Get Involved
Explore these pages to see what we have on offer for you. Learn a new skill, meet new people and nurture your creative side!
Join Our Courses & Classes
Meet the team
Volunteer Stewards
Join our team of front of house volunteers at events
Learning & Participation Volunteers
Help out with some of our regular performing and visual arts-based groups, projects and events.
Outdoor Events Programme Volunteers
Ever fancied operating a giant insect through the streets of Newbury or being part of a tale of hope and redemption that involves dynamic promenade action, stilts, aerial performance, soaring music, fire and pyro techniques…? Then this could be the opportunity for you!Â
Stitch and Sew
Join us every Thursday for a social stitching session!
Coffee Companions
Join us for Coffee Companions, every Thursday morning in our Café Bar!
Coffee and Crafts at Café B
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month at Café B for this Coffee & Crafts session.
Immersive Sound Bath
Lay down and relax to the soothing tones of quartz crystal bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, Wind Chimes, Native American Flute, Guitar, Percussion instruments blended together with digital effects to create a truly unique and immersive experience.Â
Talk: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 in Focus
Join member of the judging panel Miranda Lowe CBE for a fascinating insight into the award winning images of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60.Â
Club Curious - Summer 2025
Come and join us for this series of free drop-in workshops for the whole family.Â
Make a Willow Chicken
Spend a fun and creative day with basket maker, Judith Needham, weaving a lifesize sculpture of a Chicken to enhance your garden or perhaps to make a really special gift.
Sing 55 - Summer 2025
Sing and socialise as part of a community singing group.Â
Latin in Line - Summer 2025
Experience the vibrant rhythms of Latin America without needing a partner!
Yoga - Summer 2025
Join Yoga Therapist Katt Garde for this gentle and relaxing yoga course.Â
Little Artists Afterschool Club - Summer 2025
Join us for this fun, creative after school club for children aged 7-11.
Young Creatives - Photography
Join this free weekly group and learn from a professional photographer about their style, develop your own skills and hear about their career journey.
Clay Animal Workshop
Join our resident artist Cáit Gould to make your own clay animal in response to the wildlife photographer of the year exhibition.
Children's Clay Club - Summer 2025
Have fun with clay this summer with Susie Oates from Pots of Hope.Â
Life Drawing - Summer 2025
Discover the art of life drawing in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Restorative Yoga and Sound Healing - Summer 2025
Relax in this calming Restorative Yoga session.
Animal Clay Sculpture
Make your own clay animal inspired by Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60.
Screen Print a Wildlife Poster
Wild about wombats? Fanatical about foxes? Print your own artwork inspired by The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 exhibition with Berkshire Printmakers.
Homeschool Sessions: Junior Drama
Open to children in school years 3 – 6 (KS2) who are home educated, our junior drama sessions provide a fun interactive introduction to drama.Â
Homeschool Sessions: Junior Art
Designed to support children in school years 3 – 6 (KS2) who are home educated.
Afternoon Art Beginners 5-week course - Summer 2025
Ideal for beginners keen to explore new techniques and enhance their skills.
Afternoon Art Improvers - Summer 2025
Level up your painting skills with expert guidance from Base resident artist, Richard Francis Bellin.
LAMDA Examination Classes 5-week course
Join our specialist LAMDA tutor Amy Trigwell-Jones where you will learn the skills needed to communicate dramatic text whilst exploring style, character and more!Â
Ballroom and Latin Beginners - Summer 2025
This course is aimed at complete beginners who haven’t danced any Ballroom and Latin American before and are ready to take their first steps!Â
Post-Natal Pilates - Summer 2025
Join Fi from Fitter Mother, a qualified postnatal specialist, for this gentle and low-impact post-natal Pilates class.Â
Dare to Dance - Summer 2025
Boost your fitness and flexibility in a friendly setting.
Tots Create - Summer 2025
Have fun this summer getting creative with your little one on Thursdays!
Tai Chi: Open Level - Summer 2025
Join us at the Learning Centre for this relaxing class.
Tai Chi: Intermediate - Summer 2025
Join us for a session of traditional self-healing, meditation, and self-cultivation exercises originating in ancient China.
Adult Theatre Skills - Summer 2025
Join actor Joe Evans for our popular Theatre Skills sessions for adults of all ages and experience levels.Â
Singing for Recovery
Enjoy singing in these relaxed, wellbeing sessions
My First Notes - Summer 2025
A relaxed, first introduction for pre-schoolers to experience live music up close.
Messy Stories - Summer 2025
Join artist Gemma Kirby for these fun messy story sessions that are based around popular children’s books.
Songs and Stories in The Gallery - Wildlife Photographer
Explore the Gallery and creative spaces of The Base through songs, stories, sensory play and movement with professional classical singer Louise Ashdown for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 exhibition.
Wildlife Photography Experience
Bring your camera to experience a day with wildlife photographer Simon Booker and gain an insight into the life and techniques of a professional photographer.
Stockcross After-School Drama Club - Summer 2025
Come along to our After School Drama Club at Stockcross Primary!
Raku Clay Workshop - Summer 2025
Suitable for beginners and more experienced potters alike: discover the elemental nature of 'raku-firing' with Base resident artist Cáit Gould.
Holiday Art Club - Summer 2025
Our summer holiday art club is supersized! Join our art club for a fun filled adventure! Try out exciting new mediums and work on your own project.
Festival Flowers
Using upcycled and sustainable materials, create floral displays and brightly coloured placards as a family.
Alice in Wonderland
Join us as our Infant and Junior Youth Theatre present the fantastical story of a girl and her curious friends.
Sustainable Style Studio
If you love fashion and being creative with paper, this workshop is for you!
Fashion Illustration Workshop
Explore the basics of fashion illustration, including fashion figure proportions, drawing garments, and sketching techniques with fashion illustrator Caroline Pearsall.
Summer Dance School 2025
Dance fans this one is for you!
Introduction to Stained Glass
Join stained glass artist Emy Mills and create your very own stained glass sun-catcher!Â
Memory Café - Summer 2025
Our monthly Memory CafĂ©'s are for people living with dementia and their carers.Â
Coffee+Click Camera Club
Rev up your Monday mornings for the ultimate blend of inspiration, incredible cars, camaraderie and the joy of photography at Podium Place, Newbury
Create and Make (Summer Holidays) - 2025
This summer join us for some creative fun. Activities include arts and crafts, drama and more!
World Crafts - Summer 2025
Explore the arts and crafts of cultures around the world and master them yourselves in our weekly World Crafts workshops.Â
Family Yoga - Autumn 2025
Enjoy a morning of relaxation with the whole family.
Plein-air Painting - Summer 2025
Immerse yourself in the natural landscape and experience painting in the open air, under the guidance of Base resident artist Richard Francis Bellin.
Mini Autumn Wreath Taster
As part of our festival of Arts and Crafts, come and learn the art of embossing onto coloured foil, in this taster workshop with Flora Gare.
Pots of Hope Throwing Taster
As part of The Base's Festival of Arts and Crafts, join Susie Oates from Pots of Hope to throw a pot on the potters' wheel.
Experimental Landscape Painting Taster
As part of our Festival of Arts and Crafts, explore experimental painting techniques with Base resident artist Francis Bellin.
Beginners Oil Painting Taster
As part of our Festival of Arts and Crafts, explore the medium of oil painting in this taster session with Base resident artist Richard Francis Bellin.
Get Hooked: Crochet Taster Session
Curious about crochet but not sure where to start? This one-hour taster session is the perfect way to get hooked.
Creative Mindfulness
As part of our Festival of Arts and Crafts, Join Libby from Magpie and the Mob on a journey through your senses.
Folded Book Taster
As part of the Festival of Arts and Crafts, join Hazel Reindorp to make your own flutter book, learn about a bookbinder’s tools and get an insight into this fascinating craft.Â
Linoprinting Taster
As part of our Festival of Arts and Crafts, come along and try your hand at Linoprinting with Charlotte Adcock.
Audition Preparation Workshop - Autumn 2025
Discover the culture and practice of drama school and industry auditions with professional actor Simon Darwen.
LAMDA Examination Classes - Autumn 2025
LAMDA is a nationally recognised qualification in Drama that looks at developing a clear speaking voice and building confidence in dramatic performance.Â
Yoga - Autumn 2025
Join Yoga Therapist Katt Garde for this gentle and relaxing yoga course.Â
Adult Theatre Skills - Autumn 2025
Join actor Joe Evans for our popular Theatre Skills sessions for adults of all ages and experience levels.Â
Portrait Masterclass - Autumn 2025
Join The Base’s resident portrait artist Ellie Kerr-Smiley in this Portrait Masterclass workshop.
Make a Willow Bird House
New for 2025, create a cute and quirky willow house for the wild birds in your garden with Judith Needham.
Restorative Yoga and Sound Healing - Autumn 2025
Relax in this calming Restorative Yoga session.
Bind a Hardback Notebook
Dive into this fantastic introduction to bookbinding and learn to bind a hardback notebook to take home.
Raku Clay - Autumn 2025
Suitable for beginners and more experienced potters alike: discover the elemental nature of 'raku-firing' with Base resident artist Cáit Gould.
Sunday Tai Chi
Join us for this relaxing Sunday morning Tai Chi session.
Crochet in a Day: Beginner Basics
Perfect for absolute beginners, this one-day workshop gives you all the essentials to start your crochet journey with confidence.
Seasonal Stained Glass Workshop
Join stained glass artist Emy Mills and create your very own stained glass panel!Â
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show: Pre-Show Workshop
Join artist Gemma Kirby in the Balcony Bar for our fun pre-show workshop.
Needle Felting Landscapes
Join Yvonne de Savigny to learn how to create a needle felting landscape.Â
Introduction to Silver Jewellery: Make a Pair of Earrings
Fancy trying something a little different? Want to learn a new skill and create a unique piece of silver jewellery?
Block Printing Cushion Workshop
Come and spend a relaxing session learning the ancient art of Indian block printing.Â
Drawn Mindfulness: Rejuvenate
Give yourself an evening to feel rejuvenated and quiet that busy brain.Â
Fashion Collage Workshop
If you love fashion and being creative, this workshop is for you!
Halloween Pinch Pots: Hats, Cats and Bats
Make and paint a decorative seasonal pinch pot in clay.
Holiday Art Club - Autumn 2025
Our summer holiday art club is supersized! Join our art club for a fun filled adventure! Try out exciting new media's and work on your own project.
Stick Man: Pre-Show Workshop
Join artist Gemma Kirby in the Balcony Bar for our fun pre-show workshop.
Illuminate The Base
Help us create our annual illuminated lantern display for The Base's festive season.
Crochet in a Day: Build Your Skills
Creating a stylish and practical tote you’ll be proud to carry.
Experimental Mixed Media: Texture & Landscape
Explore a variety of mixed media techniques using wax, watercolors, inks, pastels, acrylics, and more.
Post-Natal Pilates - Autumn 2025
Join Fi from Fitter Mother, a qualified post-natal specialist, for this gentle and low-impact Post-natal Pilates class.Â
Experimental Drawing - Autumn 2025
Under the expertise of Sally Haynes extend your practice and explore art with all your senses, and a variety of media and methods.
Watercolours and Pastels - Autumn 2025
Join Tessa Kirby for this painting course, focusing on watercolour and pastel techniques.
Screen Printing on Paper
Join the Berkshire Printmakers for this fun, creative hands on Silkscreen Printing on Paper course suitable for absolute beginners or as a refresher course for those with some screen printing experience.
Bring your Baby Art Class - Autumn 2025
Guided by Base resident artist Ellie Kerr-Smiley, develop your artistic skills in this relaxed art class.
Ageing Creatively: Cinema Club
Join us for our Cinema Club, where you can enjoy a screening in our cinema before coming together to talk about it with fellow film fans.
Specialist Theatre Masterclass Series
Develop your theatre practice in this exciting series of expert-led masterclasses.Â
Immersive Sound Bath - Autumn 2025
Lay down and relax to the soothing tones of quartz crystal bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, Wind Chimes, Native American Flute, Guitar, Percussion instruments blended together with digital effects to create a truly unique and immersive experience.Â
Memory Café - Autumn 2025
Our monthly Memory CafĂ©'s are for people living with dementia and their carers.Â
Ballroom and Latin Beginners - Autumn 2025
Work with Emma Mayo to learn the basics in Waltz, Cha-Cha-Cha, Slow Rhythm, Rumba, and Quickstep.
Ballroom and Latin Improvers - Autumn 2025
Work with Emma Mayo to continue developing steps and variations in Waltz, Cha-Cha-Cha, Slow Rhythm, Rumba, and Quickstep as well as introduce new dances and rhythms.Â
Singing for Recovery - Autumn 2025
Enjoy singing in these relaxed, wellbeing sessions.
Family Willow Decoration Making
Join Judith Needham to make willow Christmas decorations.
Christmas Stained Glass
Join stained glass artist Emy Mills and create your very own festive stained glass panel!Â
Make a Christmas Notebook
Reuse Reduce Recycle! Here is a workshop that will help with all three!Â
Festive Indian Block Printing
Learn the ancient art of Indian block printing with Homemade by Mils and Mum.Â
Children's Festive Printmaking
Create your own Christmas cards in this fun packed festive workshop with Charlotte Adcock
Glass Fusing: Festive Wreath & Decorations
Enjoy creating your own unique glass wreath or festive decorations and gifts in this seasonal workshop.
Film Club
Calling all film fans!
World Crafts - Autumn 2025
Explore the arts and crafts of cultures around the world and master them yourselves in our weekly World Crafts workshops.Â