic materials will be available to buy at cost in the studio, but you can also bring and store your own clay at Wysing as part of your membership.
If you'd like to come and see the space before applying for membership, please get in touch to arrange a visit by emailing info@wysingartscentre.org.
About Wysing
Wysing believes in the transformative social and personal benefits of art and creativity, and that a more just world can only be achieved if everyone has equal access to the time and space needed to imagine it. Wysing provides accessible opportunities and resources to think and create, outside the habits of daily life. We support artists to develop their talent; we advocate for the immense value they have in the world, and we work to create the conditions necessary for them to have sustainable careers.
Membership Options
1-day Membership
£140 per month, paid by direct debit on the first day of the month. Cancel any time with 30 days notice.
£800 for six months, paid upfront
£1,500 for one year, paid upfront.
2-day Membership
£210 per month, paid by direct debit on the first day of the month. Cancel any time with 30 days notice.
£1200 for six months, paid upfront
£2250 for one year, paid upfront.
About How We'll Select Members
The studio will not be staffed by a technician during all of the public access times (although we will have technicians working regularly on firings). Given this, we're expecting all members to have a good level of understanding and experience of working with clay - this includes knowledge about the health and safety within a ceramics studio and the responsible handling of toxic materials (i.e. glazes).
Although we have four wheels in the studio, we won't be able to get through the firing requirements if we have too many throwers. So we'll need to balance our memberships to include a range of practices.
How to Apply
Please use this form to send us some further information about your experience of working with ceramics, the kind of work you make and any information you want to share about how membership to the studio will benefit you and your practice.
If you would prefer to submit your application in audio or video format instead of written format this can be uploaded.
The application currently has a rolling deadline - you can apply anytime. Spaces are limited, so applications should be submitted as soon as possible to avoid disapointment.
What Happens After I've Applied
The Wysing team will take a look at your application. If you've been selected, we'll be in touch with you to let you know how to book the space and to arrange a health and safety induction first of all. You should be able to access the studio a month after being selected.