Arts

Join our festive Christmas Macramé course and learn how to craft beautiful handmade gifts for the holiday season! This four-session course, with each class lasting two hours, will teach you essential macramé techniques, including the larks head knot, square knot, clove hitch knot, berry knot, and how to make tassels using a gathering knot. Throughout the course, you will create personalized Christmas ornaments, a decorative wall hanging, and a stylish plant hanger – perfect as gifts for loved ones or to add a festive touch to your home. This course is ideal for beginners and crafters who want to explore a new skill while celebrating the season! This course is funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Embrace the festive spirit and unleash your creativity in our "Christmas Wreath Making" course. Perfect for beginners and craft enthusiasts alike, this workshop guides you through designing and creating your own stunning Christmas wreath. Using a mix of seasonal greenery, decorations, and your unique flair, you’ll craft a beautiful centerpiece to adorn your home or gift to a loved one. Join us for a fun and relaxing session that celebrates the joy of handmade holiday traditions. This course is funded by North East Combined Authority.

Join us for a delightful and hands-on short taster session where you'll get the chance to craft a simple yet thoughtful Christmas gift! Whether you're looking to make a small zip purse, a cozy envelope cushion, or a versatile tote bag, these projects are perfect for gift-giving and a wonderful way to make the most of your fabric stash. Each project is thoughtfully designed to enhance your sewing machine skills, while allowing you to create something personal and special for the holiday season.

Join us for a delightful and hands-on short taster session where you'll get the chance to craft a simple yet thoughtful Christmas gift! Whether you're looking to make a small zip purse, a cozy envelope cushion, or a versatile tote bag, these projects are perfect for gift-giving and a wonderful way to make the most of your fabric stash. Each project is thoughtfully designed to enhance your sewing machine skills, while allowing you to create something personal and special for the holiday season.

Learning to draw is a precious skill that encourages mindfulness and creativity. A quote from the late artist Paula Rego: ‘Sketches always have more vitality than paintings because you're finding things out through doing them.’ Inspired by a range of artists, this course will build your confidence and expertise in willow charcoal and white pastel on mid toned (not white) pastel paper (could be brown parcel paper). Our topic will be still life – in this case Christmas baubles! Learning to see and analyse real objects is the best teacher for developing your own drawing style. Suitable for beginners and those wishing to develop their skills.

On this short course we will create nature inspired Christmas cards using watercolours.

In this creative workshop, you will design unique, personalised wrapping paper using printmaking techniques with stencils. We’ll start by exploring festive motifs—like snowflakes, holly, ornaments, and stars—you will be guided to create repeating patterns that bring holiday cheer. Using vibrant seasonal colours such as reds, greens, golds, and silvers, you will learn to layer and arrange their chosen stencils to achieve bold, eye-catching designs. This hands-on experience not only teaches the basics of printmaking but also encourages personal expression, resulting in wrapping paper that adds a special, handmade touch to holiday gifts. Perfect for anyone looking to add festive flair to their presents!

Take time out of your busy schedule and join us to stretch your imagination and transform plain Christmas bauble into fabulous designs.They will look so impressive on your Christmas tree or Christmas wreath with the added satisfaction that you made them yourself

All our Care2 courses are completely free for unpaid carers (or those who have previously been carers). You do not need to receive a carer's allowance to qualify. If you are unsure, please contact our call centre advisors who will be able to assist you. Would you like to learn a little British Sign language whilst singing and signing along to some favourite Christmas Carols and popular songs? This course is a follow on from the hugely popular first course that ran at the Reading Rooms last year. You do not need to have attended the first course to participate on this one. Join guest tutor Debbie Young at the Reading Rooms in Billericay on this fun and interactive one-off free course for carers, their companions, supporters e.g. volunteers/staff and former carers as part of the Care 2 delivery. If you have an interest in learning a new language but aren’t sure about signing, come along to this fun session to learn more about BSL and deaf culture.

In this engaging workshop, participants will explore watercolour techniques to bring serene, snowy landscapes, festive wreaths, and charming winter scenes to life. Through hands-on practice, you’ll learn essential skills like blending colours for soft, atmospheric effects and layering to add depth and texture, capturing the cozy feel of the holiday season. We’ll focus on selecting colours that evoke a festive mood—cool blues and whites for frosty scenes or rich greens and reds for holiday wreaths. By the end, you will have a completed piece, whether a tranquil landscape or a vibrant wreath, perfect for seasonal decor or holiday cards.