Bookbinding: learn to bind artists' books
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- Start Date: 23 Sep 2025End Date: 02 Dec 2025This course is fullTue (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30In PersonFull fee £689.00 Senior fee £551.00 Concession £448.00
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What is the course about?
This course is designed to develop your creative ideas using the book format. You will explore the relationship between the structure and the concept of the book by exploring your own interests and themes and the workshop format of the course will support the development of your ideas. Depending on the needs of class members, there will be a mixture of group demonstrations, individual demonstrations and one-to-one tutorial support.
What will we cover?
Depending on your level of experience, you will be introduced to a range of book structures; from simple folded books through to more complex multi-sectioned books. This will enable you to develop your individual skills and creativity and the tools to create more complex and experimental bindings.
Beginners:
- Develop content using methods appropriate to your ideas which could include simple methods such as rubber stamping, collage and/or digital print at home.
- Explore book structures such as the concertina fold and pamphlet stitch to create one-off or a small edition of hand-made books.
- Begin to develop a contextual awareness of artists' books and book artists
More experienced learners
- develop personal projects which are self-directed and demonstrate a more in-depth awareness of concepts and structures.
- Be able to articulate the relationship between structure and content of the book and how this might be supported with contextual research.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Beginners:
- Select and use appropriate materials
- Explain the importance of grain direction
- Experiment with a range of book structures
- Practise simple print and other creative visual methods to produce content for books.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the book structure in relation to its contents.
Experienced learners:
- Demonstrate more complex concepts and/or structures
- Demonstrate a more in-depth conceptual and contextual understanding of the book structure in relation to its contents.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
All levels. This course is designed to support beginners, those with some experience and more experienced learners. You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, to use the hand-outs which support demonstrations and to follow health and safety information. You will also be invited to take part in group discussion in which you will have the opportunity to discuss the development of our project if you wish to. You should be able to use numbers and simple measurements and calculations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught by demonstration, individual and group tuition. You will find it helpful to be able to work on developing ideas and materials at home during the course.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Some basic materials are included in the cost of the course. Other materials such as board and paper can be purchased from the classroom and students will be expected to provide for their own, more specific requirements. Please bring your own toolkit, brushes etc. if you have them.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
- VD371 Bookbinding: artists' book projects
- VD373 Bookbinding: artists' book projects
- VD439 Sewn boards and drum leaf binding for book arts
- VD416 Bookbinding: Japanese books and boxes
- VD409 Visible stitches and spectacular spines: experiments in exposed sewing
Sue Doggett is an artist who creates hand-made books and bindings. She gained a first class honours degree in Visual Studies and Art History from Oxford Brookes University in 1985 and an MA in Design from Brighton University in 1998. She received the World Craft Council Award for Contemporary Craft in 1994 and was elected a Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 1996. She has lectured and led workshops in book arts in the UK, Europe and the USA and she currently teaches bookbinding and book arts at City Lit. As an exhibiting Fellow of Designer Bookbinders, Sue works to public and private commission including the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and she is the current editor of ‘The New Bookbinder’ journal. Her work is represented in public and private collections in Europe and USA and can be seen at the Hyman Kreitman Research Library, Tate Britain; The Folger Library, Washington DC; Yale University Library, San Francisco Center for the Book, The Bodleian Library, Oxford; The Centre for Fine Print Research, Bristol and Manchester Metropolitan Museum.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.