WEA courses

Take the pressure out of the festive season with a range of relaxing and rewarding art and craft activities. This is a welcoming and informal class where you will have the opportunity to try different art and craft techniques. We will explore the concept of mindfulness and take part in activities which aim to create a sense of peace and wellbeing. You will have the chance to try papercrafts, modelling materials and painting techniques all with a festive theme. You can take part in group guided activities as well as being encouraged to come up with your own art ideas. You will be fully supported to work in a range of techniques and to develop your craft making skills whilst experiencing the benefits of art and craft activities for mindfulness.

Would you like to feel the magic of Christmas again! Crafting is a fun way to spend time in the lead up to Christmas and adds a personal touch to the festivities. This course will give you the opportunity to learn something new, relax and meet like-minded people, whilst getting in the mood for Christmas. It will ignite your imagination and inspire you towards making your own Christmassy crafts, including, cards, tree decorations and trinkets that you may wish to gift to others who are special to you. Engaging in craft has proven to boost mental wellbeing and reduce stress. Benefits include improved mindfulness, better cognitive function, less anxiety, and increased self-awareness.

Christmas is coming and on this evening festive craft course you will be able to learn how to make festive crafts for decorating your home or given as a gift to friends and family. This course is for every level of skills in crafts, everyone is welcome. You will be watching demonstrations, taking part in class discussions and producing your very own personalised Christmas crafts that you can keep for years to come.

This course is designed to ignite your creativity and equip you with the knowledge and skills to craft stunning, personalised greeting cards to delight friends and family over the festive season. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience in card making you'll learn a variety of techniques and fold styles to create unique professional looking cards that will wow your recipients. On this course we will look at: · design principles · Bought or made card bases? · different crafting techniques · the use of various materials and tools · Dimension and bling. We will use a variety of fun folds, including pop-up and diorama, to create our stunning showstopper cards. Crafting is known to enhance your mental well-being, helping to manage the stress we often feel at this time of year so come and join our friendly supportive group of like minded crafters and make something gorgeous!

This five week course will explore the art of the Renaissance and its depiction of the Nativity and Epiphany. We will explore a number of artists but our principal focus will be on works by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Breughal and Caravaggio. Each artist’s work will be well illustrated by reproductions on Canvas, allowing you to view the works under discussion. The course will appeal to all those with an interest in the Renaissance and art more generally, and will provide context and interpretations of each major work under discussion. There will be ample opportunity for you to exercise your own interpretations and views in what will be lively and informative sessions.

This course is perfect for anyone interested in home decor, crafting, or floral design. No prior experience is necessary, as our experienced tutor will give you a step-by-step guidance that will help you create a beautiful wreath that you can be proud of. By the end of this course, you'll have a completed late summer wreath to take home, along with the skills and inspiration to create stunning wreaths for any occasion throughout the year. Whether you choose to use faux or fresh flowers, you'll be equipped to make beautiful, lasting decorations for your home.

Give the gift of time to your loved ones this Christmas. This course is designed to show you how to blend a collection of beautiful essential oils using the classic scents of the season. Not only do essential oils smell divine, they also have a huge range of therapeutic effects on the human body. If you are looking for muscle pain relief, anti-stress or something to help sleep and relaxation you will learn a wide range of techniques on this short course. We will cover safe blending, learn the properties of the most popular essential oils and also a range of classic Swedish massage techniques that you can apply as part of your Christmas gift.

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 make a lovely Christmas tea cup planter for a friend or loved one? Something a little different and unusual for that special person. Nothing says you care like a homemade gift and this short one-off session with experienced gardener Debbie Young, will demonstrate and allow you to make a tea cup planter as a perfect and personal gift. So, join us at the Reading Rooms in Billericay for this fun and informative one-off free course for carers, their companions, volunteers and former carers as part of the Care 2 delivery. You may wish to bring a box to take your gift home in safely.

Get into the festive spirit with our Craft: Christmas Craft course. Create beautiful handmade decorations and gifts in this fun, hands-on course. Ideal for crafters of all skill levels.

This four week course will explore the history of Christmas food and feasting from the Mediaeval Era to the High Victorian Age. We will examine the foodstuffs associated with the Christmas Festival throughout these centuries, and descriptions and recipes of various Christmas staples and delicacies will be provided on Canvas, accompanied by illustrations and other forms of mixed media. As far as possible we will refer to contemporary documents from each period to support our conjectures and conclusions regarding the British Christmas, discussing how there isn’t a single Christmas, but instead many Christmases depending on social position throughout the span of centuries addressed.