Summer time workshops and course at The Base
Summer is finally on its way (and with it, some sunshine we hope…!) and we are looking forward to our new programme of classes and workshops at The Base – we’ve got so many ways you can get creative, meet new people and have fun this summer!
Courses will start after the Easter holidays and popular ones have already filled up fast, like Clay Class (led Susie Oates from Pots of Hope) and Watercolours & Pastels. So be quick if you had your eye on joining one of the other courses...
We have an exciting brand-new summer-only (for obvious reasons) course starting up in June; Plein-Air Painting, led by Richard Francis Bellin is inspired by the Kurt Jackson exhibition in the main Gallery and will take place a different outdoor venue each week. Two more brand new courses include Creating Portraits from Photographs and Jelli Printing.
If you’re just starting out, perhaps our Start with Art, Beginners Oil Painting or Beginners Contemporary Painting classes could provide that gentle introduction to getting creative that you might be looking for. And of course, our weekly Life Drawing classes on a Wednesday and Friday evenings are great for improving your creative observational skills in a super relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Decorate your home with beautiful things you’ve made in one of our one-off workshops – create a beautiful Spring Wreath full of the scent of spring with Martha Rose Flowers or create a Modern Weaving with Mandy Allport using sustainable materials and reclaimed natural driftwood.
Wire artist Flora Gare will show you how to sculpt with wire in her Drawing with Wire: Dragonflies, Butterfly Wind-chimes and Summer Flower workshops. Using copper wire and coloured beads, you’ll learn how to trace, join and shape the wire, while working from a drawing.
We're thrilled to welcome back Oliver Piepereit from OP Woodcare with his popular one-day beginners’ workshop in French Polishing and Woodcare or you could make a Willow Basket with Judith Needham. Indded, if you enjoy working with fabric, we’ve got our new Introduction to Hand Embroidery workshop, Silkscreen Printing or even Painting on Silk.
For those who have previously enjoyed one of our popular workshops in Linoprinting
with Charlotte Adcock or calligraphy with Francesca Mclean, we’re pleased to present more advanced workshops learning the technique of Reduction Linoprinting or Intermediate Modern Calligraphy.
We’re so excited to host a new exhibition from leading British contemporary painter Kurt Jackson in our Gallery this summer. Inspired by River – A 40 Year Project, we have a range of workshops for adults such as Experimenting with Mixed Media or Exploring Rivers and Reflection with Base resident artist, Samantha Emmons.
In July we’ve got a whole host of different workshops for young people inspired by our summer exhibition, Kurt Jackson: River – A 40 Year Project. Young people can have fun experimenting in Paint and Explore Landscapes (ages 10 – 16) with Base resident artist, Samantha Emmons; or create Mini Masterpieces with Recycled Materials (ages 6 - 12), Collage Landscapes (ages 6 - 12), or even learn how to paint and draw Rivers by Watercolour (ages 7 – 12)!
Our hugely popular holiday Art Club is leveling up this summer and taking over our main Gallery space! Summer Art Club is a drop-off workshop held over the last two weeks in August on a Monday – Thursday. Exploring different themes and art techniques each day, children will enjoy learning new skills while having lots of fun – and keeping the mess away from your kitchen table!
Merry-Go-Round Storytelling are also back and Amanda will be bringing classic tales to life, in our Summer Stories sessions, through a mix of interactive storytelling and song, followed by a guided craft activity. Perfect for little ones!
Those are our Summer highlights! So if they have piqued your interest, why not browse the full list of workshops and courses at The Base here.
See you soon!
P.S. If you fancy the look of a workshop or course and we’re sold out, do send us a message to be added to the waiting list. If we have enough interest, we may be able to explore the possibility of running another date.