Contemporary crafts

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.

Filters

10 Items

per page
Set Descending Direction
  1. Willow basketry: zig zag basket
    Course start date:  Wed 8 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Katie Price
    Explore 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 £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00
  2. Fine binding masterclass III: creative approaches to design binding
    Course start date:  Thu 18 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Sue Doggett
    If you already have technical bookbinding skills but want to kickstart, or develop your creative and design skills then this course will help you to develop ways of engaging visually with the content of the book. Through a series of practical excercises and activities, you will learn a range of creative thinking skills and ways to apply them to design for bookbinding. This course is aimed at bookbinders interested in design binding but would benefit anyone working in book arts who is interested in exploring a text visually.
    Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £249.00 Concession £249.00
  3. Calligraphy: decorated letterforms
    Course start date:  Mon 22 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Sharon Shaw
    Gilded initials make perfect gifts for family and friends. You’ll learn painting techniques and how to apply a PVA mordant and use real leaf. You will be provided with a number of decorative alphabet templates and then taken step-by-step through the stages of drawing, painting and applying real gold to create your own illuminated decorated letterform.
    Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £227.00
  4. City Lit calligraphy
    Course start date:  Mon 23 Sep 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emiko Hashiguchi, Veiko Kespersaks, Sharon Shaw
    Study calligraphy with this in-depth, three term programme that will equip you with the essential techniques required for beautiful cursive handwriting. The course will cover specialist skills-based training in Calligraphy with Design, blending traditional skills with an introduction to the latest trends in the calligraphy and design world. An exciting, challenging, and thorough introduction to the art of calligraphy.







    Please note this course runs on Monday evenings from 6 - 8.30pm for 32 weeks, plus one Saturday day from 10:30 - 16:30 per term. Term 1



    Mondays 02/10/23 - 11/12/23 6 – 8.30pm (11 weeks)



    Saturday 09/12/22 10:30 – 16:30







    Term 2



    Mondays 08/01/24 - 25/03/24 6 – 8.30pm (12 weeks)



    Saturday 17/02/24 10:30 – 16:30







    Term 3



    05/04/24 - 29/04/24 6 – 8.30pm (3 weeks)



    13/05/24 - 20/05/24 6 – 8.30pm (2 weeks)



    03/06/24 - 17/06/24 6 – 8.30pm (3 weeks)



    08/07/2024 (1 week)



    Saturday 15/06/24 10:30 – 16:30.
    Full fee £1,299.00 Senior fee £1,039.00 Concession £844.00
  5. Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00
  6. Fine binding masterclass I: end papers
    Course start date:  Fri 22 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Kathy Abbott
    This masterclass is aimed at intermediate and higher level learners and is designed to develop your skills in making endpapers for fine bindings. You will be taught how to make three different types of endpapers, all with their own suitability for bindings. A chance to improve your skills, accuracy and cleanliness when laminating endpapers. Not suitable for beginners.
    Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £279.00
  7. Bookbinding: artists' book projects
    Course start date:  Tue 21 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Sue Doggett
    Develop your creative and practical book arts skills on this intermediate course. Expand on your ideas about the relationship between the structure and the concept of the book and engage in in-depth research and development of your intended project proposal with one-to-one tutorial support and lively critical group discussion. Not suitable for beginners.
    Full fee £509.00 Senior fee £407.00 Concession £331.00
per page
Set Descending Direction

Can't see a course you want?

Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.

Add me to waiting list