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

Exploring English Music

We will explore the varied repertoire of English music, featuring compositions by celebrated figures such as Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Bliss, Finzi, and Bax. There will be full programme notes and music examples on excellent hi-fi equipment, as well as a live recital by one of Britain’s leading pianists. The Dumbleton Hall Hotel is a splendid and traditional 19th century...

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”...

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”...

Silken Soutache Braid textile weekend course

Weekend textile course making Cockades

Mixed Media Textile Weekend

Bangle Weaving

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Pattern Ref Book

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 and paste to embellish basic shapes and to inspire stitch. During this course you will use a variety of coloured papers, to cut and tear simple shapes with added stitch...

Soutache

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Bead Weaving

Over this weekend you will discover how to create beaded bezels for cabochons, as well as bead-weaving and bead embroidery techniques to create a bracelet, brooch or pendant encrusted with a host of wonderful beads and crystals. Starting with an overview of bead embroidery, Sally will show you how to consider various aspects of design,...

Shadowlands

Drawing inspiration from ideas surrounding the landscape (gardens, plants) or abstract interpretations (Sonia Delaunay’s Orphism art, Cubism) using found materials as a resource, you will explore direct approaches for creating colour and movement in cloth. A whole range of techniques will be covered such as transfer printing with plants and stencils, simple resists methods, stitch and...

Hand quilting

Here is your opportunity to develop your hand quilting expertise with one of the best tutors in the field.  On this weekend you will discover all the essential steps to produce beautiful hand quilting, including how to mark out a cushion-sized pattern using one of Barbara’s exclusive designs. Barbara will show you the correct way...

Creative Textiles

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Drawing for the Terrified

Are you terrified of drawing but have a secret longing to learn how to do it? Then this is the course for you. *         Secretly longing to draw? *         Not sure where to start? *         Discover how to truly SEE objects *         Monochrome and colour techniques Your tutor, Richard Box, will guide you through certain processes slowly, gently and step...

Patchwork and Christmas Crafts Part 3

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.

Patchwork and Christmas Crafts Part 2

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.

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.

Singing For Larks – Jazz & Swing Harmonies

Singing with others is an exhilarating and liberating experience that everybody can enjoy. Singings for Larks workshops, run by Faith Watson, are based on the tradition of learning songs by ear. This approach makes the joy of singing with others easily accessible to those who are new to singing, whilst offering more experienced singers the...

Bobbin Lacemaking – British and European

This is a practical course for all abilities of lacemakers from those who have a knowledge of only the basic stitches to those who wish to study advanced techniques in the British and European laces. Many of the continental laces are taught with the aid of a colour-coded diagram to help students continue their work...

Creative writing: an introduction to short story writing (online)

The short story is often described as one of the most satisfying literary genres, both to read and to write. This course encourages students to identify how these stories 'work' by considering classic examples which, in each class, illustrate a particular aspect of short story composition. An exchange of ideas and responses between students and...

Creative writing: an introduction to life writing (online)

This course is aimed at anyone who wants to write a biography, memoir or other form of non-fiction. It will use examples and practical exercises to guide students through the skills needed to write interesting non-fiction: research, editing, how to tell a story and ways of using discription. Given the nature of creative writing, it...

Forensic science: poisoning (online)

The course will explore the fascinating topic of forensic science. In the first week participants will be introduced to a crime scene and each week will examine a piece of evidence relating to a suspected poisoning. As the course progresses participants will have to decide, based on the evidence collected: was a crime committed? What...

The early Tudors, 1485-1558 (online)

The Tudor dynasty, which ruled between 1485 and 1603, transformed England and monarchs such as Henry VIII are larger-than-life figures who are instantly recognizable. But where did the Tudors come from and why were they so successful? This online course will examine the first four Tudor monarchs, we will begin with Henry Tudor's victory at...

Applying psychology to the workplace (online)

This course will begin with an introduction to Applied Psychology in work settings by taking a context based approach. Students will be introduced to the development of Applied Psychology and will then see how various psychological theories help our understanding of, and contribute to explaining, human behaviour in the workplace. We will look at the...

Ancient Rome: the city, society and infrastructure (online)

This course describes ancient Rome as the Romans saw it - not as stone ruins, but as a vibrant, living city. We see how the people of the largest metropolis on the planet in AD 200 were fed, governed and entertained; who the ancient Romans were and how they lived.

Letterpress Printing

An introduction to letterpress printing.

Bookbinding

Simple quarter leather bookbinding.

Strugglers

This is a very practical hands-on weekend with lots of playing. We will work through plenty of Tunes (songs and instrumentals) in varied styles such as Rock, Blues and Country.

Fingerstyle

A great holiday break where you will join other like-minded players for an excellent social and informative weekend.

Intro to Jazz

As the name suggests, this course is an introduction to playing jazz guitar for those who either want to just get started in jazz guitar, and don't know how, or have already tried but have become frustrated in making headway. The course gently introduces you to the three main aspects of jazz guitar:Comping, Soloing and Chord-melody...