Taster Sessions

Embroidery

In this online workshop, we will freehand embroidery together and use this practice as a way of grounding,connecting with each other and slowing down while learning some basic embroidery stitches and gathering in conversation.

Painting with natural Inks

In this workshop we will explore the beauty of natural inks on paper. We will playfully and mindfully submerge in fields of colour allowing time and natural chemical processes to do their magic. This workshop includes some breathwork, tapping and painting techniques as meditation.

A taste of creative writing

Give creative writing a try in this fun and supportive one-off taster session. Ideal if you want to unlock your imagination and express yourself, but need a bit of encouragement to get started.

City Lit’s Percussion Orchestra Workshop

Join students from the Percussion Orchestra to explore contemporary music, discover how it supports wellbeing, and help create an original piece in this hands-on workshop!

Using herbal medicines to Improve mental health, energy and concentration

Explore how herbal medicine can support your mental health and emotional wellbeing. You’ll be introduced to six well-researched medicinal plants—such as Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Valerian and Passionflower—known for their ability to reduce anxiety, improve energy and focus, and help build long-term resilience in the nervous system.

Celebrate through singing Welsh songs

Energise yourself singing and connecting with others in the Welsh language. You do not need to speak Welsh.

The Healing Power of Dionysian celebrations

Nietzsche in his book ‘The death of tragedy’ claims that by not experiencing Dionysian festivals in the modern world, we have lost the capacity to truly affirm life.

Spanish for fun

Get a flavour of a new language and its basic sentence structure. Learn some useful phrases and some pronunciation guidelines. A fascinating introduction for complete beginners.

Haiku for wellbeing

Writing Haiku poems can provide a peaceful distraction from life's challenges by focusing on creative writing. Composing Haiku can produce a feeling of achievement, and help you to get in touch with the natural world and show us our place within it.

Connect through singing

Explore how we connect with others through singing together.

The soothing system - learn, connect, and restore your inner calm

The soothing system is the part of your nervous system designed for calmness, connection, safety and self-compassion. In this gentle workshop, you’ll explore the three emotion regulation systems, mindful movements and body-based practices to shift from stress into safety. No experience needed. Just bring yourself, as you are.

French 4: La joie comme choix

Ce cours de 2 heures explorera le concept de choisir la joie comme antidote à l'inquiétude et à la négativité. Les participants apprendront des étapes pratiques pour déplacer leur attention de l'anxiété vers la positivité et des astuces et techniques pour intégrer la joie dans leur vie quotidienne.

Connect to your clothing, restore and repair

Learn and practise the Japanese mending techniques of Boro and Sashiko to repair your clothes. Learning these skills encourages sustainability and allows us to consider the transformations possible with what we have.

Connect through storytelling

Since long before we could write, the most effective way of describing events and experiences has been through storytelling.

Ballet for the mind and body

Besides the joy that comes with dance, the benefits of dancing to your mental health and wellbeing are well documented. Dance and movement can improve confidence, heart health, balance, strength, and memory, and serve as a healthy mode of emotional expression.

The holistic voice

An introduction to accessible and empowering mind-body techniques that can deepen your awareness and connection to your voice so that the message you give out is true to your intention.

Restorative yoga for the nervous system regulation

In this taster workshop, we’ll explore how restorative yoga, through supported postures and mindful breathing, activates the parasympathetic nervous system to promote deep relaxation, balance, and a profound sense of safety

Singing: discover your voice

Come and discover your singing voice in a small friendly introductory workshop.

Ready, steady, retire!

In this two-hour workshop, we will explore the pros and cons of retirement and find out how to combat isolation through forging new contacts and finding mental stimulus in a variety of ways from volunteering to lifelong learning.

Yoga for Deaf people

Discover enhanced energy - as you find space in your body to breathe and move a little more freely and with more awareness. This course will help to deepen your yoga, your inner strength and stamina for this wild world. We will draw on breathing practices (pranayama) and mudras to steady and calm the mind.

Drumming

A fun session in which you will explore different playing techniques and sounds on the various types of drums, exercising the body, mind and ears.

Acting for playfulness

Use acting exercises to explore playful spontaneity and relaxation.

Flower printing

Flower printing can be used in fabric or paper and it is also a very easy, fun and economical way to extract pigments from flowers, transfer shapes and make patterns and textures from natural dyestuff. It is great for those interested in exploring natural dyeing and printing techniques in a sustainable way.

Feldenkrais: mind-body connection through gentle movement

Learn how to reduce tension and move with more ease, and notice improvements in your mobility, posture, breathing, balance, coordination and quality of life. This course helps you to reconnect with how your body moves.

Why nature is good for your mental health 

Are you curious about how nature can support your well-being, even if you live in a busy city? Discover how nature can nurture your mental health with practical tips on how to slow down, reconnect with your senses and fully engage with the natural beauty that surrounds you.

French: sing for happiness

Let’s sing in French with a smile! Combine your love of singing with the French language in this fun workshop based on simple songs that French speakers learn as children. You do not need to speak French.

Chinese character: the balance of life

Get to know Chinese characters, beginning with the ancient ‘oracle bone script’, and understand their basics while exploring their roots in nature and tranquility.

Mindful touch for connection, comfort and calm

 Explore the art of gentle touch, combined with awareness and simple breathing techniques. Learn how to create a soothing sense of inner calm and relaxation, whilst remaining fully connected to your body.

You will have the opportunity to try out touch techniques (fully clothed), either on yourself and/or with others.

Sleep: improve your wellbeing

Sleep better, wake great! Sleeping well is about more than a comfortable bed; sometimes there are deeper reasons for a bad night. Examine the research and consider ways to make sleep work better for you.

A taste of creative writing

Give creative writing a try in this fun and supportive one-off taster session. Ideal if you want to unlock your imagination and express yourself, but need a bit of encouragement to get started.

Mosaics

 Join us for this introduction to the world of mosaics. Working with mosaics can be a mindful activity for many of our learners. The repetitive sequences of shaping and placing the tiles to form the final composition can be a meditative process that can help to focus and calm the mind. 

Mosaics 2

 Join us for this introduction to the world of mosaics. Working with mosaics can be a mindful activity for many of our learners. The repetitive sequences of shaping and placing the tiles to form the final composition can be a meditative process that can help to focus and calm the mind. 

Frazzled Meeting with City Lit Fellow Ruby Wax

 Join us for our Frazzled Cafe online meeting, hosted by Ruby Wax.

Frazzled Cafe meetings are designed to provide confidential and non-judgmental peer support, where people who are feeling overwhelmed by the stresses of life can talk openly, connect and feel heard.

History, memory and mental wealth: why we need to talk about empire

Formally, European imperialism ended decades ago. Yet, the different legacies still affect the world and many societies today. Join us for a discussion on why we need to talk about empire and mental wealth.