One-off Courses and Holiday Workshops
As one of the largest independent art centres in the UK, our mission statement is ‘arts for all’ – every year we help thousands of people to engage in creative activities.
Kick-start your creativity with our extensive programme of one-day classes and short courses designed and lead by expert tutors to give a deeper understanding of traditional and contemporary arts and crafts.
Scroll down to see our full range or use the links below to see a particular section.
CHILDRENS HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
FEBRUARY HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS
MON 16 FEB – THU 19 FEB
Monday 16 Feb:
Pottery: Squirrels | 7-11 Yrs
Rainforest Collage | 8-12 Yrs
Teens Self Portraits | 12-16 Yrs
Tuesday 17 Feb:
Pottery: Dinosaurs | 7-11 Yrs
Teens Half’n’Pop Portraits | 12-16 Yrs
Expressionist Beetles and Bugs | 8-12 Yrs
Wednesday 18 Feb:
Pottery: Silly Sheep! | 7-11 Yrs
Thursday 19 Feb:
Pottery: Fairy Houses | 7-11 Yrs
Sewing and Crafting: Space Adventure in a Tin | 7-12 Yrs
Pottery: Under The Sea | 7-11 Yrs
ADULT SHORT COURSES AND ONE-DAY CLASSES
These are self-contained workshops led by local artists for small group sizes. They offer an excellent chance for participants to gain insights into new arts and crafts having created an artwork or set of samples. Browse the full selection or use the buttons below to skip to a particular section.
PAINTING WORKSHOPS
INTUITIVE AND LOOSE WATERCOLOUR STILL LIFE
With Colin Stokes
SAT 14 FEB | 10AM – 4PM
Discover the freedom of intuitive loose watercolour. Let go of perfection and embrace the flow!
Find out more and book here
MADHUBANI ART PAINTING
With Shashirekha Prakash
TUE 17 FEB | 1.30 – 4PM
Explore the traditional folk art of Madhubani Art and create your own storytelling painting!
Find out more and book here
PLAYFUL STILL LIFE IN ACRYLICS
With Colin Stokes
SAT 6 JUN | 10AM – 4PM
Experiment with bright colours and bold shapes with acrylic paints!
Find out more and book here
CRAFTS WORKSHOPS
ONE-DAY POTTERY THROWING WORKSHOP
With Patrick Hayward
SAT 27 SEP, 25 OCT, 24 JAN, 14 FEB | 10AM – 4PM
FRI 28 NOV | 10AM – 4PM
Come and take your potter’s wheel driving test in this fun and friendly one-day class with tutor Patrick Hayward.
Find out more and book here
TEXTURES IN FELT: CREATE A SEAMLESS BAG
With V Hayward
SAT 14 FEB | 10AM – 4PM
Create a small seamless bag by felting around a template, adding specialty fibres and fabric scraps to create beautiful textures in the felt.
Find out more and book here
BASKET MAKING WITH GREEN WILLOW – NEW DATE ADDED!
With Anita Osborne
THU 19 FEB | 10AM – 4PM
Make a basket from green willow in just one day! These organic vessels are perfect for shopping, foraging or as gifts.
Find out more and book here
PAPERCUTTING
With Christine Green
TUE 17 FEB | 10AM – 4PM
Create a unique and intricate papercut with just a pencil and scalpel under the expert guidance of tutor Christine Green.
Find out more and book here
TEXTILES AND PRINTING WORKSHOPS
STITCHED PATTERNS INSPIRED BY GILLIAN AYRES
With Janet Edmonds
SAT 24 JAN | 10.30AM – 4PM
A variety of fabrics and stitches will be used to achieve small pieces of rich stitching inspired by the abstract art of Gillian Ayres.
Find out more and book here
BOTANICAL ECO PRINTING – TWO DAY COURSE
With Dawn Ramsay
MON 16 & TUE 17 FEB | 10AM – 1.30PM
A fun, eco-friendly two-day printing workshop using the natural dyes held in everyday plants.
Find out more and book here
SHIBORI FABRIC DYEING – TWO DAY COURSE
With Karina Thomas
SAT 7 & 14 MAR | 9.30AM – 12.30PM
Use the traditional Japanese dyeing technique to create unique patterns in fabrics.
Find out more and book here
CREATING GRIDS USING LAID WORK
With Janet Edmonds
FRI 20 MAR | 10.30AM – 4PM
There is an infinite range of patterns that can be made in grid form. This course examines laid work, a method of stitching grids and adding further stitch to make patterns.
Find out more and book here
CHILDRENS ONE-DAY CLASSES
ONE-DAY CHILDRENS POTTERY THROWING WORKSHOP (8-12 YRS)
None currently scheduled – sign up to our newsletter to find out when more dates are released!
Learn to use a pottery wheel or develop your skills in this beginner-friendly throwing session with tutor Emma Bowden.
TEENS ONE-DAY CLASSES
ARTISTIC EXPLORATION AND EXPRESSION FOR TEENS (12-16 YRS)
Returning in 2026 – Check Back Later!
Experiment with a huge range of different artistic drawing media, taking inspiration from great artists and eachother! Short drawing challenges will encourage you to expand your horizons followed by self-directed drawing time in which you can apply new skills and ideas to your own artworks.
Find out more and book here
