Teaching programmes
Atelier Lālmitti is a clay centre that welcomes students on medium to long-term programmes. we offer learning opportunities for intermediate and advanced students who want to refine their skills and reflect on their creativity in a guided environment.
Our aim with Atelier Lālmitti is to be a centre of excellence where people can carry on their journey in clay with greater depth and expertise.
Two-month Advanced Pottery Programme
Atelier Lālmitti runs a two-month advanced pottery programme every year. This programme is open to students who have already learnt the basics of pottery and who wish to improve both their skills and creativity. If you are interested, please read the document below to know more.
Participants have been selected for our next programme which will run in May and June 2026. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep updated about our next selection, which will happen at the end of the year.
six-month to One-year Mentorship Programme
Ex-students of Atelier Lālmitti can send an application to take part in a long-term mentorship programme to develop their creativity further and focus on the production of a body of work. Please email us to enquire.
Testimonials from Two-month Advanced Programme students
I was working as a graphic designer when I discovered pottery. I loved the medium however I never found my voice. It wasn’t until Atelier Lālmitti where my comfort zone was challenged and I grew out of my cocoon. The course taught me to utilize my skills in new ways and to improve my pieces, both thrown and hand-built. I discovered a new, freer style of surface work. I hadn't felt proud of my work until this course. My time at Atelier Lālmitti taught me to accept the flaws and keep exploring. All in all, it was an amazing experience both with the course and my life at Andretta.
Devi Ramanathan
Two-month Advanced Programme
The two-month course at Atelier Lālmitti was the first time I went from playing with clay to thinking seriously about the creative process of working with it. The course is clever and well thought-out, and the supportive tutors take the time to get to know your interests and skills to personalise their advice and guidance for you. Working and living alongside the three other students not only means three other voices providing advice and welcome critique, but also creates lifelong friendships. Doing all of this in such a beautiful setting is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Louis Sawtell
two-month advanced programme
I signed up for the two-month summer programme with Reyaz and Elodie when I felt I needed direction in my pottery journey. I think they are very generous teachers, giving me the space to explore, encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone yet letting me be. While skill and technique can be learnt in many ways, it’s unique when one gets a sense of the way one can be an artist. Some of the practises I learnt from them will guide me to new paths each time I am lost in the infinite possibilities of clay.
Kuhelee Khandelwal
Two-month Advanced Programme
Atelier Lālmitti is an oasis of creativity, a peaceful place to express myself and to be surrounded by loving and passionate teachers like Reyaz and Elodie. I spent hours working in the studio feeling warm and welcome, each day leaving inspired and eager to learn and do more. Atelier Lālmitti has taken me to new level of creativity and has given me a renewed confidence at my skills. I left feeling empowered and energized.
Purvi Fumakiya
two-month advanced programme
Being mentored by two dedicated and inspiring artists for two months was nothing short of good fun, good work and good times! After these two months, there is a whole new world of reading material, videos and media that I was opened up to and that has kept me inspired and motivated. This has also made me appreciate and understand the work of other artists working with clay. By far, these two months were the best months of 2022 for me.
Sagarika Bhatia
Two-month Advanced Programme
The sessions not only strengthened my technical skills but also opened my mind to the larger world of art. Reyaz and Elodie are exceptional mentors—their personalised approach helped me internalise the creative process in a way that felt liberating. I returned home with a broader perspective on ceramics and a deeper understanding of what is possible within the realm of art. I would highly recommend this course to anyone, amateur or experienced, who wishes to expand their horizons beyond the conventional boundaries of pottery.
Ashif Sheriff
two-month advanced programme
Andretta was a perfect break from the distractions of city life, and the course gave me the space and facilities to work on my skills as well as think about clay in a whole new way. The course boosted my confidence levels and allowed me to open my mind to new possibilities, and has encouraged me to explore ceramics in a more holistic way.
Tara Maria Chawla
two-month advanced programme
Elodie and Reyaz have opened up such a big world of creative possibilities. Learning to expose myself to more than what I simply like, and thinking about 'why' has been so refreshing. Spending two months with them, and just focusing on studying clay as an artistic medium really helped shape my perception of clay and the way I work now.
Chinmayee Sridharan
two-month advanced programme
Learning at Atelier Lālmitti, at the foot of the Himalayas, where art and skill come together in perfect harmony, is nothing less than a dream. The course was not just about pottery but also using clay as a medium to express ideas and turn imagination into reality. Both Elodie and Reyaz bring their own flavour to the course from teaching fundamental skills to pushing us on thinking beyond our comfort zone. I feel that the end of the course is where my journey in clay began; it is going to be lifelong and I am every bit grateful for the same.
Kosha Shah
two-month advanced programme
The advanced programme was a special time to focus on ceramics, surrounded by the beautiful view of the Himalayas and the great company of ceramic lovers. I greatly appreciated the dedication of Reyaz and Elodie, genuinely willing to help you grow as a ceramist. The real bonus is the focus on art and finding your own voice through ceramic. Not having an art school background, this experience has been invaluable in my journey as a potter. The group of students being small, you can enjoy a lot of personal feedback and follow-ups, as well as a peaceful studio. If you are looking for a place to skyrocket your ceramic skills, explore your way through clay and meet heartwarming people, Atelier Lālmitti is the perfect place. It holds a special place in my heart and memory.
Carole Ryon
two-month advanced programme
My time at Atelier Lālmitti was deeply meaningful. Reyaz and Elodie have created a nurturing space, filled with a lot of learning in the studio, pottery books in their library and warm coffee and cake discussions. I always felt encouraged to do better and by the end of the course, gained a lot of confidence to translate and express my thoughts in clay. Since I don’t have an art school background, there was so much I also learnt just from talking to them about their own art practice and being inspired by their everyday life as artists. The two months I spent here gave me a lot of clarity about the direction I want to take, not just with clay, but also with living my life as a creative being.
Shraddha Panicker
two-month advanced programme
Testimonials from six-month to one-year mentorship programme students
My six-month mentorship at Atelier Lālmitti kickstarted my journey as a full-time functional potter. Élodie and Reyaz tailored the programme to my goal of becoming an independent potter, guiding me through every aspect of production, from wheel-throwing to making my own glazes and firing. Beyond technical skills, they provided invaluable insights into the business side of pottery, culminating in an online and offline pop-up shop that taught me the intricacies of selling my work. Thanks to their mentorship, I now feel empowered to pursue a career as a functional potter.
Nischala Mudunuri
six-month mentorship programme
For someone like me, who hasn’t studied arts in higher education, the programme helps me reflect on my work and position my practice in the arts. Having two open-minded yet critical mentors like Elodie and Reyaz on my side is motivating and broadens my horizon; to think not only about ceramics, but also to look beyond the medium and constantly question why I chose to work with clay.
Caroline Bertram
One-year Mentorship Programme
Two years after completing Atelier Lālmitti’s two-month advanced pottery programme, I was granted an opportunity to be mentored by Elodie & Reyaz through their one-year mentorship programme. With their expert advice, I was allowed to expand complex ideas technically, visually and critically within my ceramic practice. My mentorship culminated in developing a substantial body of work worthy of exhibition and admission into two notable MA Ceramics programmes in the UK. The knowledge and insights I have gained from my year with them have been a rich point of departure for my current practice-led research.
Nandini Chandavarkar
One-year Mentorship Programme
After a two-month summer course in 2023, I completed a year-long mentorship program in 2024-2025 with Elodie and Reyaz at Atelier Lālmitti. I worked partly from Andretta and partly from Chennai. I began with no direction, hoping to find a ‘magical door’ that would let my creativity flow. As much as I found myself flying and free, I often found myself at a crossroad, not knowing which road to take, or reaching dead-ends. However, every time Reyaz and Elodie gave me exercises which revealed hidden paths — and eventually, I found my magical door, arriving at a body of work that went on to become the foundation of my current practice. The mentorship was more than just a journey in clay. Most importantly, it taught me to play and that I don’t need to be just one kind of artist.
Devi Ramanathan
One-year mentorship programme
Being part of the one-year mentorship was an incredibly transformative journey. I was encouraged to experiment, question, and refine my process in ways I had not imagined before. The mentorship provided both rigor and generosity — a space where exploration of form, geometry, and balance could unfold through clay. What stood out was the emphasis on process: it was never only about the finished work, but about the thinking, testing, and dialogue behind it. I leave this mentorship not just with a body of work, but with a deeper clarity and confidence in my artistic practice. It has been an invaluable and grounding experience.
Megha Mittal
one-year mentorship programme
