team VALUES

We don’t mean to brag, but we have the most amazing team here at SkandiHus, and we are fully aware that without them, we would be nothing! Don’t just take our word for it though. SkandiHus has been awarded Time Out London's "Most loved Culture Venue" and both Conde Nast Traveler, Secret London and TimeOut nominated us “Best Pottery Classes in London” - and this is all down to the efforts of every single person in our team.

As a business, we do everything we can to limit our impact on the environment, and to have a positive impact on the world for both people and the planet.

In our studios we recycle as much material as possible; from our clay and glazes, to spare containers, and even spare kitchen utensils and make-up brushes. We use 100% recyclable paper and vegetable based ink for our marketing materials in our clay kits and our tote bags and aprons are made from organic cotton. Our electricity comes from 100% renewable sources (this includes the electricity used to power our kilns and wheels), and any gas we use is 100% carbon-neutral.

As part of our mission to make a more positive contribution to the environment, we have partnered with One Tree Planted. Every year a small proportion of our profits will help plant more trees. Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. We need more trees. Find out more on onetreeplanted.org

We believe that being a conscious business extends beyond protecting the environment, so we also:

  • Pay every staff member London living wage or above, and we never let anyone work for free for us (as it feeds an industry where only individuals from affluent backgrounds have access). Running SkandiHus as a business enables this, which is why we are so strict about our refund policies;

  • Do everything we can to ensure a safe working environment for our staff and students, free from bullying and stress. The number one criteria for getting a job with us is to be a kind human being. We can teach you the rest!

  • Sell all unclaimed student work through our friends at our local Vegan Cafes “Black Cat” and “Hornbeam” and donate the money to chosen charities. We have a similar set up with the ARC food bank in Islington for whom we also collect non-perishable foods and hygiene products;

  • Whenever we can afford it, we offer free classes to individuals who have suffered trauma, as we know how healing it can be to work with clay. We are currently collaborating with Ella’s, a London-based organisation working with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation.


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stine dulong (SHE/HER)

Founder & ceramicist

Stine is the founder, designer, maker, and creative mind of SkandiHus. If you walked into our studio on any given day, Stine could be found doing pretty much anything, from designing new work, to making pieces for a commission, to doing our accounts, putting up shelves, or chatting with her team. She is involved in every aspect of the business, and works closely with her team to ensure that the integrity and identity of SkandiHus is maintained in all that we do. 

Stine strongly believes that working with clay facilitates a reconnection between our hands, heart and brain and that when we start reconnecting with ourselves, we automatically begin to reconnect with the world around us. She feels that one of the main things causing so much pain in the world at the moment, is the way we have all become so disconnected from nature, each other and worst of all, from ourselves. Having experienced a powerful transformation through clay many years ago when she was still working as a lawyer, she set out to share this magic material and to help heal the world, one ball of clay at the time.

She wants everyone to be warned though: Clay is highly addictive!


William Demers (He/HIM)

Studio Manager

Will is the SkandiHus Studio Manager. He expertly keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes in the studios. From ordering clay to making tables, he tries his best to make sure that every student can get the most out of their Skandihus classes. Without Will (and his team), we wouldn’t have chairs to sit on, clay to play with or glazes to mess up!

Originally from Canada, Will's clay journey began in Vietnam, where he started a small ceramics studio in the bustling Old Quarter of Hanoi. He was responsible for the operations and glazes at the studio, and he’s now brought all of his skills and expertise to London to work with us. Hooray!

His goal is to create an environment where everyone can let go of their everyday stresses, relax and enjoy ceramics. He’s doing a damn good job if you ask us!


KAMEO FASHOYIN (SHE/HER)

admin Assistant & Teacher

Kameo has a background in textiles and print making. She studied Surface design at the London college of communication in the hopes of becoming a textile designer. Her creative journey took a beautiful turn when she birthed a set of twin girls at the start of her second year of studies. Following the completion of her studies, she felt lost and struggled to express herself creatively whilst trying to balance work-life and motherhood. It has been a continuous journey of lessons and self-discovery.

Kameo is greatly inspired by her grandmother, who utilizes her time painting & doing exactly what she loves. Her home is a display of her creative expression, including her functional hand-built ceramics. She spent her early years as a Psychotherapist and a writer, and is reminder to all that it is never too late to meet who you will meet and be who you will become. Having great admiration for her grandmother’s freedom, and the ability to live joyously on her own terms, Kameo acted on her desire to learn how to work with clay. She committed to a course with Skandihus and she’s stuck around ever since (lucky us!).

After completing several courses with SkandiHus and slowly becoming part of a beautifully cultivated clay community, she realised that working with clay was a therapeutic and sustainable form of creative expression. She also considers it to be a form of self-care that encourages patience and detachment.


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Justin Page (he/him)

Studio technician & Teacher

Justin Page is a studio assistant and production thrower at SkandiHus. He teaches the Monday and Tuesday evening courses at Clapton, and the Thursday morning course at Walthamstow. Justin’s super powers are kindness and bringing chocolate biscuits to work.

He studied Fine Art Printmaking in South Africa, but the clay bug took hold of him after he completed a B-Tech in Ceramic Design at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth. He moved to London around the millennium but became side-tracked by a career in the wine industry. Over the last seven years, he has re-discovered his love of clay and has become fully committed to working as a potter again. He now produces his own work in his Peckham studio and is a member of a clay collective.

Justin’s work is mostly wheel thrown functional ware, with the addition of slab-built elements. He is influenced by the urban and industrial landscape which can be seen in the forms, colours and textures of his work. He is excited about the prospect of helping others experience both the excitement and grounding that creating with clay can bring. His teaching style is kind, patient and thoughtful. A former student said: “Justin is awesome!” and we couldn’t agree more.


CHARLIE BROOKES (SHE/HER)

Studio techniciaN & Teacher

Charlie moved to London from Teesdale to study Design at Goldsmiths University, and she started exploring clay in her final year. 

After working in the hospitality and fermentation industry, she took up ceramics again when assisting at a members studio. She reckons this might have been one of the best decisions of her life!

She is interested in architectural ceramics, her work often investigating traditional techniques and local landscapes via historical research and collaboration. 

She also works as Technical Assistant in the V&A ceramics studio, supporting the artist-in-residence programme. She has lots of experience running workshops for young people working with various organisations. Her teaching style is kind, patient and gentle.

Charlie is our resident quizz master and keeps us all entertained during lunch, introducing us to various games!


Eddie howard (HE/Him)

Studio technician & Teacher

Eddie is a Studio Assistant and Taster Teacher here at SkandiHus. Day-to-day, he helps keep things running smoothly behind the scenes by reclaiming clay, building furniture, hanging up shelves and filling the studio with his nice energy.

He grew up near Brighton and nearly took a career in Agriculture before following his love of painting to London to study at City and Guilds Art College. On his journey to become a (now established) portrait painter, he also fell in love with the city and with clay!

Eddie has many strings to his gentle bow, having worked as a gardener, carpenter and antique lamp restorer. Before joining SkandiHus, he also dabbled in clay at an open access studio. He has experience teaching drawing and painting, and is always motivated to create spaces where people can share the joy of becoming totally absorbed in an art practice. As if all of this isn’t impressive enough, Eddie also co-runs a local project-space that opens once a month to host exhibitions for an eclectic mix of artists.

He is a keen bean and believes learning new skills, working with our hands, and nurturing our creative health is hugely important to our well-being. He is beyond excited that he gets to facilitate this for students here at SkandiHus, bringing an exciting energy and charisma to the classes he facilitates.


PHOEBE SIMMONS (SHE/HER)

Studio technician, TEACHER & ADMIN ASSISTANT

Phoebe is a Studio Assistant, Teacher and Admin Assistant at Skandihus. Originally from the West Country, she is a designer-artist, specialising in hand-built ceramic furniture and lighting, and combining ceramics with illustration and animation. She has worked in clay for the last 8 years and has assisted multiple ceramic artists around the globe, from the Mojave Desert to Stockholm. 

Graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2020 with a BA in Ceramic Design, Phoebe’s graduate project was shortlisted for a MullenLowe NOVA award, and she was later selected for the Graduate Residency at The Clay Shed in Bristol. After completing the residency, Phoebe returned to London in 2022.

When Phoebe is not working at Skandihus, she is making at her studio in East London. Phoebe brightens our studios with her positive energy and infectious laughter.


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LESIA INAK-PRICE (SHE/HER)

TEACHER

Lesia’s first introduction to clay was here at SkandiHus. Whilst working an office job and searching for a way to express herself creatively, she signed up for an evening course and the rest is history. Lesia worked for many years as a studio assistant with us, and has now come full circle and joined the teaching team.

She studied Geography at University and pursued a career in the charity sector before taking a more artistic turn. Now part of a makers studio in South London, Lesia is working on her own pieces focusing on wheel-thrown tableware. She pursues a minimal aesthetic while still taking influence from traditional techniques. 

Enthusiastic, friendly and calm, Lesia aims to help new students find their inner artist and experiment with the clay.  She believes in the importance of a creative escape beyond work that allows us to express ourselves and switch off from the outside world. She is excited by seeing her student’s projects and passing on her love of pottery to them.


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lINDA BARCK (she/her)

Teacher

Linda is a SkandiHus teacher and maker originally from Sweden. She teaches our Monday and Tuesday evening classes at the De Beauvoir studio, and our Thursday morning class at the Clapton Studio. Linda is also the longest running member of the SkandiHus team aside from Stine, and we couldn’t imagine the studio without her!

She obtained an MA in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art and a First Class Honors, BA(hons) from Camberwell College of Art. Before moving to London, Linda was an apprentice to the Icelandic potter, Helgi Björgvinson, in Gothenburg. 

Linda's own ceramic work lies more in the sculptural sphere than the functional one, but she is a dab hand at teaching both. As a master maker and a skilled and attentive teacher, it’s not uncommon for her to get standing ovations at the end of her classes


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KATIE MOORE (she/her)

TEACHER

Katie moved to East London after finishing her BA degree in illustration in Winchester. Whilst working for a few years as a retail buyer, she was taking part in evening ceramics classes across London. As her love for clay grew, she cut down her full-time job to devote her time to make in a shared studio space. She has now completed a Master's degree in ceramics, furthering her skills and enhancing her passion for clay!

With a background in illustration, she loves storytelling and all things handmade. Inspired by colour and abstract forms, Katie's own ceramics are very playful. She hopes to bring a whimsical approach to her clay classes - characterful (or wobbly) forms are always encouraged!


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DEEJ AMIN (she/her)

Teacher

Deej teaches at all three of our studios. She is originally from Manchester and having been told at school that pottery was only for "serious artists"*, she only had her first ceramics making experience while living and working in Japan years later. She was instantly drawn to the relaxed, therapeutic nature of working with clay, and has been making regularly since completing her master's degree in Japanese Studies in 2016. She came to SkandiHus as a student in 2018 and thankfully never left!

She enjoys experimenting with new forms and colours, and has been particularly inspired by the seascapes seen in her holidays around Japan and New Zealand.

Deej’s classes are always light, bright, and full of creativity! She encourages her students to learn by experimenting, instead of overthinking their designs, and her approach to teaching is patient, attentive and kind. She is a dab hand at making everyone feel comfortable under her expert guidance.

*she obviously now knows how silly this statement is. Pottery is for everyone! 


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VIOLAINE VERRY (SHE/HER)

Teacher 

Violaine teaches our weekend Taster Classes and longer Courses at both studios. She is enthusiastic and excited by all things clay, and is keen to share her knowledge with everyone starting their ceramics journey with us.

A graphic designer by trade, her own ceramics journey began as a creative outlet during the evenings as escapism from her pixel-led life, and swiftly became one of her deepest passions. Now part of a makers’ studio in North London, not a day goes by when she doesn’t make, think, dream, or talk about ceramics. Her work is inspired by the rustic pottery of her native France, and she has a keen interest in functional ceramics.

Her classes are light-hearted and playful, and she aims to help students reconnect with their inner creativity – hopefully leaving everyone wanting to play with clay again very soon.

A student said “Violaine’s intuition and invitation to feel the clay was incredible! A great energy in the studio and a sensory delight of an experience!” -We absolutely agree!


ANNA BUTLER (SHE/HER)

TEACHER

Anna grew up in the Potteries where she began a lifelong love of clay by collecting vintage ceramics in the local junk shops. After a degree in Law from Cambridge Uni, and a career in the film industry, she decided it was time to start making her own. A year or so later, inspired by many brilliant teachers, Anna became a mentor at Skandihus and then progressed to teaching classes.

Anna says ‘as much as I love making my own ceramics, I also love seeing my students create and sharing that passion for clay. I really believe everyone has creative muscles, and clay is the very best way to stretch them.’

Anna’s classes focus on creating a warm, relaxed and encouraging space to find your own creativity with clay. We all absolutely adore Anna and we’re sure you will too.


JAMES ROBERTS (he/hIM)

Teacher

James teaches Taster classes at all three studios, as well as the Monday evening course at De Beauvoir and the Saturday morning course at our Walthamstow studio.

James did a pottery class one weekend and fell in love instantly. The whole process from start to finish is full of drama! With the big reveal at the end. For him, opening the kiln never gets old.

Inspired by all artistic endeavours, his own work is minimalistic/practical with a twist. Previously James taught photography at a homeless charity, with an emphasis on expression and art therapy.

His goal now is to further hone his skills and share his love of ceramics with students here at SkandiHus. He hopes his classes will be a creative and calming environment with a few giggles thrown in for good luck! He’s such a delight to have in the team, and we know you’ll all fall in love with him.


ranjit dhaliwal (he/hIM)

TEACHER

Ranj was drawn to clay whilst at school but took up a career in photography, working as a newspaper and magazine picture editor for many years. He took up part time study of ceramics at college and also studied with a wide range of renowned studio potters around the country before choosing to focus entirely on being a ceramic designer-maker.

Ranj makes tableware influenced by the forms of modern European studio pottery, married with a bright colour palette that is inspired by his Indian heritage. He also makes decorative pieces that are created using alternative kiln firings, exciting and unpredictable processes that use foraged and reused combustible materials.

Ranj is keen to share his passion for our humble but vital craft that goes back many millennia; making things from earth, dug from the ground, and his fascination with how that earth undergoes a magical transformation after being subjected to intense heat. His teaching style is kind, with a sprinkle of fun added in.


FELICITY ROYCE (SHE/HER)

Teacher

Felicity Royce is a teacher of our longer courses and taster classes. She graduated from Federation University, Australia with a Bachelor of Applied Art-Ceramics in 1992, winning the Walker Ceramic prize in her final year. 

She was awarded Artist in Residence with the Craft Council Victoria and completed a Diploma of Education in Art. Returning to the Victorian coast, she started her first teaching job and set up a small studio. 

She’s been based in London since 1999 and is now working in ceramics full time, making and teaching all things clay. Felicity has exhibited in both Australia and the UK. Felicity’s work is based on the beaches she grew up on, focusing on the line created between the breaking waves and the sand. 

You’ll often find Felicity cruising down the roads of Hackney on her electric bicycle. Her teaching style is full of positive energy, with a sprinkle of warmth and good humour thrown in. 


danielle webster (SHE/HER)

TASTER Teacher

While working a full time job in an office, Danielle strives for a creative outlet. She researched studios in East London, and Skandihus was always the highest rated. She started off initially with a 6 week course, fell in love, and started a 12 week course immediately after. She then started mentoring the drop ins on the weekend. From that she started teaching the taster classes.

Danielle is originally from Canada, while living in the U.K. she found a lovely community in Skandihus, similar to what she had at home. Always feeling a warm welcome from students, teachers, and the neighbourhood cat that visits the studio.

Danielle is Hackney based, with her two cats Fran and Stevie. She enjoys exploring East London, the local market at Vicky park, and her fave tuck shop coffee. She enjoys the creativity and warm community pottery has brought her to.


Simona Angeletti

TASTER Teacher

Simona is a teacher of our longer courses and Taster classes, on and off the wheel. She grew up in San Francisco and spent large parts of her youth by a cosy furnace in the countryside in the middle of Italy, Umbria where her mother used to work making slip casting. Her first job as a 16-year old was painting small pieces of clay with oxides. At the time, she thought it was the best job ever. 

She studied Fine Arts in Rome and went on to become an illustrator for children’s books. After publishing a few books in Italy and America, started working as a Videomaker from Milan to LA. At some point, she got tired of technology, and decided to do the furthest thing from a screen - she signed up for a pottery class in East London. One thing led to another, and after woking as a studio technician for a few years, she trained to became a pottery teacher. 

She’s now happily teaching at SkandiHus while making her beautiful quirky ceramics. Her teaching style is calming, nurturing and welcoming.


ALEX MILLAR

TASTER Teacher

Alex took up ceramics as a hobby 4 years ago as a means of coping with the stress and anxiety of her work and post-grad studies in climate science communication. The studio very quickly became a place of solace, and throwing at the wheel, a ritual for practicing mindfulness, patience, and kindness to the clay and to oneself! 

Despite never seriously foreseeing a career in “full-time clay” during her university studies, Alex attributes her current calling and love of ceramics to her childhood - growing up back-and-forth between the southwest coast of England and mainland Greece, immersed in two very different cultures of similar appreciation for ancient and modern pottery. Each time she finds herself elbow-deep in a bucket of reclaim,  or coming home with clothes splattered head-to-toe, Alex recalls memories as a child playing with/in clay native to both of her hometowns, or making with her grandmother, and is reminded that she's in the right place. 

Alex teaches Hand-building and Wheel-throwing Taster Classes at all three of our studio locations and tends to gush at how much she loves her job. Introducing students to the magic and versatility of clay is one of her greatest joys, and getting to know students from all walks of life in East London is a close second. 


SARAH CAMPBELL

TASTER Teacher

Sarah is originally from Yorkshire but has lived in London for over a decade now. 

Her background is in human rights education where she specialises in creating innovative opportunities for empowerment and solidarity. 

Looking for a creative outlet she joined an evening course at Skandihus and fell in love with clay. Pottery has reawakened her creativity and brought some much needed moments of stillness and calm to her life. She loves the variety of working with clay and the opportunity to play with shapes, textures and materials to make things that are beautiful and functional. 

She’s since combined her passion for education with the joy of ceramics to teach classes at Skandihus. Her classes are informal and relaxed spaces where people can try things out and experience the many things that working with clay can teach us! 


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mr alfie perkins III (Dog/Doggie)

branch manager, barking

Alfie Perkins (also answers to Alfredo, Alfonso or Mr P) is the heart of the SkandiHus family. His key responsibilities are finding sticks, fetching sticks, and eating Will’s lunch. It’s a hard job, with long hours of staring out the window and a lot of one-to-ones in the park, but we can’t imagine a better dog for the job.