City Lit Art School — Art Classes in London
Explore new and exciting subjects within a range of art and design disciplines, develop your skill set, get the support required to change career or launch yourself as a freelance artist or designer. All this and more delivered through our practical and engaging art and design courses at City Lit.
Our range of part-time, weekend and evening art and design classes are taught by successful artists and practitioners to ensure you get the skills, knowledge and experience you want and deserve. From experimental painting and drawing to contemporary jewellery making, there is sure to be a course for you. Study from 1 day to 2 years, whether you are a complete beginner or a practising artist preparing for an MA. Our courses are designed with you in mind, so you get to spend more time doing what you love.
Set a new goal, start your next creative adventure with City Lit and let us support you to realise your ambitions.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
Any questions? Contact our visual arts team on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk
- City Lit ceramics diploma: two-year courseCourse start date: Thu 11 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Carina Ciscato, Chantal Condron, Brigit Connolly, Annie TurnerThe Ceramics diploma course is designed for people with previous experience in ceramics or other art related practice. This advanced ceramics course encourages your creative development through a sustained practice-based programme of in-depth ceramic study that covers the artistic, technical, theoretical, and historical contexts of ceramics. For your final exhibition you will have the opportunity to exhibit at an external venue and at the New Designers show at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
Once you have submitted an application for the course, your suitability for the course will be assessed by interview. You will need to bring a portfolio of 2D and 3D/clay work alongside your sketchbooks. During the interview you will be asked to write a short paragraph to demonstrate your writing skills and to show your understanding of the use of numbers. Interviews for this course will take place on dates to be confirmed.
NOTE: Course dates are: 11/09/25 - 25/06/27, Thursday and Friday 9.30am – 6.00pm, 36 weeks per year. The course fee indicated on this page covers both years of the course. Payment plans will be available, details of which are to be confirmed.Full fee £11,499.00 Senior fee £11,499.00 Concession £8,049.00 - Full fee £3,099.00 Senior fee £2,479.00 Concession £2,014.00
- Art and design portfolio projectsCourse start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rod JudkinsDevelop and realise your creative language in art and design through the development of a personal project. Through workshops and small projects you will be able to build a portfolio of work in 2D and 3D related to your own personal theme or interest.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - City Lit textiles: mixed mediaCourse start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Renata MinoldoInvestigate mixed-media textiles through this project-based course which introduces a variety of materials, techniques and design processes. You will develop a creative portfolio of textile samples using sketchbook research and finally work towards a finished piece.Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00 - Foundation diploma in art and designCourse start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: MultipleThe UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at City Lit is an exciting and challenging multi-disciplinary art, design, craft and media programme. It is designed to give you the best possible introduction to a wide range of materials, techniques and processes, and to support you in identifying and developing your creative interests and thinking. Validated by the University of the Arts London Awarding Body, it is an internationally recognised qualification with a UCAS tariff that enables you to apply directly to University.
The Free Courses for Jobs initiative is for Londoners aged 24 or over at the start of the course who are: on a low-income; or on certain benefits; or do not have a full level 3 qualification. For more information Click here
- Pottery eveningCourse start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Trish SpenceFor those with some previous ceramic experience wishing to work towards their own goals, or suitable for beginners who wish to learn hand-building and throwing processes, as well as surface decoration and glazing.Full fee £619.00 Senior fee £495.00 Concession £402.00 - Draw, paint, printCourse start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mary WintourOn this experimental course, you will draw, paint and print in often unfamiliar ways in order to catch the unexpected. Through experimentation and reflection, you will collate a personal collection of work. .Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Pottery intermediateCourse start date: Wed 17 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mimi JoungFor those with some previous experience wishing to work towards personal goals with tuition and guidance. Throwing and hand-building processes will be taught alongside glazing and surface decoration throughout the course.Full fee £2,199.00 Senior fee £1,759.00 Concession £1,429.00 - Contemporary painting studioCourse start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth Brison, Benjamin SeniorDevelop your own ideas in painting with reference to the work of contemporary artists and experimental processes on this higher level course. Ideal for students who have completed Painting 2 or Painting 3 or equivalent painting courses.Full fee £959.00 Senior fee £767.00 Concession £623.00 - Book conservation and repair workshop: intermediateCourse start date: Wed 7 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gavin MoorheadIdeal if you have some bookbinding conservation experience and want to develop your skills further by working on your own projects with advice and guidance. Each term will include demonstrations that focus on a different aspect of book conservation.Full fee £549.00 Senior fee £439.00 Concession £357.00 - City Lit basketry course: advancedCourse start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lisa Atkin, Christiane Gunzi, John Page, Katie PriceFor learners experienced in a wide range of basketry techniques, this is a new course to build develop your skills. You will be introduced to some new techniques and emphasis will be placed on self directed study and developing a personal portfolio of work. This course is suitable for those experienced in a wide range of basketry techniques and who have completed the City Lit basketry course or have equivalent skills.Full fee £1,749.00 Senior fee £1,399.00 Concession £1,224.00 - Processing black and white photographic filmCourse start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Catriona GrayShoot a roll of black and white film and develop it in traditional chemicals, learning 2 ways to view the images on your film (analogue and digital)
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Jewellery making: all levelsCourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kevin StevensonEver wanted to make your own jewellery? Try out jewellery-making, getting to grips with the basic processes and techniques for using metal to create simple yet beautiful earrings, rings, pendants and bracelets to your own
designs.Full fee £419.00 Senior fee £335.00 Concession £272.00 - Introduction to painting portraitsCourse start date: Sun 21 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke JonesAn opportunity to paint and draw from the life model focusing on portraiture. Basic observational skills will be explored as well as advice on how we can convey mood, character and tell a story through a portrait, inspired examples of artists portrait drawings and paintings.
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