Hollie McNish / The Lobster Paperback Tour With Michael Pedersen's Muckle Flugga Novel Launch The Show: Hollie McNish is a poet whose live shows are not to be missed. After a run of sold out gigs up and down the UK, she is back with the paperback of Lobster and other things I'm learning to love. A top three Sunday Times bestselling book, expect strong language and adult content, gift-wrapped in gorgeously crafted poetry as she reads from her latest collection, plus a selection of firm favourites from Slug and Nobody Told Me. In Lobster, Hollie brings her much-loved style to questions of friendship, flags and newborns, clocks, cocks and volvos, shining a ridiculous and beautifully poetic lens upon all those things we have been taught to hate, and which we might just learn to love again. Here, she will be joined by fellow poet and performer Michael Pedersen reading from his brand new book. Adult content warning 14+ / Book signing after the gig This is an 14+ event

Weekly pay-as-you-go life drawing classes with expert tutor Scott Bridgwood. Ideal for complete beginners or more experienced artists seeking a flexible opportunity to do some life drawing with experienced models and a professional tutor. No need to commit to a long course, simply book the dates you can make it and pay for individual sessions, so it’s more flexible if you’re juggling other commitments, and more affordable offering payment week by week. You will be able and encouraged to pursue your own style of working in this class, with guidance from the tutor as/when required. Scott will listen to each individual’s needs and goals and support everyone individually, with areas such as draughtsmanship, composition or concept. A range of drawing materials, paints and papers are provided and we aim to rotate models so you have a variety of body types to inspire your drawing each week. This term there will be 10 sessions on the following Friday evenings, 6pm - 8pm - please book each session individually: 17 January 2025 31 January 2025 7 February 2025 14 February 2025 21 February 2025 28 February 2025 7 March 2025 14 March 2025 28 March 2025 PLEASE NOTE: We also offer our Independent Life Drawing classes on Tuesday evenings which also provide a great opportunity for Life Drawing, but these sessions do not include materials (bring your own) or a formal tutor. Participants must be aged 18+. All materials are provided. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. Please ensure that you agree to our updated Terms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week.

The University of Leicester’s Botanic Garden is an inspirational place. Spend three days immersed in the gardens as you experiment with different drawing, painting and mixed media approaches, leading to a final painting or mixed media piece. The Botanic Garden is an inspirational place for artists to work, both in the garden areas and the green houses. Drawing, painting and mixed media pieces will be undertaken using a number of different and interesting approaches, with materials and settings suggested by the tutor. Students will be encouraged to develop versatile and wide-ranging ways of creating images. There will be time to develop initial ideas and exploratory drawings into one final painting or mixed media work by the end of day three. At the beginning of each morning the tutor will identify the challenges for the day and at the end of the afternoon the class will meet to discuss the images created. A classroom will be available at the Botanic Garden and parking arrangements will be sent to students prior to the course. There are bus services which run in close proximity to the garden. Tutor Diane Hall has three teaching qualifications, a BA degree in Art and Education and an MA in Fine Art (with Distinction). She is a practicing artist and founder member of g8. Diane has undertaken two Art Residencies at the University's of Lincoln and Loughborough, and is currently President of the LSA. She has worked at the Attenborough Arts Centre since its inception and is passionate about its aims, ambitions and imaginative approaches to the Arts. All materials will be provided. You’ll have access to tea/coffee making facilities but there is no other catering on site so we recommend that you bring a packed lunch with you each day. Participants must be aged 18+. Please ensure that you agree to our updated TERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week.

Through a whole series of drawing exercises, explore a wide variety of methods of seeing and therefore drawing the portrait from a live model. ‘Drawing is looking’, so in this one-day workshop you will explore a variety of ways of looking, covering structure, anatomy, light and shadow, the gestalt and much more, and utilise a variety of media and drawing methods to respond to short and long poses. The tutor will demonstrate a step-by-step method of drawing the portrait from a live model, looking at more traditional and contemporary approaches. After a short lunch, you’ll move on to colour and eventually paint if you feel ready to, where you can work towards a more ‘finished’ final painting or continue to produce a series of quicker observations. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome, Italy, for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at the Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. All materials will be provided. This one-day workshop will start at 10.30am and end at 4pm, with a short break for lunch. Our cafe will be open, or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Participants must be aged 18+. Please ensure that you agree to our updated TERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week.

Esther’s new show ‘Slagbomb’ takes a nosedive into the awkward sandwich years of life. The phase when youthful freedom gives way to the reality of adult responsibilities. It’s a time when one finds oneself juggling everything from prostate checks to hosing faeces off the garden decking, whilst clad in questionable footwear like crocs. Growing up, Esther imagined she would fulfil all the expectations of a lady, poised and dignified, but looking around she realises that just hasn't happened. Esther's life seems to be a magnet for embarrassing moments and endless cockups. No matter how hard she tries to project sophistication, she often ends up highlighting her unrefined side. Now she wants to embrace her lack of dignity - whether it’s her less-than-graceful posture, cringeworthy encounters with shady drug dealers, or the painful realities of waxing gone wrong. At its core, Esther’s show is an exploration of the challenges and hilarities of navigating the sandwich years, and an invitation to the audience to feel good about the madness in their own lives. After all, she has a Lebanese father dealing with war, a mother dealing with cancer, two kids (who seem to have permanently lost their PE kit), a husband who just wanted some birthday nooky, and a sudden loss of hearing. It’s all part of the messy, chaotic, and often hilarious journey of a right Slagbomb.

The times we are living through seem to be characterised by precarity and instability on multiple fronts: climate crisis, global conflict, genocide, mass migration, and the violence of Western imperialism. 'We Grown-Ups Can Also Be Afraid' explores how some of the most significant artists of our time are responding to the anxieties of our contemporary moment through their work. Drawn from the David and Indrė Roberts Collection, one of the UK's foremost private art collections, the exhibition encompasses sculpture, works on canvas, moving image and installation. The artists represented in the exhibition respond to these themes in very different ways, but their practices are connected by a sustained engagement with globally important issues that can often feel too big and too difficult for us to think about. This is not an exhibition about art and activism. The artists represented may not consider their work as a form of political activism—indeed, there is no sense that we are being lectured to or told what to think. Rather, it seems that we are being invited to direct our attention to something urgently important, to look more closely at the world as it is now. Art can help us to share stories, to reflect on individual and collective experiences of conflict, to process the unimaginable and empathise with the plight of others. The works brought together in this exhibition may not provide an easy solution to the things that keep us awake at night, but collectively they ask: What does it mean to make art now? Do artists have a responsibility to respond to our contemporary moment? And what responsibilities do we have to sit up and pay attention? Participating Artists: Francisca Aninat, Fiona Banner, Phyllida Barlow, Nina Beier and Marie Lund, Huma Bhabha, Ayan Farah, Mona Hatoum, Jacco Olivier, Doris Salcedo.

Phil has been getting better at comedy since March 1987.One of these days he may just get it right. Until then Phil just keeps trying. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try your best. This is a tour of Phil, trying his best! Age Guidance: 18+ ONLY

Festival favourite Lucy returns with a brand new show about the power of letting yourself go - in every sense. Whether that means embracing your wrinkles and love handles whilst living in a slanket, or having a couple of babychams and dancing like nobody’s watching (and if you’re a middle aged woman, they’re probably not). It’s also about letting go of the person you’ve always thought you are, and using your midlife crisis to pursue new goals and reinvent yourself. “Impeccably punchlined anecdotes … genuinely delightful” - The Telegraph “A treat from start to finish” - The Herald

One of India’s topmost stand-comedians, Dua carries a lot of weight on his head. That’s because there are way too many feathers in his cap. Actor, writer, comedian, creator, host of Comicstaan Season 3 Finale, host of SharkTank Season 2. In fact, having toured over 10 countries, sold over 45,000 tickets, worked with over a hundred brands, and with a community of over 690k on IG and over a million on YT, there are very few things that Rahul hasn’t dipped his toe into. Boasting one of the biggest stand-up tours in India, selling over 30,000 tickets and encompassing over 40 cities, join one of the finest comedians around for his biggest UK show yet. PLEASE NOTE THIS SHOW WILL BE PERFORMED IN HINDI. 14+ RECOMMENDATION

Like an undescended testicle en route to its final destination, Christmas is a-coming! And nothing yells Yule louder than Sean Bean in full on medieval mode, challenging you all to a sackful of seasonal games, hellbent on getting you all giddy. So come join Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Adam Riches, (Cats Does Countdown), as he hits the road once more with his (k)night of chaotic buffoonery, to give you bastards a Christmas present you’ll never forget.

Come and explore our exhibitions with our friendly learning team and use resources in the Salmon Gallery to explore through a range of creative workshops. Each week brings something new inspired by our gallery exhibition'We Grown-Ups Can Also Be Afraid' inGallery 1 -perfect for families and children. Spaces are limited to give participant enough space and are pre-bookable only. When booking tickets, please book the accurate amount of children and adults coming to each workshop. adults must stay with their children at all times. Workshops are free for all but we offer Pay What You Can tickets to help support the continuation of this work for our communities. Itinerary of workshops: WORKSHOP 1: GALLERY DEN BUILDING(19 July, 9 August, 30 August, 20 September & 11 October) We love creating safe gallery spaces for families to explore creatively, especially in challenging times. This fun session is inspired by Fransisca Anuit’s installation in the exhibition. Families are invited to come and build dens in the gallery, using found and recycled materials, building towers and playing with the properties of materials. We will create a village of sculptural dwellings to play in during these free summer sessions. WORKSHOP 2: HOTSPOTS STUDIO GALLERY(26 July, 16 August, 6 September, 27 September & 18 October) Inspired by Mona Hatoum’s Hotspots neon globe, join us for this fun and creative gallery session. The exhibition invites us to reflect on the world we live in today – to explore how being creative and making art about being in the world, can help us express ourselves and process what is happening around us. We will provide art materials for you to create your own artwork inspired by the exhibition, and invite you to display your work in a pop-up exhibition at the end of the session. WORKSHOP 3 : CLIMATE CHANGERS(2 August, 23 August, 13 September & 4 October) We love the painted animation by Jacco Olivier entitled Saeftinghe, 2006, which tells the story of a town in the Netherlands that was reclaimed by the North sea in 1537. What does climate change look like right now? Using paint sticks and recycled materials, create a series of pictures that tell the story of our changing land and seascapes, from your point of view.

Break it down and build it up in our vibrant Hip-Hop Culture Class led by two of Wales’s most celebrated hip-hop artists- Huw Wackman, Technics DMC UK Champion and World finalist and Tommy Boost, professional breakdance, choreographer. This high-energy workshop isn’t your average history lesson- instead get ready for a dynamic deep dive into the roots of hip-hop, where beats, movement, and storytelling collide. Explore the electrifying origins of hip-hop culture through music and dance. No lectures, just rhythm, movement, and good vibes. This class is all about learning through doing, having fun, and feeling the power of hip-hop, it's roots and the reverberations of this movement throughout music and culture today.

Bakuyard Presents a transformative journey into ancestral connection, through creative expression, art, music and communal ritual. Every one of us has roots that go back to a people who lived with grounded practice, in harmony with the Earth and with beautiful cultural traditions. These can be (re)connected to in memory, imagination, creative envisioning and conversation. Facilitated by multi-heritage/Caribbean ancestry artist Mellow Baku, we discover our many roots through ceremony, immersive music, meditative writing and art. This half day workshop concludes with harmonising soundscape, voice and sound affirmation in a performance-sharing: blending ritual and music, with co-created words, group storytelling, and song from Mellow, with a gentle invitation to contribute your voice to a powerful collective offering. This multidisciplinary event in Black History Month gives us all opportunity to honour heritage, connect with land and lineage and awaken ancestral memory, no matter Whoodoo you come from. OPEN TO ALL, SUITABLE FOR AGES 12+

Use a wide range of painting and drawing techniques and different media to create contemporary woodland, mountain, city or coastal landscapes. During this ten-week course, you’ll discover how to use composition, colour and material application to convey ideas and atmosphere. The course is aimed at adventurous beginners or those with some art experience who wish to develop ideas or extend their skills. Each week (or two depending on the project), tutor Pete Clayton will suggest a particular theme and demonstrate techniques and suggest approaches to use. We will explore the use and expressive qualities of graphic media (graphite, charcoal etc), paint (usually acrylics), collage and basic print techniques. We’ll provide visual reference material as a source of inspiration but students will be encouraged to bring their own resources (photos, sketchbooks, previous work etc), memories and experiences to make their work more personal. Being inspired by other artists, past and present, plays an important part of the course. A few names for students to explore (there will be more!) include John Singer Sargent, Haidee Jo Summers, Jenny Aitken, Lesley Seeger, Carry Ackroyd, Antoni Tapies, Kurt Schwitters, Jane Human, Ann Blockley, Melvyn Evans, Andy Goldsworthy and Paul Klee. Tutor Peter Clayton holds a Fine Art degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Over a 40+ year career he has shown in over 160 solo and group exhibitions and has collaborated widelywith artists of various disciplines, undertaken residences, and worked with local authorities, museums, interior designers and publishers. His personal work has encompassed a wide variety of painting and printmaking media. Subject matter has been inspired by the landscape (particularly woodland), architecture and family history. Peter has taught courses in Adult and Further Education at numerous venues for 36 years and has been a tutor at Attenborough Arts Centre for 25 years. All material s will be provided. This 10-week course will run on Wednesdays 1:30pm - 4pm, starting on 17 September with the final session on 3 December 2025. Please note: No sessions on 8 October and 22 October 2025. Participants must be aged 18+. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

BEST JAZZ MUSIC IN LEICESTER. Saxophonist Trish Clowes and pianist Ross Stanley have been carefully crafting their unique sound world over a number of years, performing their own material, arrangements of music from jazz, folk and church organ traditions, and free improvisations. The duo’s appearances include Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall (with Stanley making use of the organ), Galway Jazz Festival, Symphony Hall (Birmingham), Buxton International Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, and St George’s Bristol. In March 2024, Clowes and Stanley released their album ‘Journey to Where’ to wide critical acclaim, out on Stoney Lane Records. The duo enjoy working with material from anywhere. Their concerts often include music by Duke Ellington, Geri Allen, Osvaldo Farrés, Lili Boulanger, Nikki Iles, Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as original compositions, two of which are dedicated to Clowes and Stanley’s respective heroes, Wayne Shorter and John Taylor. At the heart of their ever-evolving programme of music lies interpretations of a Marcel Dupré prelude (Prelude III from Trois Preludes et Fugues) and Herbert Howells’s Gloucester Service – two beloved works from Stanley’s time as an organ scholar at Marlborough College. “Two of the absolute masters we have in this country … so deeply devoted to their craft as improvisers.” - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2

Gain confidence in your ability to improvise and perform in a jazz group and learn tunes from the jazz repertoire. The course will introduce you to playing in a jazz band, or provide opportunity for you to improve your knowledge and skills.We will work on a number of tunes over the 10-week course, modelling a real playing experience. We play together as a group, learning tunes and improvising. As far as possible we will function as a jazz band would, depending on the mix of instruments participating.Within this context we will consider orthodox performance conventions, and allow you to try improvising (or improve this skill) in a supportive environment.This is a practical course focussed on playing, but theory and improvisation techniques relevant to the tunesbeing played will feature. PLEASE NOTE: Attenborough Arts Centre has two acoustic pianos we can use, but no other instruments or backline. You will need to bring your own instrument(s) each week. Unfortunately, we cannot include vocalists unless you also play an instrument. Your instrument (other than drums etc) needs to be capable of all 12 chromatic notes e.g., not diatonic “Blues” harmonica.This course is for those who play an instrument with reasonable proficiency – we will contact you after booking to ask which instrument(s) you will be playing. To engage fully with the course you will also need to read music or chord symbols, but those who play well by ear are also welcome. Tutor Richard Everitt is based in Leicester and plays the saxophone and piano. He mostly performs in small jazz groups, but also writes for larger ensembles. He performs regularly at Regent Jazz, where he organises the monthly jam session. Between 2016 and 2022 he was lead composer for the Leicester Cosmopolitan Carnival finale performances. As well as running this course, Richard has also tutored at CL Jazz Summer Courses for some years. This 10-week course will run on Mondays, 7:30pm - 9pm, starting on 15 September and ending on 17 November 2025. Participants must be aged 16+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A sparkly evening of costumes, parody & burlesque tease. Flutter over to the Butterfly Boudoir for an evening of costumes, parody, and lots of tease. Expect a variety of group and solo performances from Doe Demure’s troupes, Chicas Locas Burlesque and Skytribe Fusion Bellydance. Both new and experienced performers will be taking to the stage. Attendees are forewarned; as is typical of burlesque shows, there will be mild nudity and racy routines, but tastefully naughty with glitter and glamour (…or tacky and smutty with a comedic tone!). October is the Spooky Halloween Special, and December is the Festive Christmas Show!

A bharatanatyam solo weaving together the many facets of shiva — the ascetic with matted locks, the cosmic dancer, the lover, and the destroyer. Through a selection of choreographed works by distinguished artists, this performance offers a deeply personal journey into rhythm, devotion, and transformation. Each piece invokes Shiva’s divine paradox: wild yet composed, fierce yet compassionate, still yet ever-moving. Performed by leicester’s very own leading Bharata Natyam dance practitioner, teacher and choreographer – Dr. Hiten Mistry. This evening offers local audiences a glimpse into the passion, artistry and evocative dance experience from one of the few male practitioners of Bharata Natyam in the UK.

An unmissable opportunity for you to enjoy an evening of Indian classical music and dance by outstanding UK based artists. Experience the flowing rise and fall of Lehar — where intricate footwork and expressive gestures of Kathak move in harmony with the shimmering resonance of the Santoor. In this intimate performance, dancer Seetal Kaur and musician Kaviraj Singh invite you into a meditative exploration of rhythm, melody, and movement — a contemporary dialogue rooted in the classical traditions of North India.

Join us for a very special evening celebrating the poetry and words of international poet John Agard and local poet sensations brought to you through a collaboration between renaissance one and word! We'll offer a space for conversation, performance and a Caribbean-style lime. John Agardis a poet, playwright and short story writer who grew up in Guyana, where his love of language stemmed from listening to cricket commentaries on the radio. He has won many prizes, including the Smarties Book Prize and the Queen’s Gold Medal and in 2021 was awarded the prestigious BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award for an outstanding contribution to children’s literature. John is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and his work appears in an AQA anthology for GCSE English Literature. With his wife, the poet Grace Nichols, John has edited the Walker anthologiesA Caribbean DozenandUnder the Moonand Over the Sea, and he is the author of the Carnegie-longlistedMy Name Is Book. John lives in Lewes, East Sussex. THERE ARE 2-FOR-1 STUDENTS TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR THIS SHOW, JUST ADD 2 STUDENT TICKETS TO YOUR CART AND THE DISCOUNT WILL AUTOMATICALLY APPLY "HIS POEMS ARE DIRECT AND ARRESTING, PLAYFUL, FULL OF STARTLING IMAGERY, AND ARE HILARIOUS, PASSIONATE AND EROTIC AS OFTEN AS THEY ARE POLITICAL - OFTEN MANAGING TO BE ALL THESE THINGS AT ONCE" - MAURA DOOLEY “A UNIQUE AND ENERGETIC FORCE IN CONTEMPORARY BRITISH POETRY, JOHN AGARD’S POEMS COMBINE ACUTE SOCIAL OBSERVATION, PUCKISH WIT AND A RIOTOUS IMAGINATION TO THRILLING EFFECT.” - POETRY ARCHIVE “A WONDERFUL AFFIRMATION OF LIFE, IN A LANGUAGE THAT IS VITAL AND JOYOUS”— DAVID DABYDEEN “JOHN IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING, ENERGETIC AND SPELLBINDING READERS YOU’LL HEAR, BREATHING PASSION AND ENERGY INTO EACH OF HIS POEMS WHEN HE SPEAKS THEM ALOUD.” - POETRY ARCHIVE “SURREAL AND PLAYFUL, JOHN AGARD’S STORIES REVEAL HIDDEN TRUTHS THAT SUBTLY CHANGE OUR VIEW OF WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM.” — HOPE PUBLISHING “AGARD RECEIVED THE QUEEN’S GOLD MEDAL FOR POETRY IN 2012, BUT HE IS NONETHELESS A POET OF THE PEOPLE; OR, BETTER STILL, THE NATION’S JESTER, SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER IN MANY REGISTERS.” FRED D’AGUIAR, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT. AGE GUIDANCE:16+ FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.RENAISSANCEONE.CO.UK

Have you always wanted to write poetry but didn’t know where to start? Then this is the course for you! Would you like to be able to write a poem for a special occasion? Or use poetry to tell your life story/lived experience? This 5-week beginner’s course is aimed at anyone who is poetry curious – no previous knowledge of any form of creative writing is needed and all the writing prompts and activities will be carefully selected to ensure that the class is truly accessible with the focus on encouragement and success. By the end of the 5-weeks, you will have tried your hand at a wide range of poetic form and shared your work and creative journey in a safe and supportive environment. WEEK 1 Using poetic forms that are already possibly familiar to us, this session will focus on the Haiku, the Tanka and the Limerick. We will also explore what is a rhyming scheme and look at meter and rhythm. WEEK 2 Using writing prompts to inspire us, we will try our hand at a range of poetic prompts, discover what’s available online and talk about what prompts work for us. WEEK 3 Poetry as autobiography – how to use our lived experience to inform our poetry. WEEK 4 Learning how to write a villanelle – using traditional poetic forms to inspire our own writing. WEEK 5 From births to funerals (and everything in between) – how to write a poem for a special occasion. All sessions will be supported by a relevant PowerPoint presentation, handouts and a short poem or extract from a contemporary poet to inspire our writing. There will also be ample opportunity for you to share your work with the group. Tutor Cathi Rae is a widely published poet, spoken word artist, multiple poetry slam winner and workshop facilitator. Her work has appeared in journals, online magazines, poetry anthologies and art exhibitions. Cathi has performed throughout the UK at poetry events, festivals and arts events, and has been described as a spoken word icon! She has an MA in Creative Writing and PhD in Poetry from the University of Leicester. Participants must be aged 18+. A notebook and pen will be provided. This 5-week course runs on Thursday evenings, 6pm - 8pm, starting on 25 September and ending on 23 October 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

It’s strictly season so we are giving you the chance to learn the basics of some of your favourite strictly dances in this fun-filled class for all levels of experience! Charleston, Cha Cha Cha, American Smooth, the sizzling Salsa and the sassy Samba – learn basic routines, adapted for solo dancing so no partner required! There will also be a chance to learn more dance routines to some of the iconic tunes that have been used on Strictly in past series. So, polish off your glitter ball, dig out your dance shoes and get ready to dazzle on the dance floor! No experience necessary - just come and enjoy! Tutor Ginnette Brookes has over 25 years of dance teaching experience in many different settings and genres. She graduated from The London College of Dance and Drama with a teaching Diploma and associates in ballet and national dance. The college was the leading teaching college of the Imperial Society of teachers of Dance (ISTD) at the time. Ginnette studied all aspects of teaching dance and has teaching practice in both private dance schools and state education. Over the years she has taught at schools, community centres, dance clubs and workshops and last year taught at the Royal Academy of Dance for the Silver Swans Celebration Day. She has been fortunate also to have her choreography showcased in Bedford, Northampton Royal Derngate and De Montfort Hall in Leicester. In 2021, having taught at a local dance school for many years, Ginnette set up her own business, GB Dance, with the emphasis on teaching adults. Over the past four years she has built classes in Ballet, Tap, Dance Exercise and in care homes and community centres. She is a Royal Academy of Dance Silver Swans licensee and has thriving classes in Leicester. Her focus is on bringing dance to more adults and offering the benefits that dance brings, both physically and mentally, through fun, welcoming classes. Participants must be aged 18+. Recommended for anyone of any age and experience level seeking a fun, informal dance class. Please wear suitable footwear such as trainers, and comfortable clothing that you can move easily in. This 5-week block of sessions will run on Tuesday mornings, 10:15 – 11:15am, starting on 30 September with the final session on 4 November 2025. YOU CAN BOOK CLASSES INDIVIDUALLY OR BOOK THE FULL COURSE OF 5 CLASSES AND SAVE 10%. THIS WILL APPLY AUTOMATICALLY AT CHECKOUT WHEN ALL 5 TICKETS ARE ADDED TO YOUR CART. If the course you’dlike to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on or and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITION before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us inadvance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A series of five talks with discussion time for anyone with an interest in understanding and challenging their views on art. These accessible talks with discussion time are intended for anyone interested in developing their understanding of art, whatever their existing level of knowledge. Some historical context for individual artists and schools of art will be given but the emphasis will be on appreciating individual works of art and how and why they were created. You will not be expected to like every painting, print, or piece of sculpture seen on screen but you will be able to challenge the ideas and arguments presented. The five talks will run on Wednesday mornings, 10:30am -12pm, on the following dates: WEDS 15 OCTOBER 2025 Bad Art: What is it? Does it matter? WEDS 29 OCTOBER 2025 The Landscape, from its romantic origins to its Expressionist explosion. WEDS 12 NOVEMBER 2025 Let’s Face It: Exploring portraits and self-portraits, from Albrecht Dürer to David Hockney and Beryl Cook. WEDS 26 NOVEMBER 2025 Sculpture: Three-dimensional art, but not necessarily statuesque models, from Michelangelo to Brancusi. WEDS 10 DECEMBER 2025 Getting Graphic: Graphic art in prints and books. Agents or mere reflections of social change? YOU CAN BOOK EACH TALK INDIVIDUALLY OR BOOK ALL 5 TALKS AND SAVE 10%. THIS WILL APPLY AUTOMATICALLY AT CHECKOUT WHEN ALL 5 TICKETS ARE ADDED TO YOUR CART. Tutor David Antill ALA MA has been a member of the Attenborough Arts Centre’s art history teaching team for a number of years. Previously a librarian, union official and teacher of law, David researched in the graphic arts for his Master’s degree and his continuing research interests are in avant-garde art and the schools of wood engraving. Participants must be aged 18+. No prior knowledge of art history or study experience is required, just an interest in finding out more about art history! If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

If you have an ipad and apple pencil and are wondering how to start your digital artistic journey, then this workshop is for you! Procreate is an app that is similar to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator but much more user friendly and cheaper at just £10! Tutor Rosie is a self-taught artist and illustrator and since she started using procreate it has completely revolutionised her art and business. PLEASE NOTE: For this course you will need your own iPad, digital pencil and have the Procreate app downloaded onto your iPad. We are unable to loan this equipment to participants. This one-day workshop will consist of 3 stages and at each stage you’ll learn the technical aspects of Procreate whilst taking creative inspiration from the wonderful gallery space at Attenborough Arts and/or your own influences. This means that you won’t need any fully formed ideas, we’ll take the galleries lead for our artistic imagination giving us the head space to drill into the techy stuff! For the first stage we’ll learn the absolute basics of drawing with a digital pencil in Procreate. We’ll learn how the different ‘brushes’ work. How to save, select, change and move images. We’ll learn how layers work, how to use different colours and ‘colour drop’ and the general inner workings of the app. If any of this sounds like jargon, then you’re in the right place! And we promise it’s easier than it sounds! Then we’ll use more of our imagination and creative skills by getting to grips with the effects section of Procreate. We’ll be taking more inspiration from the gallery space by learning how to insert images, what can be done with them and how they can be manipulated. We’ll learn how to add other things too like text, and how you can start to build up your drawn images. The final stage will be all about how to make your work ready to sell. If you’re doing this course just for the joy of it, that’s great! But learning these extra special skills will still be mega useful! Like repeat patterns, logos, alpha lock, text and saving for print. We’ll explore the effects more and consider how we might merge other art into this new digital landscape. For example, enhancing our own photography or physical drawings. We’ll also explore any specific interests you have personally and how we might continue on this new digital venture! Tutor Rosie Johnson is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She specialises in modern calligraphy, hand printing, decorative homeware, digital illustration and graphic design with a sprinkle of glitter! Rosie has been teaching for a number of years now and runs her own business making all things quirky and alternative. She believes everyone has creative talent and loves proving herself right in every class she teaches! Recommended for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. The workshop will run on Tuesday 14 October 2025, 10am - 4pm. There’ll be a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you’re welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Create your own punch needle mug rug in this fun beginner's punch needle class. Not only will you learn a new skill or further develop your experience of punch needle, you’ll also enjoy the wellbeing elements of this incredibly therapeutic and rhythmic craft. No experience is necessary as tutor Caroline will take you through each step of the process, from transferring your design to threading the needle, punching your stitches and finishing your coaster ready for your cuppa! There’ll be plenty of patterns to choose from, or if you’re feeling inspired, come with your own ideas! All materials will be provided. This half day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 2:30pm, including a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Tutor Caroline Colam is an experienced teacher who has been teaching punch needle for several years. She is the author of the book ‘Punch Needle: Colouring with Yarn’ and is an exhibiting artist.She creates a wide range of fabulously bright and colourful punch needle pieces and is as passionate about the therapeutic process as the finished result. Caroline is also a freelance punch needle designer/maker for Hobbycraft, writing tutorials for the Ideas Hub on their website. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Are you experienced writer who feels as though you’re not reaching your potential? Do you have lots of first drafts but don’t know how to really make them work? Are you interested in ways to take your work to a wider audience? This one-day workshop will focus on critical appraisal of our own work, the secrets to redrafting/re-writing and editing existing pieces to truly make them work. We will also explore the next steps toward publication and finding an audience for your work. The day will also include an individual mentoring and an editing session for each participant. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING TWO PIECES OF YOUR WORK IN PROGRESS TO THE WORKSHOP TO FOCUS ON FOR THE DAY. This day workshop is specifically aimed at students with some experience of creative writing who are interested in further developing their creative writing skills. It is equally relevant to writers of poetry, short stories, memoir or budding novelists. Tutor Cathi Rae is a widely published poet, spoken word artist, multiple poetry slam winner and workshop facilitator. Her work has appeared in journals, online magazines, poetry anthologies and art exhibitions. Cathi has performed throughout the UK at poetry events, festivals and arts events, and has been described as a spoken word icon! She has an MA in Creative Writing and PhD in Poetry from the University of Leicester. Participants must be aged 18+. This one-day workshop runs on Saturday 25 October, starting at 10:30am and ending at 4:30pm. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. There will be a short break for lunch. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A fun and informal dance-inspired exercise class suitable for wheelchair users and everyone who feels more secure exercising from a seated position. Stretching and exercising from a seated position to music that will encourage a sense of movement for all, you can do all or parts of the exercises that you are comfortable with and feel the benefit of a dance class from a seated perspective. Absolutely no experience required! Tutor Ginnette Brookes has over 25 years of dance teaching experience in many different settings and genres. She graduated from The London College of Dance and Drama with a teaching Diploma and associates in ballet and national dance. The college was the leading teaching college of the Imperial Society of teachers of Dance (ISTD) at the time. Ginnette studied all aspects of teaching dance and has teaching practice in both private dance schools and state education. Over the years she has taught at schools, community centres, dance clubs and workshops and last year taught at the Royal Academy of Dance for the Silver Swans Celebration Day. She has been fortunate also to have her choreography showcased in Bedford, Northampton Royal Derngate and De Montfort Hall in Leicester. In 2021, having taught at a local dance school for many years, Ginnette set up her own business, GB Dance, with the emphasis on teaching adults. Over the past four years she has built classes in Ballet, Tap, Dance Exercise and in care homes and community centres. She is a Royal Academy of Dance Silver Swans licensee and has thriving classes in Leicester. Her focus is on bringing dance to more adults and offering the benefits that dance brings, both physically and mentally, through fun, welcoming classes. Participants must be aged 18+. Recommended for anyone of any age and ability seeking a gentler seated dance class. Please wear comfortable clothing that you can move easily in. This 5-week block of sessions will run on Tuesday mornings, 11:30-12:15pm, starting on 30 September with the final session on 4 November 2025. YOU CAN BOOK CLASSES INDIVIDUALLY OR BOOK THE FULL COURSE OF 5 CLASSES AND SAVE 10%. THIS WILL APPLY AUTOMATICALLY AT CHECKOUT WHEN ALL 5 TICKETS ARE ADDED TO YOUR CART. If the workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on or and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans. Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions todiscuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

They say we all have a novel inside us just crying out to be written! But if that seems simply too terrifying and demanding, the short story is the ideal way to ease yourself into your creative writing journey. This 5-week course will explore the many forms of short fiction – from the 2000-word traditional short stories to the 100 word drabble, and everything in between. We will cover how to get started, plotting, building believable characters and finding the perfect setting for your mini masterpiece. Each week we will use accessible and thought-provoking writing prompts, supported by excerpts from contemporary short story writers, with plenty of time to share our work in a safe and supportive environment. WEEK 1 Getting started, agreeing the course contents and guidelines to giving and receiving feedback. Our writing and supporting excerpts will focus on the drabble – the 100-word story. WEEK 2 How to start a short story – how does this differ from longer fiction forms and techniques for capturing a reader’s attention from the first word. Our writing prompts and supporting excerpts will focus on getting those first paragraphs right. WEEK 3 Don’t tell me, show me! How to build believable characters/interesting settings when every word counts. We will be working to a longer writing prompt to create a 250-word short story based on a character study, with an opportunity to use our excerpt to guide our work. WEEK 4 Getting a little experimental – other forms of short fiction and micro stories that break the rules. We will be reading excerpts from Lydia Davis and Maggie Nelson and using experimental writing prompts. WEEK 5 Editing and revising our work – what happens when you’ve written your first draft. This session will also include short individual mentoring time for each class member. Tutor Cathi Rae is a widely published poet, spoken word artist, multiple poetry slam winner and workshop facilitator. Her work has appeared in journals, online magazines, poetry anthologies and art exhibitions. Cathi has performed throughout the UK at poetry events, festivals and arts events, and has been described as a spoken word icon! She has an MA in Creative Writing and PhD in Poetry from the University of Leicester. Participants must be aged 18+. A notebook and pen will be provided. This 5-week course runs on Thursday evenings, 6pm - 8pm, starting on 30 October and ending on 27 November 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

CREATE A UNIQUE APPLIQUÉD ABSTRACT ARTWORK. Using felt shapes and embroidery thread create acontemporary textured textile piece to take home. Plan out your design with guidance and examplesfrom tutor Bonita, cut your abstract shapes from felt, hand sew them to a felt or cotton backing to form your textile wall art and embellish with embroidery. You’ll learn embroidery stitches through demonstration and individual guidance. Be inspired by Bonita’s design ideas or create your very own, and take-home embroidery stitch sheets to continue your applique journey long after the workshop! All materials are provided and no experience is necessary – this really is a course for complete beginners! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This one-day workshop will start at 10:30am and finish at 4:30pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from

Learning as you sew in this relaxed but comprehensive one-day beginners sewing workshop. Do you have an unloved sewing machine at home and want to put it to use? Have you been inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee? Would love to try making your own clothes? Then this is the workshop for you! We'll go over the parts of the sewing machine, what equipment you need (and don't need!) and how to set up the machine and your workspace ready to sew. We'll help you create your very first stitches and overthe day you will complete several projects which will equip you with all the skills you need for your next sewing projects! The day includes all your materials and teaching in a small group with experienced, knowledgeable and friendly tutor, Freya. In the morning you will make a needle case and an envelope cushion cover. In the afternoon you will create a useful shopping bag to carry your sewing kit or store projects in. Freya will demonstrate and explain techniques and you will get plenty of individual help through the session. You will learn how to: Set up the sewing machine and what all the parts are Troubleshoot any issues - tension, thread snapping, tangling, skipped stitches and much more! Select stitches Use the guides on the machine to sew correct seam allowances "Bagging out" technique Topstitch Sew through thicker layers of fabric Create a button and loop closure Cut various weights of fabric and felt Follow sewing instructions Create neat French seams Insert straps Create boxed out corners Add an optional patch pocket PLEASE NOTE: WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING YOUR OWN SEWING MACHINE IF YOU HAVE ONE SO YOU CAN PRACTISE USING IT, BUT IF THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE, WE CAN PROVIDE ONE FOR AN ADDITIONAL £5. PLEASE ADD THIS TO YOUR CART AT TIME OF BOOKING IF YOU WILL NEED TO HIRE A MACHINE ON THE DAY. Tutor Freya Gilbert is the owner of Crafty Sew and So and has been sewing for almost 20 years, sewing everything from her dream wardrobe to homewares and accessories. She loves teaching people to sew, sharing her obsession and creating handmade joy. As well as teaching award-winning beginners sewing and craft workshops, Freya develops a range of sewing patterns and subscription boxes. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This one day workshop will start at 10.30am and end at 4.30 pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on [email protected] and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll thencontact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A five-week introductory course for anyone new to crochet. This friendly and informal course is for complete beginners to give you the confidence to use a pattern and start your first crochet creations. In week one you will receive everything you will need to get you started including a ball of yarn, crochet hook and a few other goodies. To accompany this course, you will receive a new worksheet each week to enable you to practice at home between classes. WEEK 1 Learn about hooks, yarn weights and yarn packaging, how to hold the hook and yarn, how to create a foundation chain, the double crochet stitch and how to fasten off your work. WEEK 2 Practice chain stitch and double crochet from Week 1 and learn new stitches – half treble, treble and double treble. WEEK 3 Practice all stitches learned over Weeks 1 and 2 plus joining yarn, weaving in ends and seaming , understanding abbreviations and mesh pattern. WEEK 4 Making a ring, working in a spiral and working in rounds. WEEK 5 Making Granny Squares For fast learners there is also an opportunity to learn basic flowers and increase and decrease methods. All materials are provided and no experience is necessary – this really is a course for complete beginners! This five week course will run on Tuesday evenings, 6pm - 8pm, starting on date 16 September with the final class on 14 October 2025. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

Join this five-week course as the next step in your linocut journey! Refresh your knowledge of basic skills, explore the process of creating a reduction print, experiment with multiple plates and sharpen your registration skills. This course is all about developing skills and building confidence in your prints. OVER THE FIVE WEEKS YOU WILL: Revisit skills and build on cutting techniques using tools safely and effectively. Understand the reduction process to create a multi coloured print. Learn a range of techniques to help develop your skills including combining plates, creating a registration system and developing rainbow/gradient rolls. WEEK 1 Skills refresher, focussed on honing cutting skills, using mark making and directional line to create different tones. You will gain an understanding of how to sharpen tools and through discussion and demonstration be able to select suitable papers and thicknesses for hand and press printing and begin to develop an idea for your print. WEEK 2 Working on a small-scale, you’ll explore the method of reduction creating a registration jig and using ink pads to ink up the lino to create a basic reduction print. Explore how to use the printing press and learn how to ink up using your own unique colour palette to create a multicoloured print. WEEK 3 Transfer your design to Lino and mark layers, set up registration and with one-to one support plan the colour palette for the Linocut. Then begin carving your first layer and print the first layer of the reduction plate. Create a series of prints with the addition of artist proofs and test prints. WEEK 4 Review the first layer of prints through discussion and one-to-one support, then identify, plan and carve the second layer of linocut and mix colours to ink up the second layer of print. Experiment with layering plates and gradient rolls. WEEK 5 Consolidate learning through discussion and review of your print progress. Carve and ink another final layer of the prints and introduce gradient rolls to your work. Learn how to name, date and sign an edition. Tutor Jo Shearer is an artist and art educator living and working in Leicestershire. Her belief is that art is for everyone. It is another language for expressing and communicating our experiences, thoughts and emotions which often reflect the world around us and how we fit into it. Art can demonstrate a tremendous level of skill and be aesthetically pleasing; however, the greatest strength is in its capacity to express and unite people. Jo studied Visual BA (Hons) Arts and English Literature and a PGCE in secondary art. She taught in schools and colleges in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire for over 10 years. After leaving mainstream education she continued her love of teaching through tutoring and went on to develop workshops like this one. She enjoys the freedom to work in a variety of media and has an ever-increasing love for print. She enjoys nurturing creativity and developing individuals' skills to build confidence in their own work as well as evoking a sense of calm and release of emotions through the process of making. Her personal work explores the spaces that we inhabit, the collection of experiences and emotions that connect us to a place and the inherent beauty of the natural world in all its forms. This five-week course will run on Tuesday mornings, 10am – 12:30pm, starting on 28 October 2025, with the final session on 25 November 2025. All materials and equipment will be provided. Please come in old clothes and/or bring an apron as printing can get messy! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. Some prior experience of linocut printmaking is required - this is not a course for absolute beginners. If you are new to printmaking, please see our 10-week Introduction to Print course starting on Tuesday 23 September 2025 or our one-day Introduction to Collagraphs workshop on Tuesday 9 December 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Create your own wonderfully textured piece of wall art in this beginner's punch needle embroidery workshop. You will use a slim needle and DK yarn to create a piece that can be mounted in a 4” hoop. Not only will you learn a new skill, you’ll also enjoy the wellbeing elements of this incredibly therapeutic and rhythmic craft. No experience is necessary as tutor Caroline will take you through each step of the process, from creating your design to threading the needle, punching your stitches and finishing a piece you’ll be proud to display. There’ll be plenty of patterns to choose from, including festive designs, or if you’re feeling inspired, come with your own ideas! All materials will be provided. This half day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 1:30pm, including a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Tutor Caroline Colam is an experienced teacher who has been teaching punch needle for several years. She is the author of the book ‘Punch Needle: Colouring with Yarn’ and is an exhibiting artist.She creates a wide range of fabulously bright and colourful punch needle pieces and is as passionate about the therapeutic process as the finished result. Caroline is also a freelance punch needle designer/maker for Hobbycraft, writing tutorials for the Ideas Hub on their website. Participants must be aged 12+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Explore the versatility of the humble punch needle tool to create a piece of 6” wall art full of texture and interest. This is a great opportunity to let your creativity flow and make a piece that develops as you punch. If you prefer more guidance however, tutor Caroline will be on hand to help with your design. All materials and tools will be provided for you but if you have any specific yarn (any weight), a favourite punch needle (suitable for chunky yarn) or any embellishments you’d like to use then please bring them along! At the start of the day, you’ll stretch your fabric in a practice piece before the larger hoop. Then you’ll be shown how to create different textures, such as tufting, long strands, adding embellishments and varying stitch length, and have a practise in your practice hoop. You will then move onto the large hoop to work on your final design, which will finally be mounted in a wooden hoop. This will be a relaxed, creative day where not only will you produce a piece of wonderfully textured art, you will enjoy the therapeutic benefits that punch needle brings. Please note: there may at times be small yarn fibres in the air so please do bring a face covering if you feel this may affect you. All materials will be provided. This one-day workshop will start at 10am and end at 4pm, including a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Tutor Caroline Colam is an experienced teacher who has been teaching punch needle for several years. She creates a wide range of fabulously bright and colourful punch needle pieces and is as passionate about the therapeutic process as the finished result. Caroline is also a freelance punch needle designer/maker for Hobbycraft, writing tutorials for the Ideas Hub on their website. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

Enter into the christmas spirit and create your own festive felt wreath. This workshop is open to all ages and abilities as you learn how to create a sustainable wreath using felt knotting techniques and experiment with embellishing and adorning your wreath with a variety of wooden decorations, ribbons and dried fruits. Through demonstration learn how to cut and knot the felt and how to build up the layers on the wire frame. Select your own colours to create an ever-lasting fun wreath to keep or gift. Tutor Jo Shearer is an artist and art educator living and working in Leicestershire. Jo studied BA (Hons) Visual Arts and English Literature and a PGCE in secondary art. She taught in schools and colleges in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire for over 10 years. After leaving mainstream education she continued her love of teaching through tutoring and went onto develop workshops like this one. She enjoys the freedom to work in a variety of media and believes that art is for everyone. This fun and relaxed workshop will start at 10:30am and finish at 12:30pm. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. All materials are provided and absolutely noexperience is necessary! Participants must be aged 12+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us inadvance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Design and print your own christmas cards, tags and wrapping paper ready for the festive season. In this relaxed half day workshop, you’ll learn how to create your own unique festive stamp carved from lino and have fun experimenting with the printing process, repeating, rotating and offsetting your design to print your very own Christmas cards, tags and wrapping paper. Guided at every step by the tutor, you will create your own festive design and learn how to transfer it onto lino, use lino cutting tools to carve your designs and explore the print making process, including how to repeat, rotate and offset designs. You will be able to experiment with colour and process, printing onto different formats - cards, tags and wrapping paper - with one-to-one support when needed. This workshop is suitable for both absolute beginners and those who have worked with lino before and want to develop their format. Tutor Jo Shearer is an artist and art educator living and working in Leicestershire. Jo studied BA (Hons) Visual Arts and English Literature and a PGCE in secondary art. She taught in schools and colleges in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire for over 10 years. After leaving mainstream education she continued her love of teaching through tutoring and went on to develop workshops like this one. She enjoys the freedom to work in a variety of media and believes that art is for everyone. This fun and relaxed workshop will start at 10:30am and finish at 2:30pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. All materials are provided and absolutely noexperience is necessary! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A one-day workshop to teach total beginners how to write beautifully! Tutor Rosie will teach you how to write in the modern calligraphy type and harness your own style, using loads of different mediums and surfaces. This course will help give you the confidence to use your new calligraphy skills for a wide range of uses such as wall art, gifts, decorations, wedding stationery and signage and lots more! You’ll start by throwing out textbooks, literally! Remember at school when we learnt how to write in straight lines with each letter being the same size? We’re going to do the complete opposite! Start by learning to write each letter in capital and lower case in the calligraphy style. Rosie will demonstrate each swirl, swoosh and flick that makes a calligraphy alphabet look impressive and you’ll practise how to give each letter its own identity before starting to join the letters up to make words – much more exciting than primary school writing we promise! Give each word flare and add embellishments to create your calligraphy’s unique look. Once you’ve harnessed the letters and words we’ll start being really creative and think about what we’ll use them for: wedding stationery/signage, beautiful quotes or names that can be framed and turned into wall art, greetings cards, personalised decorations, small signs and much, much more. Learn how to make them look professional yet personal, using a range of drawing/writing media. And you’ll also practise on different surfaces - paper is just the beginning! Modern calligraphy looks fabulous on wood, glass and plastic and each feels completely different. Once you’ve finished the workshop hopefully, you’ll be masters of your own writing and the amazing things you can create with it! Tutor Rosie Johnson is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She specialises in modern calligraphy, hand printing, decorative homeware, digital illustration and graphic design with a sprinkle of glitter! Rosie has been teaching for a number of years now and runs her own business making all things quirky and alternative. She believes everyone has creative talent and loves proving herself right in every class she teaches All materials will be provided. This one-day workshop starts at 10am and ends at 4pm on Friday 12 September 2025. There’ll be a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Recommended for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Join us for a creative day exploring the versatile printmaking technique of collagraphy. Discover the unusual variety of materials we can use to make the unique textured surfaces for your printing plate and then let the fun begin, inking up and printing your plates! DURING THIS ONE-DAY WORKSHOP YOU WILL: Learn all about collagraphs. Understand how to create a plate using different tapes, textured surface and cutting and peeling away areas. Learn how to print a collagraph and produce a series of prints to take home. Tutor Jo will introduce you to collagraphs through example work and demonstration. With guidance you will learn how to construct your own Collagraph plate, experimenting with a range of tapes, textured papers, pastes and glue to build up surfaces. You’ll also work into your plate, cutting away and peeling back areas before exploring a combination of printing techniques to produce a series of rich, atmospheric collagraph prints. Tutor Jo Shearer is an artist and art educator living and working in Leicestershire. Her belief is that art is for everyone. It is another language for expressing and communicating our experiences, thoughts and emotions which often reflect the world around us and how we fit into it. Art can demonstrate a tremendous level of skill and be aesthetically pleasing; however, the greatest strength is in its capacity to express and unite people. Jo studied Visual BA (Hons) Arts and English Literature and a PGCE in secondary art. She taught in schools and colleges in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire for over 10 years. After leaving mainstream education she continued her love of teaching through tutoring and went on to develop workshops like this one. She enjoys the freedom to work in a variety of media and has an ever-increasing love for print. She enjoys nurturing creativity and developing individuals' skills to build confidence in their own work as well as evoking a sense of calm and release of emotions through the process of making. Her personal work explores the spaces that we inhabit, the collection of experiences and emotions that connect us to a place and the inherent beauty of the natural world in all its forms. This one-day workshop will run on Tuesday 9 December, 10am - 4pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. All materials and equipment will be provided. Please come in old clothes and/or bring an apron as printing can get messy! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Unleash your creativity and explore the world of abstract art in a supportive and inspiring environment. This course offers an introduction to different approaches to making abstract paintings. Develop your skills in using a range of painting tools and techniques and familiarise yourself with the work of some of the most prominent abstract artists as you explore the use of colour, composition, tone and paint application. Each session is 3 hours long, allowing ample time for in-depth exploration and hands-on practice. You’ll be encouraged to develop your own artistic style and voice through experimenting with a range of mediums and tools to create dynamic abstract compositions. Tutor Maria will guide you through a series of structured exercises designed to help you unlock your creative potential and access your intuition and provide personalised feedback and guidance at each session. You will learn through a combination of demonstrations, hands-on practice, group discussion and individualised feedback. By the end of the 5-week course, you will have gained a general understanding of abstract art principles and techniques, advanced your own artistic style, and produced a portfolio of original abstract work. Week 1: Introduction to Abstract Art Principles Week 2: Exploring Colour Theory and Composition Week 3: Experimenting with different techniques and textures Week 4: Developing your personal style Week 5: Final projects and portfolio review Tutor Maria Masullo is an abstract painter, university lecturer and therapist based in Leicester. She works with the therapeutic potential of art as a mode of healing and connectionto nature and to the Self. Her work is focused on texture and colour as expressive devices,which she utilises to translateemotional material and spiritual experiences into artistic abstraction. The sacredness of nature is a strong theme in Maria’s work.Her choice of concepts and materials is informed by traditional herbal medicine, yoga philosophy, esoteric anatomy, and ritual. Foraged medicinal herbs, oils, resins, and other natural materials are incorporated into her work, bringing it closer to the Earth and to the process of creation. Maria’s has exhibited in various galleries in London, including Saatchi Gallery, and published in various art publications. Find out more about Maria and her work at www.mariamasullo.com before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Make a festive decoration with a difference to hang in your home this festive season and beyond – stars aren’t just for Christmas! In this relaxed 3-hour workshop you’ll make a twisted textured winter star. Using just one macramé knot it’s super easy to create even for the novice crafter. Once completed add some twinkling fair lights and a (macramé) star is born! Tutor Bonita Keay is a Designer Maker with over 15 years of experience teaching crochet and loves to share her creative knowledge with others. She teaches a variety of textile arts as well asmacramé, weaving, embroidery and more. When she’s not teaching Bonita makes silver and crystal jewellery and has been selling her work for over 20 years both online and at craft events including our very own Craft & Art Fairs here at Attenborough Arts Centre. All materials are provided and absolutely noexperience is necessary! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This half-day workshop will start at 5:30pm and end at 8:30pm. Our café may be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A practical introduction to islamic geometry - use a ruler, compass and watercolour to create a unique piece to take home. Learn how to draw a historical pattern from Islamic traditions. This 3-hour workshop will teach you how to design, draw and colour a classic 6-fold historical patternfrom Islamic traditions. The workshop on 24 September will feature a 6-fold pattern found in tiles in Turkey, and the workshop on 8 October will feature a 6-fold tile pattern fromUzbekistan. During the session, tutor Safira will show you how to create a geometric pattern template and go through the process of how to transfer it to watercolour paper. The session will include a chance to explore watercolour painting techniques so you can create your own painting. Tutor Safira Ali, new to our team of tutors here at Attenborough Arts, is a visual artist and calligrapher based in Leicestershire. Her work explores geometry, Islamic illumination, and modern and Arabic calligraphy. Safira has studied Islamic geometry with the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, Art of Islamic Pattern and Traditional Arts with the VMCTA. For the past four years she has been undertaking a traditional apprenticeship programme to learn tezhip with an Islamic illumination master in Istanbul. To learn more about Safira’s work visit: www.safiraarts.com before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

A beginner-friendly introduction to the highly textured and traditional craft of latch hook. In this relaxed half-day workshop, you will create a 12cm squared sample of hooked canvas which you can take home to display as a wall hanging or place in a frame. Tutor Caroline will guide you through the process of creating a design, cutting your yarn and using the latch hook tool to knot the strands onto the canvas. It is the perfect craft to use up any leftover yarn you may have which you are welcome to bring along and use, although plenty of yarn will be provided for you. Tutor Caroline Colam is an experienced teacher who has been teaching textile-based crafts for several years. She is the author of the book ‘Punch Needle: Colouring with Yarn’ and is an exhibiting artist. She creates a wide range of fabulous textile crafts and is keen to bring these traditional crafts up-to-date with contemporary applications. She is as passionate about the therapeutic process of crafting as the finished pieces. Caroline is also a freelance punch needle designer/maker for Hobbycraft, writing tutorials for the Ideas Hub on their website. All materials are provided. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This half-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 2:30pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

An exciting introduction to the world of printmaking for absolute beginners. This 10-week course will give you a taster of several types of printmaking, allowing you to explore your creativity in a new medium and enjoy the physicality and spontaneity of printmaking. Time to roll up your sleeves and get inky! OVER THE 10 WEEKS YOU WILL: Learn about different printing processes – including monoprints, collagraphs, lino prints and drypoint - and be able to use tools safely and effectively. Understand how to print plates with a variety of inks, papers and printing processes, and learn a range of techniques including combining plates, chine-collé and hand painting. WEEK 1 Introduction to monoprint through exemplar work and demonstration. Explore the use of mark making, varying pressures, line thickness and wiping down plates. Learn about the materials needed to ink up a plate and how take a print by hand. WEEK 2 Explore how to use paper masks and a variety of materials such as string, textured papers and fabrics and leaves and flowers to create a monoprint. Explore how to use the printing press and learn how to ink up using your own unique colour palette to create a multicoloured print. WEEK 3 Introduction to Linocut - learn how to make different marks with the carving tools through demonstration and how to create textures in a print. Using one to one support, develop a design for your print and learn through demonstration how to transfer your drawing onto the lino. Learn about the materials needed to ink up a plate and how take a print by hand. WEEK 4 Learn about the reduction method and how to create a multicoloured print using one plate. Experiment with the printing process with a focus on colour mixing through discussion. Experiment with the inking up and registration processes to create multiple prints. WEEK 5 Introduction to Collagraphs. Explore how to create a relief collagraph plate using various tapes and textures and experiment with porous and nonporous surfaces. Develop a knowledge of inking up your plate using oil-based inks and gain an understanding of how to use the printing press. WEEK 6 Learn about intaglio printmaking. Create a plate using mark making. Peel and tear the surface of your plate and add glue/paste/carborundum to the surface to create different tones and textures that will develop your prints. Gain an understanding of how to prepare your paper and how to ink up your plate. WEEK 7 Introduction to Drypoint. Learn how to incise marks into your plate using etching needles to create hatching, cross-hatching, and directional marks. Develop your own designs with one-to-one support with an emphasis on mark making and tonal values. Learn, through demonstration, how take a print from your plate using the printing press. WEEK 8 Develop an understanding how to create a series of prints through example work, discussion, and demonstration. Explore the technique a Chine-collé through demonstration and how to apply it to your own prints. Learn how to create a multicoloured print. WEEK 9 Choose one of the printing techniques you have learnt about and develop your skills using your own images and ideas. Explore your own colour palette and experiment with the printing process with the possibility of combining plates. WEEK 10 Consolidate learning, revisit prints and plates and experiment with ways to hand colour prints and explore the use of collage with misprints to create a unique artwork. Tutor Jo Shearer is an artist and art educator living and working in Leicestershire. Her belief is that art is for everyone. It is another language for expressing and communicating our experiences, thoughts and emotions which often reflect the world around us and how we fit into it. Art can demonstrate a tremendous level of skill and be aesthetically pleasing; however, the greatest strength is in its capacity to express and unite people. Jo studied Visual BA (Hons) Arts and English Literature and a PGCE in secondary art. She taught in schools and colleges in Hertfordshire and Leicestershire for over 10 years. After leaving mainstream education she continued her love of teaching through tutoring and went on to develop workshops like this one. She enjoys the freedom to work in a variety of media and has an ever-increasing love for print. She enjoys nurturing creativity and developing individuals' skills to build confidence in their own work as well as evoking a sense of calm and release of emotions through the process of making. Her personal work explores the spaces that we inhabit, the collection of experiences and emotions that connect us to a place and the inherent beauty of the natural world in all its forms. This 10-week course will run on Tuesday afternoons, 1:30pm - 4pm, starting on 23 September 2025, with the final session on 2 December 2025. PLEASE NOTE: no session 21 October 2025 (half term break). All materials and equipment will be provided. Please come in old clothes and/or bring an apron as printing can get messy! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Unleash your creativity and explore the world of abstract art in a supportive and inspiring environment. The course will introduce you to different approaches to making abstract paintings while developing your skills in using a range of painting tools and techniques. You will explore the visual language of colour, composition, tone and paint application and will be given the opportunity to work on your own project. Providing a stimulating atmosphere for personal discovery, the weekly sessions will allow ample time for in-depth exploration, hands-on practice, feedback, and reflection. Tutor Maria will guide you through a series of structured exercises designed to help you unlock your creative potential and access your intuition. You will learn through a combination of demonstrations, hands-on practice, group discussion and individualised feedback, and Maria will offer personalised feedback and guidance at each session. This course is ideal for those who have already attended the Introduction to Abstract Painting course, and by the end of this 5-week course, you will have gained a general understanding of abstract art principles and techniques, advanced your own artistic style, and produced a portfolio of original abstract work. You will: Explore techniques for creating dynamic textures and layering in abstract painting. Deepen your understanding of colour theory and its emotional impact on abstract compositions. Develop complex compositions and experiment with different methods of visual balance and flow. Cultivate personal artistic expression through focused individual projects. Receive detailed, constructive feedback on individual progress and final works. Tutor Maria Masullo is an abstract painter, university lecturer and therapist based in Leicester. She works with the therapeutic potential of art as a mode of healing and connectionto nature and to the Self. Her work is focused on texture and colour as expressive devices,which she utilises to translateemotional material and spiritual experiences into artistic abstraction. The sacredness of nature is a strong theme in Maria’s work.Her choice of concepts and materials is informed by traditional herbal medicine, yoga philosophy, esoteric anatomy, and ritual. Foraged medicinal herbs, oils, resins, and other natural materials are incorporated into her work, bringing it closer to the Earth and to the process of creation. Maria’s has exhibited in various galleries in London, including Saatchi Gallery, and published in various art publications. Find out more about Maria and her work at www.mariamasullo.com before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Join with other artists to develop your critical skills and become more confident in your ability to develop your own artistic style. These friendly, supportive classes are devoted entirely to discussion and criticism of work done at home. The six sessions are based around a focus and specific creative problems set by the tutor. You will be required to work outside of class using your own materials, resulting in a number of pieces, using a variety of materials and approaches. Each session of the course will be devoted to discussion and constructive criticism of work done outside of class. Questions about observation, interpretation and the nature of images will be discussed, as well as why and what choices were made. A theme and focus will be set by the tutor for the term. Members of the course will be working on the same challenges so the discussion will have some unity. There are two groups working alternative weeks, and for the 6th and final session both groups come together on 27 November for an extended session. This gives students an opportunity to see a wide variety of creative work expressed by the term’s topic. Prior to the term starting, learners will be sent notification of the term’s focus and told the piece of work they are to complete and bring to the first session. During the first session, a handout will be given out indicating the creative work and challenges to be undertaken each week at home and confirming dates for the reminder of the term. This will allow any student absent from a class to know the date and homework that is required for their next session. The aim of the course is for students to pursue the brief using and developing their own style. Different approaches and materials will be suggested for exploration. Work can be of an experimental nature as vitality and freshness of approach is important. The sharing of ideas, skills and means of expression with the group is an important element of the course. At the beginning of each term a list of current national and regional exhibitions will also be given out and students will be encouraged to share creative ideas about exhibitions they have seen and artists whose work has inspired them. This is to enable students to be aware of trends within the art world and learn about contemporary art and artists currently being shown and discussed. Tutor Diane Hall has three teaching qualifications, a BA degree in Art and Education and an MA in Fine Art (with Distinction). She is a practicing artist and founder member of g8. Diane has undertaken two Art Residencies at the Universities of Lincoln and Loughborough, and is currently President of the LSA. She has worked at Attenborough Arts Centre since its inception and is passionate about its aims, ambitions and imaginative approaches to the Arts. Please note: There are two groups of this course working alternate weeks for five sessions, and then all come together for the final sixth session to give participants an opportunity to see the wide variety of creative work by both groups inspired by the term’s topic. GROUP A SESSIONS WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAYS 10:30AM – 12PM ON 11 SEPTEMBER, 25 SEPTEMBER, 16 OCTOBER, 30 OCTOBER, 13 NOVEMBER AND 27 NOVEMBER 2025. GROUP B SESSIONS WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAYS 10:30AM – 12PM ON 18 SEPTEMBER, 2 OCTOBER, 23 OCTOBER, 6 NOVEMBER, 20 NOVEMBER AND 27 NOVEMBER 2025. PLEASE NOTE: THE FINAL SESSION 27 NOVEMBER 2025 WILL BE AN EXTENDED JOINT SESSION WHERE GROUP A AND B COME TOGETHER, 10AM - 1PM. This is a friendly and welcoming course and all levels of experience and ability are welcome. Participants must be aged 18+. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Create your own wonderfully textured christmas decoration in this beginner's punch needle class. Not only will you learn a new skill, you’ll also enjoy the wellbeing elements of this incredibly therapeutic and rhythmic craft. No experience is necessary as tutor Caroline will take you through each step of the process, from threading the needle, punching your stitches and finishing a piece you’ll be proud to display on your tree. There’ll be plenty of patterns to choose from, or if you’re feeling inspired, come with your own ideas! In this relaxed half-day workshop you’ll learn the basics of punch needle using chunky yarn and how to create a tree decoration using a large punch needle. This will include step-by-step demonstrations and guidance from Caroline covering how to thread the needle, make looped stitches, transfer a design, create the piece, tidy the stitches and finish by adding a felt backing and ribbon. Tutor Caroline Colam is an experienced teacher who has been teaching punch needle for several years. She is the author of the book ‘Punch Needle: Colouring with Yarn’ and is an exhibiting artist.She creates a wide range of fabulously bright and colourful punch needle pieces and is as passionate about the therapeutic process as the finished result. Caroline is also a freelance punch needle designer/maker for Hobbycraft, writing tutorials for the Ideas Hub on their website. All materials are provided. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This half-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 2:30pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Make a unique christmas tea light house to keep or gift, in this fun festive workshop. Tutor Nikki will guide you through step-by-step how to hand build a pottery tea light house from white clay. You will be shown how to roll and slab build the house and how to strengthen the joins. You will use different shaped cutters for windows and doors to create a unique house which can be used as a tea light holder, ideal for display or a gift for Christmas. Your house will then be taken away, fired and glazed and returned to Attenborough Arts Centre for you to collect within 3 weeks. Absolutely no experience of working with clay is required. Tutor Nikki McCathie, new to our team of tutors here at Attenborough Arts Centre, is an experienced arts practitioner who has been delivering creative workshops for over 10 years across the county. She particularly enjoys creating unique mosaic pieces using a variety of coloured mosaic tiles, mirror tiles, cabochons and even crockery! Nikki loves breaking down workshops into simple manageable steps to introduce crafters to new skills and produce fabulous things. This half-day workshop will run on Monday 24 November starting at 1pm and ending at 4pm. All materials and equipment will be provided. Please come in old clothes and/or bring an apron as crafting can get messy. Participants must be aged 18+. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Make beautiful mosaic birds to keep or gift in this relaxed beginner’s mosaic workshop. Tutor Nikki will guide you through step-by-step how to design and create stunning mosaic birds using mosaic tiles, glass cabochons and crockery. You will be able to build up your design, and learn how to use tile adhesive to attach the mosaic. These lovely decorative birds would look beautiful hanging up in your home or garden, or make a unique gift. Tutor Nikki McCathie, new to our team of tutors here at Attenborough Arts Centre, is an experienced arts practitioner who has been delivering creative workshops for over 10 years across the county. She particularly enjoys creating unique mosaic pieces using a variety of coloured mosaic tiles, mirror tiles, cabochons and even crockery! Nikki loves breaking down workshops into simple manageable steps to introduce crafters to new skills and produce fabulous things! This one-day workshop will run on Monday 13 October, 1pm - 4pm. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. All materials and equipment will be provided. Please come in old clothes and/or bring an apron as crafting can get messy! Participants must be aged 18+. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Create your own fun and tactile badge in this beginner’s punch needle embroidery workshop. Not only will you learn a new skill, you’ll also enjoy the wellbeing elements of this incredibly therapeutic and rhythmic craft. No experience is necessary as tutor Caroline will take you through each step of the process, from designing your badge to threading the needle, punching your stitches and finishing the piece ready wear! There’ll be plenty of patterns to choose from, or if you’re feeling inspired, come with your own ideas! This class brings the traditional craft of punch needle right up-to-date. All materials will be provided. This half-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 2:30pm, including a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Tutor Caroline Colam is an experienced teacher who has been teaching punch needle for several years. She is the author of the book ‘Punch Needle: Colouring with Yarn’ and is an exhibiting artist.She creates a wide range of fabulously bright and colourful punch needle pieces and is as passionate about the therapeutic process as the finished result. Caroline is also a freelance punch needle designer/maker for Hobbycraft, writing tutorials for the Ideas Hub on their website. Participants must be aged 12+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Learn the retro craft of bargello to create fabulous festive decorations to adorn your christmas tree. With no experience of crafting or embroidery needed, this is the perfect class for absolute beginners. This perfect stash busting craft uses yarn and amesh frame to create sturdy embroidered decorations. Tutor Bonita will show you the stitch process and how to plan out your design. Then it’s up to you to let your creative juices flow with Bonita on hand should you need any help or guidance. This relaxed festive workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 1:30pm. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Tutor Bonita Keay is a Designer Maker with over 15 years of experience teaching crochet and loves to share her creative knowledge with others. She teaches a variety of textile arts as well as macramé, weaving, embroidery and more. When she’s not teaching Bonita makes silver and crystal jewellery and has been selling her work for over 20 years both online and at craft events including our very own Craft & Art Fairs here at Attenborough Arts Centre. All materials are provided and absolutely noexperience is necessary! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Learn as you sew in this relaxed but comprehensive one-day beginners sewing workshop. Do you have an unloved sewing machine at home and want to put it to use? Have you been inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee? Would love to try making your own clothes? Then this is the workshop for you! We'll go over the parts of the sewing machine, what equipment you need (and don't need!) and how to set up the machine and your workspace ready to sew. We'll help you create your very first stitches and over the day you will complete several projects which will equip you with all the skills you need for your next sewing projects! The day includes all your materials and teaching in a small group with experienced, knowledgeable and friendly tutor, Freya. In the morning you will make a needle case and an envelope cushion cover. In the afternoon you will create a useful shopping bag to carry your sewing kit or store projects in. Freya will demonstrate and explain techniques and you will get plenty of individual help through the session. YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO: Set up the sewing machine and what all the parts are. Troubleshoot any issues - tension, thread snapping, tangling, skipped stitches and much more! Select stitches. Use the guides on the machine to sew correct seam allowances. "Bagging out" technique. Topstitch. Sew through thicker layers of fabric. Create a button and loop closure. Cut various weights of fabric and felt. Follow sewing instructions. Create neat French seams. Insert straps. Create boxed out corners. Add an optional patch pocket. PLEASE NOTE: WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING YOUR OWN SEWING MACHINE IF YOU HAVE ONE SO YOU CAN PRACTISE USING IT, BUT IF THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE, WE CAN PROVIDE ONE FOR AN ADDITIONAL £5. PLEASE ADD THIS TO YOUR CART AT TIME OF BOOKING IF YOU WILL NEED TO HIRE A MACHINE ON THE DAY. Tutor Freya Gilbert is the owner of Crafty Sew and So and has been sewing for almost 20 years, sewing everything from her dream wardrobe to homewares and accessories. She loves teaching people to sew, sharing her obsession and creating handmade joy. As well as teaching award-winning beginners sewing and craft workshops, Freya develops a range of sewing patterns and subscription boxes. Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This half-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 2:30pm, with short breaks for coffee/lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when youbook your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Working in clay, sculpt a small-scale character head in this one-day fun-packed workshop. This workshop is hands on - it’s both a great introduction to sculpture for those with absolutely no experience and a fun day for those seeking to further explore their sculptural practise. The day will begin by exploring how artists in the past have used clay to create a range of styles of character heads. From that point on we’ll be taking a very hands-on approach, working on a basic former (supplied), and slowly building up the surface to give our character heads suitable form and characteristics. We’ll then begin the refining and detailing process to bring out the full character of our creations. Throughout the day you will learn how to use clay as a modelling material, how to work with proportions, and how to best bring out the character of your work to realise your ideas. By the end of the day you will have sculpted, refined and added detail to your very own unique small-scale character head (approx 6” in height). This can then be left to dry before firing, ready for collection at a later date (usually 2-3 weeks after the workshop). This is a fun, relaxed class with the chance to really see what can be created in the medium of clay. Sculptor and experienced tutor Austin Orwin has been teaching sculptural techniques at Attenborough Arts Centre for the past 20 years. He’s passionate about sculpture and how we interpret and respond to visual form. Alongside his teaching Austin runs his own sculpture practise, using everything from clay modelling techniques to stone carving to realise his sculptural designs. All materials and equipment are provided. No prior experience is required. Please wear old clothes and/or bring or borrow one of our aprons as clay can get messy! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. This one-day workshop will run on Saturday 4 October. The day starts at 10:30am and ends at 4pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments/packed lunch. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Adventures in art is our weekly multi-disciplinary art workshop for adults. The sessions are usually in Studio 4 on the first floor, accessible via lift, stairs or external ramp. We have a variety of tutors who will deliver 3 or 4 weeks in a row, and then a different tutor will take over with a new creative discipline/project, which could include printmaking, painting, drawing, sculpture, clay, collage, journaling, collage and more. Although there is no need to book in advance, we do advise booking ahead of each session if you can, just to ensure a place is available for you, as places are limited and sessions do fill up! No experience is necessary - everyone is very welcome. It’s a great way of having a go and trying new things in a very friendly and relaxed group, working at your own pace, supported by an experienced tutor. Sessions this term will include: 2 SEPTEMBER 2025 / 9 SEPTEMBER 2025 / 16 SEPTEMBER 2025 Exploring printmaking with Jo Shearer. 23 SEPTEMBER 2025 / 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 / 7 OCTOBER 2025 Fun with clay:Hands-on practical sessions using basic techniques and a world of imagination. Themes will include makingfunny faces in clay and inventing wild animals, with Austin Orwin. 14 OCTOBER 2025 / 21 OCTOBER 2025 / 28 OCTOBER 2025 Still life drawing and painting with Scott Bridgwood. 4 NOVEMBER 2025 / 11 NOVEMBER 2025 / 18 NOVEMBER 2025 Macrame, stich and more with Bonita Keay. 25 NOVEMBER 2025 / 2 DECEMBER 2025 / 9 DECEMBER 2025 / 16 DECEMBER 2025 Festive-themed decorative activities with Bean-Mhi Berriman. Please note: Tutors and activities may vary from this schedule at short notice. All materials are provided - no need to bring anything with you except maybe an apron or old clothes, as some activities can get messy! Participants must be aged 18+. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updated Terms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park is Victoria Park (near De Montfort Hall).

Develop sculptural ideas and experiment with form in this long-standing course, initially through drawing and model making, before finalising and finishing a unique piece. This is a course for anyone new to sculpture, and those with an experience in the subject looking to further their practice. This ten-week course, led by Leicester artist Austin Orwin, will allow you to explore the development of ideas into three-dimensional form. You will experiment with form through drawing, maquette making, analysis and discussion, and will be guided through the sculptural process from materials and techniques to idea development and the realisation of your ideas into a final piece. After initial exploration of form through research and drawings you will create a series of small models to help turn your ideas into three-dimensional form. The objectives of this course are to learn a range of sculptural techniques from initial conception of an idea to the finished sculpture. You will be encouraged to develop an ambitious approach to object making, and will be guided through the use of a range of materials. Those with experience will be given the opportunity to develop their own practice within a very creative, supportive environment. Supported by the tutor, experienced students will be encouraged to push the boundaries of their work. Sculptor and experienced tutor Austin Orwin has been teaching sculptural techniques at Attenborough Arts Centre for 20 years. He’s passionate about sculpture and how we interpret and respond to visual form. Alongside his teaching Austin runs his own sculpture practise, using everything from clay modelling techniques to stone carving to realise his sculptural designs. All materials are included in the course fee. Participants must be aged 16+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. There may be visual reference to nudes in art and/or sculptural work featuring the nude human form as part of the course. THIS COURSE RUNS ON MONDAY EVENINGS 6.30PM - 9PM, FOR 10 WEEKS, STARTING ON MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2025, OR ON THURSDAY EVENINGS 6.30PM - 9PM, FOR 10 WEEKS, STARTING ON THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2025. PLEASE ENSURE YOU BOOK THE CORRECT DAY/TIME YOU REQUIRE. PLEASE NOTE: no sessions on Monday 20 or Thursday 23 October 2025 (half term break). If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

This three-hour workshop is a great opportunity to learn and explore the techniques of glass fusing. It provides a relaxed introduction to this fascinating craft - but be warned, it can be addictive! Make four beautiful festive decorations for yourself or to gift. No experience of working with glass is needed so this workshop is ideal for beginners and doesn’t involve any glass cutting, but it is also suitable for those who have completed a previous course and want to develop their skills. Tutor Katherine has been a practicing glass designer and maker for 15 years, and has an established studio in Tollerton. Her work is inspired by the natural world and the colour and clarity of glass. She shares her passion for working with glass by delivering workshops at an introductory and more advanced level in glass fusing, copper foiling and traditional stained-glass panel making. This half-day workshop will run on two dates: Saturday 29 November 2025 orSaturday 6 December 2025 Please ensure you book the correct date you require. Our Fused Glass Winter Scene workshop will also be running on the same day if you’d like a full day of glass fusing! Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. All materials are included in the course fee. Participants must be 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

Life drawing through a fashion illustration lens - combining glamour with new approaches to drawing and painting from a live model. Expect a plethora of jaw-dropping looks as artist and illustrator Diane Fawcett delves into her fashion archive to present a spectrum of creative looks sure to ignite your imagination. Explore how fabric drapes and envelops the body by observing a series of eccentric and elaborate looks and expressive poses for you to capture in your studies. This is life drawing with a fashion illustration focus, leaving you free to experiment and discover a myriad of techniques and media to ultimately develop your own personal illustrative style. WEEK 1 Simplicity vs the exotic - Streamlining your drawings through careful observation of the silhouette. WEEK 2 Dry media exploration - experimenting with drawing tools from the dry medium spectrum in your fashion life drawing observations. WEEK 3 Dry media exploration - continuing to experiment with drawing tools from the dry medium spectrum, whilst observing a new look and pose. WEEK 4 Wet media experimentation - investigating and testing out wet media in your fashion life drawings. WEEK 5 Wet media experimentation - further explorations of wet media in your fashion studies, whilst observing a new look and pose. WEEK 6 Distortion: Emphasizing the obvious - focussing on exaggeration within your life drawings, particularly looking at and playing with proportion, shape, texture, colour and form. WEEK 7 Distortion: Emphasizing the obvious - further explorations of magnifying what you see for dramatic effect, whilst observing a new look and pose. WEEK 8 Mixed media: Collage - mix colours, patterns and textures to experiment with mixed media, by introducing collage into your fashion illustrations. WEEK 9 Mixed media: Collage - continuing to incorporate collage into your fashion illustrations alongside other media, whilst observing a new look and pose. WEEK 10 Unleash your creativity - embrace the freedom to create a final fashion illustration life drawing, applying any media, techniques and style of your choosing to create a bold and imaginative, closing artwork. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or new to life drawing, this course promises to be an unmissable celebration of creativity, community, fashion and glamour! Tutor Diane Fawcett-Walker worked in the fashion industry as an artist and illustrator in editorials, publishing and advertising. She was a finalist 7 times in the Fashion Illustration and Drawing Awards (FIDA). After 10 years she decided to become completely freelance to explore a broader range of projects and further experiment with her artistic style and interpretation. Diane celebrates culture and underrepresented communities in her work, promoting equity and diversity and fostering an inclusive culture in her artistic expressions. Alongside her work, Diane gained a City and Guilds Further and Adult Education Teacher Training qualification and helped adults to develop their skills in observational studies, life drawing and painting for Leicestershire County Council for 15 years. All materials are provided. Participants must be aged 18+. This course will run on Monday afternoons, 2pm - 4:30pm, for 10 weeks, starting on 15 September with the final session on 17 November 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

A comprehensive introductory one-day workshop for total beginners to the life drawing genre. Participants will be shown fool proof, tried and tested methods of rendering the life model using a variety of drawing media. By the end of the day, you will have the knowledge, confidence and ability to continue your life drawing journey. Following a brief group discussion on the subject of why life drawing is considered so difficult, you will begin drawing with a variety of short poses. Next, you’ll look at techniques such as gestural drawing, pivots, the picture plane, negative spaces, shape, shadow mapping, linkage and subtractive drawing…amongst others. By the end of the day, you’ll know what all of these are! You’ll discover that it’s not as difficult as you had thought to render the human form in a convincing manner! After lunch you’ll work towards a more finished piece of work from a longer, more sustained pose. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. All materials are provided. Participants must be aged 18+. This one-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 4pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open, or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Feel a sense of personal discovery as you challenge your practise in this one-day masterclass for those with some experience of life drawing. You will explore a wide range of styles and techniques to draw and paint the human figure and be encouraged to create something new and unique. You will begin by experimenting with a variety of drawing techniques, using different media, and looking for ways to take your studies on to the next level. You will be asked to consider what you hope to achieve in your artwork, and to talk about your artistic influences. Leading up to lunch you’ll push the boundaries of your drawing methods. After a short break for lunch, we will look at and discuss a large collection of contemporary and traditional figurative art works, brought in by the tutor, and consider why they are (or aren’t) successful pieces of work. The tutor will also demonstrate palettes for flesh tones, and discuss composition and the importance of having a goal in mind as you paint. The group will then work on a two-and-a-half-hour pose/painting to end the workshop, followed by a short group appraisal. The emphasis here is to go beyond ‘mere' accuracy and to move on to producing art and self-expression and the development of a personal style. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. All materials are provided. Participants may bring in a canvas for the final painting if they wish, otherwise card will be provided. Participants must be aged 18+. This one-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 4pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open, or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

FUN FELT DECORATIONS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE. Make trees, stars, baubles, robins or get create and make something unique – doesn’t have to be Christmassy, the choice is yours! Templates and design ideas will be available or create your own design with tutor Bonita on hand for help and advice if you need it. You’ll create bright felt cut outs to hand sew, fill with padding, and embellish with embroidery, ribbons, buttons, beads and bells. Perfect to decorate your own Christmas tree orto give as gifts. Tutor Bonita Keay is a Designer Maker with over 15 years of experience teaching crochet and loves to share her creative knowledge with others. She teaches a variety of textile arts as well as macramé, weaving, embroidery and more. When she’s not teaching Bonita makes silver and crystal jewellery and has been selling her work for over 20 years both online and at craft events including our very own Craft & Art Fairs here at Attenborough Arts Centre. All materials are provided and absolutely no experience is necessary! Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Create a unique fused glass winter scene which will stand in a Leicestershire-made wooden base. During this three-hour workshop you will use clear sheet and a wide range of accessory glass to create your own design. Bring images to work from if you wish to, or tutor Katherine will provide ideas to inspire you. No experience of working with glass is needed so this workshop is ideal for beginners and doesn’t involve any glass cutting, but it is also suitable for those who have completed a previous course and want to develop their skills. Tutor Katherine has been a practicing glass designer/maker for 15 years, and has an established studio in Tollerton. Her work is inspired by the natural world and the colour and clarity of glass. She shares her passion for working with glass by delivering workshops at an in troductory and more advanced level in glass fusing, copper foiling and traditional stained-glass panel making. This half-day workshop will run on two dates: Saturday 29 November 2025 orSaturday 6 December 2025 Please ensure you book the correct date! Our Festive Decorations in Fused Glass workshop will also be running on the same day if you’d like a full day of glass fusing! Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. All materials are included in the course fee. Participants must be 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

A new five-week course focusing on life drawing in oils – all the techniques you’ll need to successfully paint the nude in this bold and expressive medium. This is an intensive and thorough course in oil painting, with many step-by-step demonstrations to illustrate the basic techniques. Not only will you learn how to successfully paint the nude, you will also pick up useful tips and hints which will be helpful to the beginner and the more advanced painter. The tutor will introduce the Zorn palette and the Spanish palette, both ideal for painting flesh tones. Participants will be talked through the creation, organisation and application of the palettes. FOR THIS COURSE, ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SOME OF THEIR OWN MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT. These are as follows: Oil paint in the following colours as a minimum - black, white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultra-marine blue and burnt umber. We will use whiter than any other colour. Plus: odourless turpentine, flat brushes and an all-important rag! Although this is a basic stock of colours, a lot can be achieved with them, and if you really want to paint in oils, then you will need to invest in paint anyway. You will also need to bring a canvas or canvas board to each session. Other materials such as charcoal, pencils, palettes and paper will be provided.There are also brushes at the centre that you may use if you wish. In addition to actual painting techniques, this course has plenty of useful information on materials and equipment and how to prep for a painting. Each session will look at a different way to begin and progress an oil painting, and the five-week course will end with a single more ‘finished’ painting of the nude. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. Participants must be aged 18+. The course will run for five weeks on Wednesdays 10am - 12:30pm, starting on 3 September and ending on 1 October 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Discover the art of oil portraiture and take your painting skills to the next level with this hands-on pet portraiture course. Designed for those with a basic understanding of painting, this course will deepen your knowledge, refine your technique, and help you create stunning portraits. Explore the timeless methods of the Old Masters, learning techniques like layering, glazing and achieving life-like skin tones and fur textures. Capture the essence of your subject by focusing on expression, character, and composition. Through step-by-step demonstrations and one-to-one mentoring, you’ll build confidence in your abilities while developing your personal artistic style. Whether you’re inspired by classical approaches or modern interpretations, this course will equip you with the skills to bring your vision to life. By the end of the five-week course, you’ll have created a beautiful, finished portrait to be proud of - and gained a deeper appreciation for the art of oil painting. EACH WEEK, YOU WILL LEARN THROUGH: Group explanation and demonstrations, taking your through each stage of the portraiture process. Personalised mentoring:one-to-one support to help you refine your skills and overcome challenges, with an emphasis on building confidence and creative expression. Life coaching principles:Encouragement and mindset techniques to help you unlock your full potential, embrace your unique artistic voice, and stay motivated. This holistic approach ensures students feel empowered and supported, fostering both artistic and personal growth. WEEK ONE: SETTING THE STAGE Welcome and introductions Overview of the course structure First steps in portraiture Creating a preliminary sketch or monochrome study of your subject Capturing your subject through photography Drawing with charcoal WEEK TWO: IMAGE TRANSFER TECHNIQUES Using a grid: learn how to create and use a grid to accurately transfer your image onto canvas Exploring other transfer methods, such as freehand drawing, tracing and projecting Introduction to underpainting WEEK THREE: LAYING DOWN THE FOUNDATIONS Understanding Your Canvas: explore different materials for painting, preparing your surface and more. Introduction to Grisaille painting Blocking in the foundation WEEK FOUR: INTRODUCING COLOUR Colour theory for portraiture Adding colour to your underpainting Bottom of Form WEEK FIVE: REFINING AND POLISHING YOUR PORTRAIT Highlights and lowlights Lines of distinction Backgrounds that pop Final Adjustments By the end of week five, your portrait should be polished, dynamic, and ready to showcase, reflecting the skills and techniques you’ve developed throughout the course! Tutor Lis Naylor, new to our team of tutors here at Attenborough Arts, is an award-winning artist, sculptor, and qualified life coach based in Leicester, with a deep commitment to equality, family, and living life to its fullest. Her passion lies in helping others express themselves, gain confidence, and develop a better understanding of the world through art. In 2018, Lis was honoured to receive the Attenborough Award at the Leicester Society of Artists Annual Exhibition. With a BA Hons and an MA in Fine Art, Lis’ practice spans vibrant oil paintings, dynamic gel prints, and expressive silk screen prints. She particularly enjoys animal and human portraiture, as well as life drawing. Lis loves sharing her knowledge and skills through teaching. In her workshops, she combines clear, step-by-step group demonstrations with one-to-one mentoring to create a supportive and inspiring environment. Outside of art, she finds joy in spending time with her dogs and horses, who are a constant source of inspiration and love. Her passion for animal and human portraiture reflects this connection, capturing the unique character and spirit of her subjects. Find out more about Lis’ work at https://www.lisnaylorart.co.uk/ before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

Through a whole series of drawing exercises, explore a wide variety of methods of seeing and therefore drawing the portrait from a live model. ‘Drawing is looking’, so in this one-day workshop you will explore a variety of ways of looking, covering structure, anatomy, light and shadow, the gestalt and much more, and utilise a variety of media and drawing methods to respond to short and long poses. The tutor will demonstrate a range of drawing techniques and approaches and a step-by-step method of drawing the portrait from the live model, looking at both traditional and contemporary approaches. After a short lunch, you’ll move on to colour and eventually paint if you feel ready to, where you can work towards a more ‘finished’ final painting or continue to produce a series of quicker observations. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome, Italy, for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing and painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. All materials will be provided. This one-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 4pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open, or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Participants must be aged 18+. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Use foliage, paint, gel printing plates and botanical stamps to create a set of beautiful hanging decorations. Explore the world of simple nature-based printing in this hands-on half day workshop. Let the plant’s shapes, textures and your preferred colours inspire your creativity. Absolutely no experience necessary – just an interest in printmaking and an apron! YOU WILL: Learn how to select suitable botanicals and work with ‘stay open’ inks. Create unique plant prints, using a gelli plate, over layered with stamped impressions. Take home your very own set of 5 wooden-based decorations, ready to hang or gift! Tutor Su France is a rural-based printmaker and earth pigment textile artist whose work connects with the arable farm landscape around her. Drawing inspiration from fields, ceramic traditions and kintsugi philosophy, she creates thoughtful pieces that celebrate imperfection in life and nature. Working with locally sourced earth pigments, Su develops rich, muted palettes that capture the essence of place and evoke a sense of tranquillity. Her own process combines printmaking with delicate hand-stitching, using vintage threads to trace agricultural patterns and reference human interactions with the land. Find out more about Su’s practice at https://www.sufrancedesigns.com/ before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

Weekly pay-as-you-go life drawing classes with artist and expert tutor scott bridgwood. Ideal for complete beginners or more experienced artists seeking a flexible opportunity to do some life drawing with experienced models and a professional tutor. No need to commit to a long course, simply book the dates you can make it and pay for individual sessions, so it’s more flexible if you’re juggling other commitments, and more affordable offering payment week by week. You will be able and encouraged to pursue your own style of working in this class, with guidance from the tutor as/when required. Scott will listen to each individual’s needs and goals and support everyone individually, with areas such as draughtsmanship, composition or concept. A range of drawing materials, paints and papers are provided and we aim to rotate models so you have a variety of body types to inspire your drawing each week. This term there will be nine sessions on the following Friday evenings, 6pm - 8pm - please book each session individually: 19 September 26 September 10 October 17 October 14 November 21 November 28 November 5 December 12 December Participants must be aged 18+. All materials are provided. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Produce sketchbooks and journals as works of art in their own right and as inspiration for your further works. Artists of all abilities will benefit from this course and much will be made of investigation, experimentation and exploring personal themes using a variety of media and using books/journals of different format and scale. Several books will be produced during the course which will be artworks in their own right and also provide inspiration for your future larger works. Various book formats will be used such as concertina, handmade, square, coloured paper etc. and a variety of themes will be suggested, with guidance given on how to develop ideas and which materials to use. Some resources will be provided by the tutor and others will be gathered throughout the course by observation and research. The emphasis will be on investigation of ideas rather than perfection. Some of the most renowned artists have made their best work in this small, intimate format, including David Hockney, Samuel Palmer, Van Gogh, William Kentridge and many will be used as references. Guidance and support will be given by tutor Jenny Grevatte at every stage, and extended study is offered at the end of each session for those who wish to push ideas further in their own time. Tutor Jenny Grevatte is a professional artist of national and international standing and has been teaching at Attenborough Arts Centre since 1984. She is represented by the Goldmark Gallery in Uppingham and has several films about her work on YouTube. A new book about her life and work, Beyond Brushstrokes, is to be published this year by Goldmark Publishing. All materials are provided. Participants must be aged 18+. This 5-week course will run on Wednesday mornings, 10am-1pm, starting on 12 November with the final session on 10 December 2025. If the course you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on or and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.

Focus on the colour palettes of the human form and how to use them in your painting in this 10-week life drawing course. Whether you’re a novice artist or a more experienced one who wants to fine tune your use of colour, this exciting approach will provide the skills and knowledge needed to build a real body of work. The human body is an excellent vehicle of light, and so this course focuses on light and colour. If you struggle to work with colour, this course will break it down for you and tutor Scott will demonstrate various colour palettes and how to use them, giving you a greater understanding of colours and how they relate to each other. This course is open to all levels of ability, you just need a real commitment to learning to draw and paint the human form. We will look at different colour grounds, saturated vs. desaturated colour, complimentary colours, limited palettes such as the Zorn palette and the Spanish palette, non-representational colour, shadow colour, simultaneous contrast and more. Many people are fearful of using colour, not to mention drawing the human body. Through a series of techniques and tried and tested methods, the tutor will guide participants through the common pit falls and nuances of working in colour and depicting the human form. Each session will begin with short, gestural poses, moving on to specific colour tasks and longer poses. Through group discussions and tutor demonstrations you will be guided towards creating your own unique works of art, and gain a greater understanding of colour and how to use it. The ten-week course will end with the opportunity to paint a more sustained pose, ending the course with a five-hour painting over two sessions. You are welcome to bring your own canvas for this, or board will be provided. Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years’ experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester. All materials will be provided. Participants must be aged 18+. The course will run for 10 sessions on Friday afternoons, 2pm – 4:30pm, starting on Friday 26 September and ending on 12 December 2025. PLEASE NOTE: no sessions on 24 October and 7 November 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

A 10-week course exploring sculptural form, working exclusively with clay and using a variety of sculptural techniques to create your own unique pieces. This course is hands on and ideal for both beginners and those looking to further explore their sculptural practise. Clay is a very versatile material and you will learn a range of techniques (including pinch pot, coiling, slab building and casting) and with the support of the tutor will be encouraged to adopt an ambitious approach to making sculpture by thinking about space, form, shadow, balance and surface detail. You will learn about the many different ways in which clay can be used to fulfil your sculptural ideas, and will practise maquette making, and learn methods to transform an idea into a reality by following a series of steps on individual projects in class. By the end of the course, you will have created a series of unique small models or perhaps a larger piece. Finishing techniques will also be discussed. This is a fun, relaxed class with the chance to really see what can be created in the medium of clay. Sculptor and experienced tutor Austin Orwin has been teaching sculptural techniques at Attenborough Arts Centre for the past 20 years. He’s passionate about sculpture and how we interpret and respond to visual form. Alongside his teaching Austin runs his own sculpture practise, using everything from clay modelling techniques to stone carving to realise his sculptural designs. All materials and equipment are provided. No prior experience of sculpture or ceramics required. Participants must be aged 18+. This 10-week course runs on Thursday mornings 10am-12.30pm, starting on 25 September and ending on 4 December 2025. PLEASE NOTE: no session on Thursday 23 October 2025 (half term break). If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).

Learn tips and tricks to fuel your passion for sketching and to help keep a sketchbook as part of your creative life. In a relaxed and supportive environment, you’ll learn interesting ways to fill a sketchbook whilst honing your sketching skills and embracing the creative journey. Come join us in The Thursday Sketchbook Sessions and let’s nurture a creative sketchbook habit together. This ten-week course is suitable for anyone new to sketching, but also for those students looking to reignite their passion for sketchbook drawing, or simply for anyone wanting to explore the creative power that working in a sketchbook offers. Previous participants will be encouraged to expand their sketching practice with a series of weekly projects designed to enhance creativity and drawing skills, with guidance from the tutor. With 25 hours of studio contact time we will be using such things as the built environment, elements of nature, and a menagerie of still-life objects as our reference. As well as doing plenty of sketching there will be many playful sketching exercises to enhance both your skill-set and enjoyment of this fabulously creative pastime. Mainly project led, we’ll think about layout and consider different compositions on each page to enhance your sense of design. We’ll also look at ways to distort the perspective of a scene so we can depict it in new and exciting ways. There will also be an opportunity to spend time in Attenborough Arts Centre gallery spaces, where we’ll perhaps be inspired to fill a sketchbook page or two. Amongst many other things we'll show you how to make a start in a sketchbook, how to lose the fear of the blank page, and how to see things differently. A sketchbook is not only a portable place to store your work, but a place that can hold your creative endeavours, your learnings, your thoughts and your growth... as well as your finished drawings. It’s a place for fun and a place where rules don’t matter. Working in a sketchbook is fundamental to tutor Austin Orwin’s artistic practice. It offers him a space to experiment and grow, a space to work out ideas, and a space to document his day-to-day thoughts and existence. His enjoyment grows with every sketch he makes, and he almost never leaves home without a sketchbook in one of his pockets. See more of Austin’s sketch work on Instagram @theleicestersketcher Sketchbook and all drawing materials are included in the course fee. Participants must be aged 18+. This 10-week course runs on Thursday afternoons 2pm - 4.30pm, starting on 25 September, ending on 4 December 2025. If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans! Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances. We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week. We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied. Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).