Arts

This course introduces beginners to the art of crochet, covering essential techniques, stitches, and patterns. Learners will learn how to hold a crochet hook, understand basic stitches, and create simple projects such as scarves, coasters, or small decorative items. This is a fun and relaxing course, perfect for those who want to develop a new creative skill and aid mental health well-being in a supportive environment.

This course is designed for learners who want to explore the fundamentals of painting and drawing. Learners will develop basic techniques in sketching, shading, colour mixing, and composition. Through guided exercises and creative projects, learners will gain confidence in expressing themselves artistically while working with different mediums such as pencil, charcoal, watercolours, and acrylics. Painting and drawing can help boost your mental health and well-being whilst being creative and engaging with like-minded learners from the local community.

This inclusive and community-focused course combines the art of jewellery making with the principles of social enterprise, offering participants a chance to explore their creativity while learning how handmade crafts can support personal empowerment and positive social impact. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this course provides hands-on jewellery-making techniques while introducing the basics of how a creative project can evolve into a small enterprise or community initiative. Ideal for learners interested in both crafting and community-building, this course promotes creativity, confidence, and the idea that handmade goods can be more than just beautiful—they can also support well-being, purpose, and social change.

Discover the world of Watercolour painting through step by step practical projects.

Discover the art of precision and creativity in our Sewing for Business Course. Dive into the fundamentals of machine sewing, mastering essential techniques and garment construction. From threading the needle to embellishing, you'll gain hands-on experience and the confidence to bring your design ideas to life. In parallel, embark on a beginner business journey, learning the basics of entrepreneurship for a sewing venture. Explore market trends, pricing strategies, and customer engagement to turn your passion into a profitable enterprise. Join us for a transformative learning experience that blends craftsmanship with entrepreneurial acumen, equipping you for success in the world of sewing and business.

If you fancied yourself as an urban sketcher but never had the confidence to work outside alone, join one of these sociable morning or afternoon sessions to capture an aspect or view of London’s River Thames and Bridges by the vibrant Southbank. Whilst drawing on location, we will be using dry materials, pen/ink alongside watercolour for line and wash sketches and work with two sizes of sketchbook (A5 and A4/3). Toilets and Meeting Point will be at Topolski Studios by the side of the Southbank main riverpath.

This continuation course builds on the foundational skills from Drawing and Introduction to Painting for the Terrified, deepening your understanding of drawing and painting techniques. You will refine your observational skills, explore composition, and experiment with a wider range of materials and styles. The course covers more advanced colour mixing, tonal studies, texture creation, and different approaches to painting, including layering, glazing, and expressive mark-making. By the end of the course, you will feel more confident in your artistic decisions, develop your unique style, and create a small body of work demonstrating your growth.

The course will present painting and drawing techniques in connection with art history references. Different media (such as acrylics, pastels or watercolours) will be explored in a fluid way, natural to the way an artist usually chooses to explore different subjects and themes. Ways of combining techniques through mixed-media will also be explored, and the course will emphasize the importance of choosing the right technique and materials for the desired subject and different ideas needed to be expressed. The course will present different artworks in connection with colour theory or compositional principles. A thematic discussion of artworks from art history as well as from contemporary art will help illustrate different ideas of composition or art theory. The course aims to empower students to understand the visual language of various artists and artistic movements, to understand the ideas that generated them and to help them start discovering a personal artistic style. By the end of the course students will start to create personal, original artworks and will learn to choose the medium that best suits their unique artistic expression.

Facing an empty page in your junk or art journal can be a daunting prospect, would you like to learn some creative techniques for filling those pages? Join me and together we can unlock some of the secrets of creating beautiful, thoughtful and fulfilling journal pages with creativity and meaning. This course is designed for those new to journaling, who don’t quite know where to start and more experienced enthusiasts looking to overcome ‘blank page syndrome’ and bring their journals, notebooks, altered books and memory albums to life. During the 10 weeks of this course we will explore techniques such as: • Layering and mixed media • Creating Interactive ephemera pieces • Mark making • Using stamps and stencils. Whether you want to document memories, express emotions or simply play with artistic techniques, this course will provide inspiration along with practical guidance to bring your creativity to life.

This 16-hour adult education sewing course focuses on the art of upcycling and mending clothing, blending creativity with sustainability. Over 8 two-hour sessions, students will gain confidence in both hand and machine sewing techniques. The course covers how to take measurements from existing garments to create custom patterns, alongside a variety of visible and invisible mending methods. Learn practical skills such as sashiko stitching, embroidery, patching, and darning while breathing new life into old clothes. Ideal for beginners and those with basic sewing knowledge, this course encourages mindful making, self-expression, and a more sustainable relationship with fashion.