64 Arts & Crafts courses

collaborators cabin

the scottish woodturner

I've always been impatient which is why I think wood turning suits me. I can mount a piece of wood on my lathe and within a relatively short time I can have a finished piece...well, that's the theory. I started turning more than 20 years ago when I owned a gallery, framing & restoration business with my wife on the Isle of Wight. It was an ideal opportunity for me to develop the skills required to turn pieces which were good enough to sell in the gallery. I co-founded the Isle of Wight Wood Turners Club and we had regular meetings with guest turners doing demonstrations every month. I started doing some demonstrations myself to save the club money and these demonstrations intensified my learning curve. The club is still going strong and I left the island and moved back to Scotland where I had bought some land and built a house. Wood turning took a back seat as I concentrated on the build but eventually I was able to get back to it and now have all the time I need to concentrate on turning.

tom sherlock

Born and raised in Birmingham, Tom has always been obsessed with making things. This obsession continued right through school and on to London where he studied furniture making. It was whilst in London his unusual style prompted his teacher to suggest he study sculpture. Taking his teachers advice after completing the year, he moved back to Birmingham and began his sculpture degree in Wolverhampton commuting daily before opting to move to West Wales School of Art - where they teach the fascinating process of bronze casting - to complete his degree. After completing his degree, Tom once again moved back to Birmingham where he continued his sculpture practise alongside working with family to further refine the carpentry and woodworking skills he learnt in London before setting up by himself a few years ago. The relatively recent decision to start offering courses came about almost by chance. The positive experience Tom had in West Wales ignited a desire to want to teach his skills to others – something that became even more apparent after taking on a couple of apprentices. However, with business being so busy it wasn’t until the apprentices highlighted the lack of woodworking courses available in the Birmingham area outside of full-time college or university courses. It was at this point Tom realised that this would be a great opportunity to give those interested in woodworking a way in without having to commit full time.

tread softly

  I am Hannah Wiles, a Manchester based fine artist and furniture restorer. Having completed an arts degree and worked in the industry for a few years, I decided my mission would be to use my design skills and love of last century furniture to create stunning contemporary pieces. I saw furniture of amazing design and materials discarded as old fashioned. I knew in my bones we could do better and that we deserved better. I determined only to use environmentally sound products in the process. It is my absolute belief that our homes should mirror the beauty of the natural world, without damaging it and so Tread Softly was born. Creating gorgeous sustainable furniture that ‘doesn’t cost the earth’.

the river shop

Richard has been teaching this intro class since 2018 after realising that all the challenges of working with epoxy resin were bound to be frustrating aspiring makers around the world as much as they were for him. After realising that working with epoxy resin was actually quite easy once you knew a few simple tricks and the basic principles, he started inviting you to join him in the workshop to master the tricks of the trade for yourself.

compton acres

Nestled on the side of the hill in Canford Cliffs, with wide stretching views over Brownsea island, Poole Harbour and the Purbecks, Compton Acres boasts 10 acres of grade 2 listed gardens which offers the perfect setting for creativity and inspiration. Harbour View Studio sits within the gardens, so it's the perfect place to meet new people whilst immersing yourself in one of our many workshops. 

op woodcraft

My name is Oliver Piepereit and I’m a trained architectural interior designer with a passion in all aspects of arts, crafts & design. I’ve wanted to design & make on a small scale for many years so pulled away from the rate race and trained up in furniture design, making, French polishing, furniture restoration and furniture refinishing. Following my tuition, OP Woodcraft was formed in April 2014. Life in the rat race was tiring, stressful, monotonous and took valuable time away from what is important in life to me, family, and health. Working in a practical creative environment has sculpted a life that is low in stress with an abundance of escapism which I’m sure translates in my work. OP Woodcraft is based at Northwick Business Centre, a bustling creative business park in the picturesque village of Blockley in the heart of the Cotswolds.

wildwood days cic

Wildwood Days has been organically developed by a couple of mums (Liz and Bea) who like to be outside with their children. It started as themed walks that were designed to encourage children to go a little bit further, enjoy being outdoors in nature and explore something magical. We support curiosity, risk taking and imagination In each session that we prepare to run we think about how a child might see things, how children as a group may wish to explore and, for our family events, how a whole family can enjoy being outside together. We work hard to bring a sense of community, welcome and little bit of magic, wonder and joy to some simple outdoor activities. We help explore sense of self, community and responsibility Like the woodland around us, we are undergoing constant change and development. So we are continually evaluating what we do. We want to grow and improve but not lose our most precious qualities, the ones that make our little gatherings special. These findings are used to inform our practice, determine our planning and improve future sessions.

belfast tool library

Belfast Tool Library is the first tool lending library in Northern Ireland. Tool Libraries work just like any other library. You become a member and then you can borrow tools. We’re not-for-profit, and are applying to become a charity. The team behind BTL are all volunteers. We’re from lots of different backgrounds, but share the same passion to build community, and to share skills and resources. There’s definitely a few tool geeks among us too - but you would expect that, right? We’re located at the former Belfast Met/Rupert Stanley Building in the old woodwork workshop. After lying empty for some years, the building has been taken over by Vault Artist Studios, and brought back to life. It is off the Newtownards Road and close to the centre of Belfast with parking available. Our goals are simple. We want to: Promote DIY, making and repair skills through the sharing of tools Make Belfast a more sustainable city Create opportunities for learning and development Bring people together, regardless of who they are or where they come from Sounds great, right? We plan to have a community workshop which is open to members, a space for working on your own projects and learning new skills. The workshop will have larger fixed tools and equipment available for members to use. In the future, we hope to run classes in DIY, making, building and safely using tools. Belfast Tool Library received a set up grant from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme, for which we are very grateful. We are also indebted to all our supporters, volunteers and those who donated tools. Our ongoing costs will be met by donations and the support of members. You can join Belfast Tool Library today below.

dovetail woodworking

At Dovetail, courses and experience/taster days have been designed for individuals with a range of experience. This includes the beginner - taking up woodwork for the first time, to those with a degree of know-how looking to move on to the next stage or improve their skills.