LeisureCourses.net – short courses & residential study breaks in great locations

Flutes Inspired 4 day course – Elisabeth Hobbs

Do you love playing the flute? Would you like to improve your flute skills in an encouraging and supportive environment? Elisabeth’s focus is on helping you to make real progress in your flute-playing journey. This 4-day course includes flute choir, chamber music, technique classes, also included is an individual lesson. There will also be yoga and...

Make a Sun Hive – Rachel Hanney

Make a Sun Hive: A Hive for Natural Bee Keepers In conjunction with other like-minded beekeepers, the Natural Beekeeping Trust develops and promotes a form of beekeeping that is holistic, bee-centred and chemical-free. Join us for an inspirational weekend to make your own Sun Hive – a natural hive which involves weaving the straw skep baskets, which are built to precise measurements. These hives are...

Creative Arts Summer School

Come to Hawkwood in high summer and try your hand at a range of creative crafts,  writing, drawing, sculpture, textiles and painting within the beautiful surroundings of Hawkwood. Create your own schedule and mix and match the courses to suit your needs. Some are residential weekends, some are one-day courses. Full Courses List: Raku Pottery: 15...

Summer Rest-ival

Make space for rest and renewal with mindfulness, writing, meditation, painting and more!

Create a Singing Bowl Summer School

Generations of smiths and coppersmiths have dedicated their work to the search for the one perfect all-transcending sound. Under Ton’s friendly, professional supervision you will learn the technique of forging to create your own singing bowl. The rhythm of metal work, the heat of the forge and the alchemical process of shaping your own instrument...

Watercolour painting holidays in the Limousin, SW France

We are very pleased to announce 2 NEW watercolour painting holiday courses with artist Nicola Blakemore this September and October at De Tout Coeur Limousin. Learn the Magic of Painting with Watercolours on this holiday for people at all levels. about Nicola: 'her teaching approach and philosophy really come through—she invites students to put aside any “limiting belief”...

Quilting, corded and stuffed work

Residential Photography Workshop Weekend SW France

Enamelling on Silver Clay

Silver clay is magical stuff. It is a mixture of tiny particles of pure silver mixed with a binder. *            work with silver clay and enamel *            create your own original jewellery *            embellish your work to make it unique to you *            ideal day course for all, whatever your skill level The clay binder enables you to mould the...

Batik

On this relaxing one day course, you will discover how to design and create a beautiful hard-backed book with your own piece of batik on the cover. *            create a unique piece of batik *            learn formal book binding *            use your batik as a cover for your book *            suitable for beginners and more experienced crafters You will begin...

Creating a pattern reference book

*            Create your own pattern reference book *            Mark making, layering, collage and much more *            Explore pattern as a precursor to stitch *            Ideal for anyone who wants to develop their techniques Here is a weekend for anyone with a love of pattern and who enjoys creating their own using a range of pens, pencils and crayons, paper...

Patchwork and Christmas Crafts Part 1

This course aims to bring together a group of like-minded students who enjoy crafting together.  They will share their knowledge and enthusiasm during their time together and produce a number of Christmas Crafts which are be kept or passed on to celebrate the season.

Papermaking with Textiles

For people who love textiles and want to expand into new areas.  Learn how  various fabrics and rag pulp can be recycled to make beautiful papers. The handmade papers will be filled with colourful threads, fibres, textures, and pieces of cloth; some  will be finished pieces of  artwork in their own right. Your...

Upholstery

This course offers the opportunity to learn the basics of upholstery, or develop those you already have and at the same time produce a useful piece of furniture in a fabric of your choice.  Beginning with the application of webbing and base hessian, then going through the stages of various filling materials, we...

Silver Jewellery Weekend

This course is an introduction to a variety of traditional silver jewellery making techniques, but is also suitable for those with some experience.  You will use the techniques to construct at least two wearable items, such as earrings, cufflinks, pendant and also a ring with a tube stone setting. The course will cover...

Drawing With the Sewing Machine Needle

Do you want to develop your skills with your sewing machine and learn how to ‘draw’ with the simple straight stitch?  Then this is your course!  You will start by stitching a design which Richard, your tutor, has prepared for you.  He will demonstrate every stage step-by-step.  This will give you the confidence...

Scrapbook in a Weekend

During the weekend we will complete a 12 x 12 inch scrapbook (2 single page and 9 double page layouts). The layouts will be based on 6x4 inch photos, and these can be trimmed to required size on the day.  Although we are creating a whole scrapbook, the pages do not all have...

Plants that changed the World

Plants provide us with most things we need, medicine, shelter, food, fuel and oxygen.  They have played a significant part in history. We’ll delve into the world of extraordinary plants which brought about massive changes around the world. Starting with the cinchona or quinine tree, we’ll also consider the growing, production, uses and...

Dao Yin and Tai Chi

Spend a day enjoying a variety of flowing Chinese exercises and leave feeling relaxed. This course is suitable for men and women, for beginners and those with experience of Dao Yin or Tai Chi. We will work on a variety of Dao Yin exercises, including some from the Baton set, and a section...

Rameses the Great: An Egyptian Superman

Everything about Ramses II was great. His reign was the longest of any pharaoh, his building works were the most colossal, his military successes were outstanding, his children numbered over one hundred and his self-praise was unlimited. His reign ushered in the height of Egyptian power in the region with Ramses crushing any...

Ukulele Jam

This will be a fun and relaxed day of playing the uke and jamming with a group of equally enthusiastic players.  You’ll already be able to play the uke to a basic standard (know some basic chords and strumming patterns) so we’ll start with some songs that get us playing together and then...

Singing for the Terrified

This is the course for you if you have been told not to sing, to mime or if you reserve your singing for the car and the shower.  For complete beginners, the course will show you that everyone can sing – yes even you!  The course is performance based and is relaxed, supportive...

Your Sewing Machine Know-How

If the machine can do it, you can make it with a little know how Beginners and experienced welcome to make an article of your choice or simply experiment with a variety of sewing techniques.  Your machine can be an older basic type or a modern more advanced model. There will be a...

Art Appreciation: Four Major Artists- 1435 – 1903

Giovanni Bellini, Pieter Bruegel, Rembrandt and Cézanne. We will explore some of the work of the four artists.  Each was born in a different century and a different country.  Each stands, to many, as one of the masters of art within the European tradition. Examples of paintings and drawings by each will be...

Your Sewing Machine Know-How

If the machine can do it, you can make it with a little know how Beginners and experienced welcome to make an article of your choice or simply experiment with a variety of sewing techniques.  Your machine can be an older basic type or a modern more advanced model. There will be a...

Bobbin Lace: Beginners & Beyond

Have you always wanted to make lace but are worried that it looks complicated? Are you a beginner wishing to continue to develop your skills? Are you already a lace maker but would like to continue with your work or start a new pattern? Help is at hand! This is the ideal course...

Tedesca String Quartet Coaching Weekend

Following on from the great success of the first such course at Knuston in September 2015 the Tedesca Quartet returns for a weekend of chamber music. Groups will receive coaching from each of the four members of the quartet and will also have free entry to the Saturday evening concert, the programme of...

Woodcarving: One Day Workshop

This one day taster course is suitable for the complete beginner, or those who have some experience of woodcarving.  You will be introduced to tools and woods and learn some basic techniques with a simple relief design.  If you already enjoy this creative craft, come along and embark on your chosen project with...

Goldwork & Silk Shading

Silk shading is also referred to as painting with the needle. It creates beautiful naturalistic effects, especially when depicting flowers and it gives the illusion of looking three dimensional. During the course the mysteries of this delightful form of stitchery will be explained and put into practice on a small floral design. The...

German Language and Culture – Int and Advanced

SPASS MIT DEUTSCH! Immerse yourself in the language for a weekend. This course is for German speakers with a good knowledge of the language who would love to read, view, listen to and most of all speak German for a whole weekend. We will undertake a variety of activities working individually, in pairs,...