UPSKILLING

LOVE TO LEARN

Looking to widen your horizons and broaden your sphere of thinking this summer? We’ve collated some of the city’s best workshops and courses to help you on your way...

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

bristol.ac.uk/english/study/part-time; english-lifelong@bristol.ac.uk; 0117 928 8924

Do you have a love of literature? Are you a mature student who needs the flexibility to study part-time? Applications for the unique part-time BA degree programme in English literature and community engagement are now open for entry in September 2021.

The university is also offering a pathway course for graduates of any discipline who wish to sharpen their study skills, bridging the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate. The course, entitled Mastering English Literature, will run on Tuesday evenings, 6pm-8pm from November 2021 to February 2022.

For those looking for an enjoyable introduction to the study of classic and modern literature, the university is welcoming all levels to join its Reading English Literature pathway course. It will run from January to June 2022 on Wednesday evenings from 6pm-8.45pm. For applications and to find out more about all three courses, visit the university’s website.

YUUP: MAKE A SILVER PENDANT

Old Market Manor CIC, Bristol, BS2 0RL yuup.co/experiences/make-a-silver-pendant

Bristol silversmith The Silver Duck –aka Charlotte Duckworth – has been running silver jewellery making workshops since 2013 and is the expert host behind this 3.5 hour private experience where you can unleash your creative side to design and make your own bespoke silver pendant from start to finish. With Charlotte’s 1:1 guidance, you’ll learn to use a piercing saw to cut out your design, solder on jump rings and add any finishing touches by using hammers and stamps, or try techniques like doming and forming or make your pendant even more unique. With a silver chain and jewellery box included in the experience as well, it’s the perfect, one-of-a-kind treat for yourself, or someone who deserves a special gift. The private experience costs £80 per person and is available to book online.

YUUP: CONVERT A CAMPERVAN

9 Silver Street, Glastonbury, BA6 8BS yuup.co/experiences/key-skills-for-converting-vans-into-campervans

Have you ever watched George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on TV and felt inspired to take on a project like that? Yuup – Bristol’s online marketplace for unique experiences and things to do – has a workshop that will give you the hands-on knowledge to plan and start your very own converted campervan. This two-day experience is led by hosts Scott and Sue from Black Paw in Glastonbury, where you will build a freestanding sink and cooker unit to buy and use in your converted space for the cost of materials. You will also cover all aspects of your project including layout, van design and storage. The experience costs £255 per person – no skills required, just a can-do attitude! Head to Yuup’s website for more information.

ART & PEOPLE

Cigar Factory, 127-131 Raleigh Road, Bristol, BS3 1QU 07507 427503; artandpeople.co

Art & People –a Bristol-based art advisory service, established by Claudia Kennaugh in 2019 –is set to launch streamable tutorials that offer accessible guidance to artists and collectors. The company provides affordable access to specialist advice, granting artists and collectors convenient guidance in their own time from their own homes. From September 2021, the artist coaching will be available as individual tutorials on Teachable with topics including: writing and talking about your work; pricing your artwork; and exhibiting your work and gallery submissions. Each one is an easily digestible 20-30 minutes that comes with downloadable worksheets, affordably priced at £25. The curating course comes in a pack of three half-hour tutorials, divided into bite-sized chapters entitled, ‘Curating Art at Home –How To Buy, Frame And Hang Your Own Art Collection,’ all for £95. It covers everything from how to find and buy your first artwork to hanging an existing collection, making collecting art easy and enjoyable.

RWA: DRAWING SCHOOL

Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY rwa.org.uk/collections/drawing-school-course

The RWA (Royal West of England Academy) Drawing School courses and workshops are back in person –hooray! For the timebeing they will be held at Hamilton House while the RWA works on a £3.8m capital build project to transform its beautiful building. A selection of classes is being offered via Zoom, and can be done from anywhere in the world. The programme is designed for all abilities and includes watercolour for wellbeing, paper arts, experimental drawing in the city (around Bristol), drawing trees, illustration for picture cooks and a colour intensive class. Head to the website to browse all...

MAKERSHED

St. Paul’s Learning Centre, 94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol, BS2 8XJ 07599 67036; themakershedbristol.co.uk

The Makershed mission is to provide space for making, learning and for everyone, no matter their level of experience, to be as creative as possible. You’ll receive a friendly welcome by the team of talented tutors who offer a vast range of skill sets, knowledge and experience to teach students. After expanding their workshop spaces at St Paul’s Learning Centre, they offer plenty of courses and workshops alongside their already popular woodwork, upholstery, upholstered furniture, sharpening, finishing and pallet wood workshops. Their varied timetable now includes wood carving, fabric and tapestry weaving, woodwork with power tools, lino printing and sewing classes with daytime, evening and weekend courses for all skill levels, bookable from now until autumn/winter via their website.