Contemporary Crafts Courses in London
City Lit is the place to develop your craft. Throughout the year, we offer classes in Basketry, Bookbinding, Calligraphy and Mosaics. We have a range of courses to suit our students at every level — from introductory courses for curious beginners, to advanced long courses if you are a professional and you want to develop your practice.
Our studios are perfectly equipped which allows us to create engaging and interactive courses for you. All our tutors are experienced crafters, designers, and makers in their own fields. So as a City Lit student, you’ll get the benefit of learning from their working knowledge.
Our courses also make use of the City Lit Design and Digital lab creating craft courses with a digital element to explore the possibilities of working with traditional craft. Many of our courses are delivered online, offering more accessibility for learners.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
- Try it out: mosaics
Course start date: Wed 15 Jan 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa BensonThis course is an opportunity to try doing some mosaics and get a feel for this popular craft.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Basketry: cordage, simple looping and netting Course start date: Mon 20 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John PageIn this basketry related course you will learn how to make cordage suitable for looping and netting in a wide range of materials.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £271.00 Concession £220.00 - Beginners' bookbinding Course start date: Fri 24 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Start your bookbinding journey with this accessible, 6 week introduction to techniques and structures. Learn how to make simple folded books progressing to a more complex stitched binding and explore the world of handmade books. - Beginners' bookbinding: evening course Course start date: Fri 24 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Royston HawardExplore the exciting world of craft bookbinding in this comprehensive introduction to the letterpress book. Learn about the tools and techniques required to bind a book with unique hand decorated papers.Full fee £399.00 Senior fee £319.00 Concession £259.00 - Calligraphy and illumination Course start date: Tue 28 Jan 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Emiko HashiguchiLearn how to write beautifully with a dip pen and design and produce a piece of work with illuminated letters using colour and gold leaf. All levels.Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Sewn boards and drum leaf bindings for book arts Course start date: Thu 13 Feb 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sue DoggettThese book forms are great for making artists’ books and books with content, as they both open flat with little or no restriction at the spine fold. Come and make some models to experiment with, or bring some artwork with you and use this to produce two versatile and creative structures. Some experience of sewing multi-section books will be helpful but not essential. - Calligraphy evening course Course start date: Thu 13 Feb 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ivo GrantinsLearn the principles and explore the essential steps of calligraphy using a range of tools and techniques to create an individual piece. Suitable for beginners as well as improvers, left or right handers welcome.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Calligraphy for beginners and improvers Course start date: Fri 14 Feb 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sharon ShawLearn and develop calligraphy skills on this beginners and improvers course. You will practice with a range of pens and papers, and create a finished example using a favourite quotation. Advice will be given on tools and materials. Suitable for left or right handers.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Try it out calligraphy: formal and modern Course start date: Sat 15 Feb 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sharon ShawWould you like to find out about the difference between formal calligraphy and modern calligraphy? Come along to this session and have a go at writing both styles. Beginners and improvers welcome.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Bookbinding: leather paring and knife sharpening Course start date: Sat 15 Feb 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Royston HawardParing and sharpening are skills essential for advanced bookbinding. Learn the first principles of these specialised skills in a simple to understand way that builds confidence. - Start bookbinding Course start date: Sat 22 Feb 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ina BaumeisterDiscover the art of handmade books! Progressive projects will guide you through core techniques and prepare you to experiment, design and craft your own unique books.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Mosaics introductory Course start date: Wed 26 Feb 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa BensonDevelop your creative skills in this classic art form, adhering your materials to a temporary surface before applying the completed section to a flat base or casting it into concrete to complete your own Mosaic design.Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00 - Calligraphy: illumination and gilding Course start date: Tue 4 Mar 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Emiko HashiguchiLearn how to apply gold leaf with various gilding sizes and decorate letters with paints. Suitable for those who are new to illumination as well as those with some experience.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Visible stitches, spectacular spines: experiments in exposed sewing Course start date: Fri 7 Mar 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sue DoggettExplore the creative possibilities of visible sewing in bookbinding through structure and materials. Experiment with wrapping, folding and piercing to produce a set of books where the spine is the star! - Willow basketry: zig zag basket Course start date: Sun 9 Mar 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katie PriceExplore the possibilities of the ‘zig zag weave’ in willow basketry. We will produce samples of the weave, and use these practices to create a modern functional round basket.Full fee £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00
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