This six-week ceramics apprenticeship in partnership with Berkshire Art Center offers young people from Railroad Street Youth Project with hands-on experience in studio ceramics alongside real work responsibilities. The program blends creative skill-building with work readiness, responsibility, and exposure to the local arts ecosystem.

Goals

• Provide hands-on ceramics and studio experience in a professional arts setting

• Build work readiness skills through shared responsibility and contribution

• Support creative expression, patience, and follow-through

Program Structure

• Open to ages 14 - 25

• Duration: 6 weeks

• Schedule: Mondays, 3:30–5:30 PM

• Start date: February 23rd

• Format: ~50% work-based tasks (studio support, materials handling, cleanup, preparation) and ~50% ceramics learning and creative practice

Learning Experience

• Learn foundational ceramics skills (clay handling, basic forms, glazing concepts)

• Understand studio operations and shared responsibility in an arts workspace

• Engage in work that may be messy, physical, and sensory-rich (e.g., moldy clay, strong smells)

• Build comfort with creative risk-taking, patience, and process-oriented work.

Participants should expect to get dirty and wear clothes appropriate for studio work.

You can sign up for the program in the link on the top right corner of this page under RESOURCES.

Feel free to reach out to Adam Lang with any questions at (413) 717-1098 or adam@rsyp.org.