Improve your arts & craft skills, or learn some new ones

We’ve got the best modern arts and crafts classes that you can do online or in person at one of our learning venues across England and Scotland. It's never been easier to try your hand at something a little different and discover a new talent.

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Our arts and crafts workshops are perfect if you’re looking to get creative and hands on.

Show your creativity

Take centre stage with one of our performing arts courses, or indulge your photography passion and strike a pose with tips and techniques on how to capture that perfect shot.  

Develop the skills and get crafty with some jewellery making, with no previous experience required. With courses in textiles and sewing, as well as the arts, we really do have something for everyone, and everyone is welcome too.  

Small focused groups

The combination of small class sizes and guidance from expert tutors means that taking part in one of our arts and crafts courses is the perfect place for you to develop your talent, learn a new skill, or start that hobby you’ve always wanted to try.

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Creativity for Calm

Are you looking for a relaxing hobby to help you unwind? Creating moments of calm in the day is essential for our emotional well-being and mental health. Step into the world of mindful crafts with this course and enjoy art for relaxation. This creativity course allows you to explore your art and craft skills to find practices that soothe you. Whether you enjoy drawing, painting, origami, or craft-making, art courses can help you find a relaxing hobby.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 26/03/2025
Times:
11:30am - 1:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Rebecca Spear
Course code:
Q00015873
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £92.40

Art Practical: Studio Practice, Sketchbook Focus - Growing Your Themes

During this creative and inspiring course, you will continue to collect your artistic ideas in sketchbook form. You will be developing your skills in drawing, painting, collage, note taking and sticking in reference to a range of inspirational material. You will continue to generate your own personal visual language as a starting point for larger work. This course will encourage you to consider the many themes, concepts and artists that resonate with you. The Sketchbook is a useful tool for the artist to offload their many artistic ideas and influences and try out new techniques and materials. This can be used in the safe space created in the classroom or wherever you go!

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 02/04/2025
Times:
11:00am - 1:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Exeter Community Centre (Exeter)
17 St. Davids Hill
Exeter
EX4 3RG
Tutor:
Sarah John
Course code:
Q00016829
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £126.00

Art Practical: Drawing and Painting - Developing Your Artistic Voice

During this friendly and creative course, you will continue to use your sketchbook and art practice as a starting point to develop your work. You will have the chance to gain more confidence in your unique artwork by trying out different materials and techniques to create bigger scale work. You will be able to use the creative experiments carried out in your sketchbooks and on paper to progress your art practice by using your preferred techniques and materials. The many techniques, materials, themes, concepts and artists that influence your artwork will be crystallised into more finished pieces during this course.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 02/04/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Exeter Phoenix (Exeter)
Bradninch Place
Gandy Street
Exeter
EX4 3LS
Tutor:
Sarah John
Course code:
Q00016842
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £126.00

Art Practical: Progression Arts and Crafts for Health and Wellbeing

Explore the therapeutic benefits of arts and crafts with our Art Practical: Progression Arts and Crafts for Health and Wellbeing course. Ideal for individuals looking to enhance their well-being through creativity.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
10:00am - 2:30pm
Duration:
13 sessions
Location:
NST Hub (North Somerset Training Communi
31 Alexandra Parade
Weston-super-Mare
BS23 1QZ
Tutor:
Rebecca Williams
Course code:
Q00016836
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £226.80

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Textiles and Fashion: Upcycling

Learn how to transform old clothes and textiles into stylish, new items with our Textiles and Fashion: Upcycling course. Ideal for those interested in sustainable fashion and creative design.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
9:00am - 11:00am
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Rebecca Spear
Course code:
Q00016243
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
7 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

Craft: Beginners' Exploring Modern Calligraphy: back to basics

Come and try your hand at calligraphy, you do not need to be an artist to enjoy modern Calligraphy. The aim of the course is to give a solid grounding exploring different aspects of this fascinating craft. Working with easily available equipment and simple techniques.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Fiona Mitchell
Course code:
Q00016801
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £66.60

Craft: Beginners' Next Steps in Calligraphy: italic - a classic script - back to basics

This course introduces students to the foundational skills of calligraphy and hand lettering. Starting with the history and evolution of both art forms, students will learn about essential tools and materials. They will practice basic strokes, letter formations, and techniques for both lowercase and uppercase alphabets. By the end of this term, students will be able to create simple projects like greeting cards or quote art, utilising basic layouts and compositions. The focus is on developing a strong understanding of the basics and building confidence and creating a calligraphic sketchbook.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 03/04/2025
Times:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
12 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Fiona Mitchell
Course code:
Q00016793
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £66.60

Crafts: Weaving Without a Loom

Have you ever seen weaving and wondered how to get started and wanted to try your hand at it? On this course you will discover that it is possible to make a loom from a variety of materials, even from something as simple as a piece of card, a branch, etc. You will also explore how to use more than just wool to weave with and how to prepare alternative materials for weaving. You will gain knowledge about how threads are interlaced to create a woven fabric and what the different threads are called and how to use them to create patterns and texture in piece of woven textile art. You will also discover how weaving can be beneficial to your health, helping you to “be in the moment” and create a calming environment.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Jo McIntosh
Course code:
Q00019517
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £81.40

Art Practical: Art Exploration - Our World

For beginners and improvers, this course will use the theme ‘ My World’ to explore a range of arts materials and techniques to give people confidence and skills to create their own unique art. ‘My World’ can be abstract, real or imaginary. As always, the focus will be on experimentation, enjoying the process, and trying a range of materials to find out what works best for each student’s style and interest. We will also be looking at a range of drawing techniques.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 27/03/2025
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Longley 4 Greens Centre (Sheffield)
41 Southey Avenue
Sheffield
S5 7NN
Tutor:
Lizzy Alageswaran
Course code:
Q00019522
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £92.40

Art Practical: Culture and Decoration - Styles and Techniques

This course will examine how different countries and cultures use pattern as a form of decoration whilst exploring a variety of art making techniques and media. You will be invited to find out about different countries, uncovering how decoration has become a distinctive part of their culture, rituals and presentation. You will have the opportunity to experiment with symmetry, symbolism and colour and learn about the meaning and importance of different decorative traditions, including the making and decorating of your own Mexican sugar skull, Indian Mandala plate and Chinese Ming vase pattern

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 10/01/2025 -
Fri 28/03/2025
Times:
11:00am - 4:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
NST Hub (North Somerset Training Communi
31 Alexandra Parade
Weston-super-Mare
BS23 1QZ
Tutor:
Katie Dexter
Course code:
Q00017183
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £231.00