Glass Gaffer Experience: Turn Ideas Into Glass Art

•

Glass Gaffer Experience: Turn Ideas Into Glass Art

Have you always wanted to have your idea made out of glass by professional glassblowers?

Nick Doran Adams

r.a.g.e.

5.0 (476)

ClassBento donates with every booking to

2 hours

1 to 2 guests

$990

•

Overview

Reviews

Host

What you'll do

It is a professional part of the hot glass practise that designers commission skilled glassblowers to create their ideas in glass. This gaffer workshop has been created for you, the enthusiast who has a fancy idea to adorn your home, enrich your environment, and experiment with an exotic material.

Our gaffer on the floor working to facilitate your ideas is the incredible Nick Adams. Nick has over a decade of experience and can navigate the countless methodologies of practise to arrive at a spectacular result.

Like anything, the act of glassblowing has limitations, the most obvious being weight and size - fortunately, 'skies the limit' with creative prowess.

There will be a short consultation period prior to your workshop. To start the conversation and for us to try to dive into your creative brain, we require a detailed sketch of your idea before the class. We would like to know the proposed dimensions, colour, purpose, and anything else that you think may be relevant.

In this session, you will be on the hot shop floor and work intimately with two skilled glassblowers to actualise your idea. This way, you can be in touch with the making process, document the moment, and be involved every step of the way.

Please note that as talented as our team is, we will guide your ambitions to what is achievable within the time and material limitations. Glassblowing is an organic and fluid process; therefore, the final result may vary slightly from your original concept. The more specific and detailed you can be on what you are hoping for, the clearer we may understand the goals of your project and work to actualise it.

What you'll get

Guidance from an expert to create your idea.
All materials provided.
Your own glass pieces to take home!

Knowledge required

Beginner-friendly.

What to bring

Closed-toe shoes must be worn.
A loose cotton shirt and long pants are advised.
A water bottle and snacks, if desired, will be provided.
An idea and drawings of what you would like us to make

Add-on available for this class

Spectator ($20)

You can add this when you book (optional).

Location

Ruth Allen Glass - 10 Hossack Avenue, Coburg North VIC

Free on-street (2-hour) parking is available. The nearest train station is Batman, a short 10 min walk away.

Glass Gaffer Experience: Turn Ideas Into Glass Art location

Verified reviews

Your host

Nick Doran Adams

Born and raised in Ballarat, Victoria, Nick Adams was surrounded by history and grew up visiting one of the best collections of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

Coming from a family of artists; Adams was encouraged from a young age to practice a wide range of artistic mediums and go to galleries and exhibitions of amazing collections.

While attending Ballarat Grammar School, Adams began to experiment with many different mediums; only after being introduced to glass by his ceramics teacher did he truly begin to play and experiment with the material. While still in school, he attended several short courses offered by Monash University; this being his first experiences with molten glass.

Adams then went to Australian Nation University where he studied in the Glass Workshop. After being shown many techniques; including how to make murrini, Adams saw the pixelated qualities they offered and the wide range of images that he could create using the process. His first murrini was a “Pokéball” as part of the class and then he continued to make murrini with varying levels of success, all revolving around the theme of pixilation and video games.

Working at the Canberra Glassworks as an assistant and technician, Adams continued his obsession with murrini and blown glass.

Recently relocating back to Victoria, Adams has started working at the number of small studios around Melbourne.

Your host

r.a.g.e.

5.0 (476)

Women-owned

Located in Coburg North, Melbourne, r.a.g.e is Victoria’s premier studio for contemporary glass art and craftsmanship. Founded and directed by Ruth Allen, an acclaimed glass artist with over 35 years of experience, r.a.g.e represents the highest standard of glass education, artistry, and innovation in Australia.

Our workshops are designed for those seeking an authentic, hands-on experience in hot glass — where participants work directly with molten material under the expert guidance of our highly skilled team. Led by Ruth and her five master glassblowers, every session delivers a rare opportunity to learn in a professional studio environment grounded in technical precision, artistic integrity, and creative exploration.

At r.a.g.e, education is at the core of everything we do. In an era when university glass programs are closing and arts funding continues to decline, we are proudly expanding. Through our comprehensive traineeship program and diverse public workshops, we’re ensuring that the ancient craft of hot glassmaking is passed on to the next generation — the way it’s meant to be: through touch, repetition, and mentorship.

r.a.g.e is currently developing The Glass Epicentre — Victoria’s first purpose-built, independent community glass facility. This state-of-the-art space will feature advanced hot glass infrastructure, a professional gallery, and expanded educational programs for artists of all levels. It will serve as a hub for innovation and collaboration across art, design, architecture, and craft — a place where technical mastery meets creative experimentation.

Beyond teaching, r.a.g.e collaborates with leading architects, designers, and contemporary artists to realise ambitious projects that push the physical and conceptual limits of glass. Our studio thrives on curiosity, collaboration, and courage — values that have kept Ruth’s practice at the forefront of Australian glass for more than three decades.

As a certified Social Enterprise, r.a.g.e reinvests the majority of its profits into community building, sustainability, and cultural infrastructure — ensuring that every workshop, every project, and every flame contributes to a larger vision: the continued vitality of glass art in Australia.

Join us in the studio and experience the heat, skill, and wonder of hot glass with the team at r.a.g.e — The Glass Epicentre of Victoria.

Meet Ruth Allen

Discover the mesmerising craft of glassblowing with passionate glass artist Ruth Allen in Melbourne and transform molten glass into colourful works of art!