Workshops 2026

Ceramic Workshop - 2026

Workshop Period: 15 – 24 July

Aqtushetii is pleased to invite applications for our annual ceramic workshop, held each summer at our residency in Omalo, Tusheti.

Set within the remote landscape of the Caucasus mountains, the workshop offers a focused and immersive environment for working with clay, learning traditional and contemporary techniques, and developing individual projects.

This year’s program will be led by Georgian ceramic artist Beka Tabaghua, who will guide participants through a structured yet open-ended 10-day process, from first contact with the material to final presentation.

Program Overview

Over the course of the workshop, participants will be introduced to the material properties of clay and a range of hand-building and firing techniques. The program is designed to support both beginners and those with prior experience.

The workshop includes:

Introduction to clay and fundamental techniques, including coil building, plastering, and their combination.

Guidance in developing, composing, and finalizing individual works.

Glazing, dyeing, and preparation for firing, including test firings.

Throwing wheel masterclasses.

Firings using three different methods: wood-fired kiln, electric kiln, and Raku firing

A final exhibition/showcase of works created during the program

Eligibility

The workshop is open to participants of all backgrounds and levels of experience.

Alongside the structured sessions, there will be time for independent work, informal exchange, and engagement with the surrounding landscape.

Participation Fee

The participation fee is €1120 (all inclusive).

The fee covers:

Materials

Transport Tbilisi - Omalo - Tbilisi

Accommodation

Three meals per day

Application Materials

Applicants must submit:

A brief portfolio with links to your work (audio, video, or website)

A short statement describing your background

Please send all materials to: aqtushetii@gmail.com

Subject line: Ceramic

Application Timeline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The open call remains active until all available residency places are filled.

Due to limited capacity, early applications are encouraged.

Caucasus All Frequency Composer’s Workshop 2026

Workshop Period: 24 August – 2 September

The workshop is intended for musicians, composers, sound designers, and other sonic practitioners iinterested in engagements between “traditional” musics (and the musical communities to whom they belong) and contemporary composition, music technology, and creative collaboration.

Led by the musician/composer Giorgi Koberidze and musicologist/synthesist Ben Wheeler, the program will include masterclasses, discussions, listening sessions, and collaborative workshops. The sessions will include overviews of local Caucasian folk music traditions and in-depth introductions to the music of Tusheti in particular, as well as other musical traditions from around the world, all of which support the workshop’s wider theme: establishing a personalized approach to sonic engagement that foregrounds creativity, reciprocity, and environment in regard to local and global musical cultures and practitioners.

Participants will be invited to share their own practices, experiment with new techniques and tools, and perform at a group showcase at the end of the residency.

The number of participants is limited, allowing for an intensive and collaborative working environment.

The Programme Schedule

Sunday, August 24th
Arrival / Welcome reception

Monday, August 25th
Introduction to the Residency / Overview of Tushetian Music and Culture / Composing Creatively with Traditional Elements / Participant Share Session

Tuesday, August 26th
Film Scoring: Alternative Sonic Approaches / Organological Overview of Caucasus Instruments / New Approaches to Graphic Scores

Wednesday, August 27th
"Folk" and modular Synthesis / The Ethics of "Borrowed Sound"

Thursday, August 28th
Collaborating with Nature: "Ecomusic" / one-on-one meetings, portfolio consultation

Friday, August 29th
Field recording trip to Dartlo

Saturday, August 30th
Non-Standard Editing Techniques in DAWs / Short Film and Listening Session/

Sunday, August 31st
Open Studio Day / Final Concert

Monday, September 1st
Portfolio presentations / final consultation

Tuesday, September 2nd
Farewell Breakfast / Departure