7 Creative Courses in Plymouth
Made in Plymouth Community Reporter Janice Gordon has picked her top seven creative courses in Plymouth. If you have a creative person in your life, think Creative Courses for a worthwhile Christmas gift that lasts a lifetime.
Beginners Wheel Throwing Pottery Classes.
From the home studio of Edward King.
A one-to –one class which is perfect for beginners.
You will be able to learn how to use the wheel and see what happens to the clay, make your piece or pieces and add decorative touches. 2 hours £30 or half a day is £60.
My pick of the perfect fun day out, a little messy and lots of laughing.
Welding metal fabrication day. Make your own stool
“Experience of the Year” in the Devon Toursim Awards 2023.
This one-day metal furniture fabrication course where you can build your own unique stool to take home.
You will be able to practise MIG welding in the morning and develop your skills before cutting lengths of mild steel tubing on the band saw, then use the metal bender to create symmetrical curves which form the stools legs. Learn about the use of templates to create metal furniture and weld all the parts together to create your own stool.
This course is perfect for beginners or anyone keen to start working with metal.
The day will be led by Richard Evans, an experienced metal fabricator and designer. All materials required for this course are included in the price.
Day course Cost: £140.00 per person
My pick because it looks hot and exciting.
Traditional Signwriting
Join Camilla Rose Signwriter on one of her courses and get an introduction to the wonderful historic craft of Signwriting. Camilla will be holding 5 week evening Classes, weekend courses and one to ones from her studios at Flameworks in Devonport. During the course you will learn about brush techniques, lettering styles, hand drawn typography design, and you will make two panels to take home with you.
Camilla’s course will suite beginners or those that want to gain a better knowledge of typography.
She will teach you how to pick styles and colours and how to use the age-old skill of hand painting brush lettering.
You will work from wooden panels at her studio.
Taster 2 hours £60
Half day £120
Where At Flameworks
My pick because I love the look of the finished signs, and once learned you could do it at home!
A day of baking Artisan bread (Sourdough and Rye )
A great day out with an overload of the senses, smell, touch and wellness.
The art of making yummy Sourdough and Rye bread is a great gift to give anyone.
Lunch set around an old kitchen table and a large bag of bread to take home afterwards.
Traditional ovens are used and in hot weather they go outside to bake!
With Dragon and Penny in their beautiful home at
A day course £195
My pick because it looks like so much fun and a skill that you would use again and again and who doesn't love bread!
Learn how to be a Blacksmith
with Luke Axworthy
Award-winning metalsmith Luke Axworthy teaches 1-to-1 blacksmithing classes for people of all ages (11+)
at Flameworks Creative Arts Facility.
The classes cover various blacksmithing and metalwork techniques from heat and hammer control to making Damascus steel and creating your own tools. After learning and mastering the fundamental hand-forging processes and exercises, students can then progress to their own self-directed assignments.
My pick because I can hear the tang tang of the hammer and the immersion of a bygone age, what fun!
2 hours @ £75.00
Life drawing classes with a clothed model.
Drawing from Life with Mark is a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.
Paint or draw with instruction in colour and light with a live model and learn how to create using scale and your own particular style.
Half a day learning the basics of life drawing with the incredibly talented Mark Fielding who was a student of the globally acclaimed Plymouth based Robert Lenkiewicz
My pick was based both on budget and how amazing Marks work is and the idea of a Café lunch afterwards
£30 per half day
An Arts Saturday Club (for Kids )
Young Arts takes place on a Saturday morning and is for all children in school years 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
This year will include animation, printmaking, painting, pastel work, drawing, illustration techniques, digital photography, analogue photography, group artwork creation, 3D collage, digital graphics and fashion.
It takes place at Plymouth University .
From £68 for 5 sessions
10.30 -12.30n
My pick because if you can inspire children at that age, it could be a stepping stone to their future.