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City Lit basketry

Learn a wide variety of basketry techniques: stake and strand, plaiting, twining and coiling in materials such as willow, cane, rush, cords, string, paper and possibly other less traditional ones.
This course is suitable for beginners, though some craft experience is expected. Payment plans will be available.

This course will reopen for applications in February 2025. To register your interest for this course, please contact visualarts@citylit.ac.uk.
Before booking on this course, please register or log in to your account to complete a short online assessment. We need you to do this to check that this course is the right level for you.
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  • Start Date: 15 Sep 2025
    End Date: 19 Jul 2027
    Mon (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30
    In Person
    Location: Keeley Street
    Duration: 72 sessions (over 22 months)
    Course Code: VA190
    Tutors:  John Page
    Full fee £3,999.00 Senior fee £3,199.00 Concession £2,599.00

Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.

Book your place
In stock
SKU
240060
Full fee £3,999.00 Senior fee £3,199.00 Concession £2,599.00

What is the course about?

This foundation course covers a wide range of basketry techniques, many alumni have gone into professional practice upon completion. The course is taught one day a week over two years and will introduce you to a broad range of basketry techniques in a wide variety of material, take you through elements of design, sampling and processing of materials, touch upon ethnographic, historical and contemporary aspects of basketmaking, all of which will help the development of your ideas and understanding of basketry.

You will work towards producing a body of basketry, samples, and a number of final pieces to be the basis of an exhibition at the end of the course. You will be expected to undertake around 6 hours a week of independent work in order to meet the course requirements.

Course tutors: John Page, Christiane Gunzi, Lisa Atkin and visiting tutors

Course dates:
Mondays 10:30 -16:30

Year 1
15/09/2025 - 08/12/2025 (half-term 27/10/2025)
05/01/2026 - 30/04/2026 (half-term 16/02/2026)
20/04/2026 - 20/07/2026 (half term 25/05/2026 + no class 04/05/2025)

Year 2
14/09/2026 - 19/07/2027 (break session dates to follow).

What will we cover?

You will learn techniques such as stake and strand, twining, plaiting and coiling in willow, rush and cane, jute and other twines and cords as well as less traditional materials such as wire, card and paper, and be encouraged to develop your skills and experimental work in areas that interest you.
You will consider elements of design and aspects of visual research and will work towards producing a number of assessment pieces to qualify for the certificate. At the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to show some of these in an exhibition you will organize and help set up with your cohort.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Produce a collection of basketry samples demonstrating a broad knowledge of basketry techniques in both traditional and more experimental materials.
- Record and document your work.
- Demonstrate an awareness of design through visual research and ideas development.
- Make work to a specific brief or set of instructions.
- Demonstrate an awareness of both historical and contemporary basketmaking.
- Write an Illustrated Study on some aspect of basketry.
- Follow good health and safety practice.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is designed to be suitable for beginners and students with some experience who may like to use it to refresh or extend their existing skills.
You must be able to follow written and verbal instructions, demonstrations and hand-outs and health and safety information. You will occasionally be invited to take part in group discussions and critique sessions, where you exchange ideas with your fellow classmates.
Occasional communication between the tutors and the student group will take place via e-mail, so please discuss this at interview if you do not have access.
For your coursework you will need to carry out research involving collecting, reading and analysing information to help develop your own work.
You will also be encouraged to visit galleries and museums independently, present and write about your response and opinions from your research, and to evaluate and write about your work as it progresses. You may find it helpful to be able to use word processing but more important will be the use of notebooks and a sketchbook to record thoughts and ideas for reference and possible development.
You will need to have simple maths to be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers and maybe to work out costings, and estimate quantities.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught through demonstration, slide shows, individual and group tuition, written instructions, study of tutors’ samples, basketry collections and books, and from your own practical experience during the course.
There will be at least one visit to a museum, gallery or collection.
Handouts will be given on techniques, further reading, suppliers etc. You will be expected to undertake at least 6 hours of independent work outside class every week to both consolidate and extend what has been looked at in class.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Basic materials will be supplied with some small extra costs possible in some blocks, in the production of large-scale work and some work done at home should you choose.
The college has enough tools for you to use in class, but you will probably want to buy some for your own use. Your tutors will advise you.
You will need to bring notebooks, pens and pencils and will find a camera useful for taking images and ‘notes’.
If you do not have access to a computer for research on line, there is access to PC's at City Lit in the Student Learning Centre & Library. Please mention this at interview.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Advanced Basketry is a one-year course that is a progression from VA190. City Lit also runs shorter basketry courses through the year that cover diverse aspects of basketry and materials.
General information and advice on courses at City Lit is available from the Student Centre and Library on Monday to Friday from 10:30 - 12:00 then 15:00 – 17:00.

John Page

John was introduced to basketry by a Crafts Council exhibition in 1999, where he was impressed enough to undertake a four-year City & Guilds course in creative basketry at the City Lit. This has transmogrified into the two-year VA190 course John now runs and teaches on. John's specialty is rushwork but he is comfortable with other materials and techniques and encourages experimental work following sound and basic groundwork. John believes that craft work is an essential human occupation. When not teaching basketry John repairs harps.

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.