Get yourself an education!

It's too late to think about making a New Year’s resolution, but it is never too late to learn a new skill. Take up a new hobby, interest or skill in 2010. We’ve trawled around for courses to improve you, your skills or just simply your soul.

Craft and practical skills courses and workshops

Have you always promised yourself some 'me time' to get to grips with a new skill? We've got all angles covered with our selection of groups , classes and workshops to get involved with. So, get wiggling your belly, tapping those feet, carving wood or stone or take to treading the boards.

Once upon a time - storytelling is a workshop for beginners or improvers developing a mounted story board, or a series of joiners (or windows) telling a story in Buxton, 4 Sept. £45
Do you want to try out pottery but don’t know where to start? This ten week Beginners Pottery evening class in Derby gives a thorough introduction to this fun and fascinating subject. £200
Fancy giving knitting a go? Come along to one of these FREE eight week courses and get the skills you need. Perfect for creating lovely winter woollies! Knitting for Beginners runs Tuesday afternoons from 5 October in Brimington, and Saturday mornings from 9 October in Holmewood
Jewellery & Metal practical workshops with Helen Domleo, Fridays 10.30 to 12.30pm & 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, £20 per week. Book in four week blocks.
A FREE Workshop from Film Nation : Shorts, a national project with London 2012 and Panasonic. One of the major Cultural Olympiad initiatives. This workshop will introduce you to Film-making, with the chance to have your film shown in the stadiums at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. 11 Sept.
One Day Photography Workshops run in Buxton on the 1st Sunday of every month, so check one of them out 5 September, 3 October, 7 November or 5 December
Join the Creative Crafts group in Mackworth Library every Friday for knitting, crocheting, sewing, and a good measure of nattering!
Go along and join in with the new Carnival Brass group at the Brunswick Pub in Derby for people aged 14 upwards. Band leader is Brandon O'Neill who leads the Melbourne Town Band who will introduce you to the delights of funk, reggae and ska amongst other musical styles to get you in the carnival mood this summer!! Instruments are not provided, so suitable for young people who already play an instrument to go along and get involved.
Also in Derby is a Choir group for those who are 16+ years. The Derby Georgian Choir meets every 4th Sunday of the month where you and your children can sing some amazing harmonies from Georgia and you can take part in an ancient singing tradition that is now classified as a World Heritage Artform!
Painting Course - Landscapes in Mixed Medium - Lewis Noble . 6 to 8 September. This is a 3 day painting course led by the local, professional artist Lewis Noble. The course will look at emotional responses to the landscape.
Classical Portraits in Oils - Emma Tooth. 2-3 November. 2 day painting course with award winning professional artist Emma Tooth. Booking essential.
Conventional & Unconventional pen, ink & watercolour techniques - Sue Sareen. 9-10 November . 2 day course with professional artist Sue Sareen. Subjects will mainly be based on rich Derbyshire Landscape - gardens, flowers, trees and shrubs.
Shape Note songs let us sing passionately about the beauty of the world and the struggles of life and death. Six workshops on Saturday mornings , open to all
SCART players are a Staveley based adult drama group (over 16s) They meet every Tuesday for those wanting an opportunity to participate in drama.
Learn to carve in wood then take home your chisels and enjoy creating your own pieces. These workshops are on going every Tuesday and can be joined at any time.
Tap Dancing for adults (16+) every Tuesday for fitness & fun - No examinations but opportunities for performance work
Matlock Artists Society holds a Portrait Group open to non-members on the first Wednesday of every month from 9.30am to 12noon in All Saints Church Hall, Smedley Street, Matlock. Just turn up!
Join a belly dance class in Belper.
There are Modern Jive Dance Lessons happening on Mondays and Thursdays .
Carving classes will give you a taste of the ancient craft of carving . Various dates.
Sculpting Stone - 2, 3 and 4 day stone sculpting workshops (from beginner to intermediate)
‘Handmade with love’ jewellery workshops in Tibshelf and surrounding areas introducing the use of different techniques in jewellery making.

Artform genre interest courses, lectures and workshops

On the 1st Sunday of the month each month, you can join a Drawing the Life Model Art Class at the Joseph Whitworth Centre in Darley Dale
Dinu Li Artist Talk : 2 September, Artist Dinu Li will be at QUAD to discuss his new and recent work.
Autumn Lecture Brunch - Elizabethan Wardrobe Revealed : Maureen Taylor guides you through the many layers of Elizabethan dress with the aid of her beautiful costumes.
25 September
Autumn Lecture Brunch - Elizabeth, Mary and Bess : David Templeman explores the lives of these three formidable women, whose stories continue to resonate through the centuries.
2 October
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: Art inspired by Wine , 13 October
Autumn Lecture Brunch - Elizabethan Music and Instruments : Helen Chambers returns to tell her wonderful tales of Elizabethan music and plays some more authentic songs on her vast array of Tudor musical instruments. 16 October
Autumn Lecture Brunch - Packhorses, Packroads and Drovers : Wendy Freer follows in the footsteps of jaggers, packhorses and drovers over windswept prehistoric ridgeways, down forgotten Holloways and paved causeways for a look at what they carried and how they operated. 30 October
Autumn Lecture Brunch - Elizabeth Woodville : Sally Henshaw explores the life of this often overlooked historical figure: Mother of 12, including the princes in the tower, and grandmother to Henry VIII. 6 November
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: The Great Twelve: an Introduction to the Senior Livery Companies of the City of London , 10 November
Autumn Lecture Brunch - Arabella Stuart : David Templeman examines the life of the girl raised to want for nothing, except freedom from her claustrophobic existence. 20 November
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: A Dickens of a Christmas , 8 December
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: Remembering Vaughan Williams , 12 January 2011
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: The Tradescants - Plant and Art Collectors of the 17th century , 9 Feb 2011
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: Art and the Garden : gardens as a symbol and setting in Art, from medieval to modern , 16 March 2011
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: Travels in Rajasthan with Rudyard Kipling , 13 April 2011
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: Chopping up the Chiffonier: the changing taste for Victoriana, 11 May 2011
Dove Valley Decorative and Fine Arts Lecture: Fun Palaces: The History and Architecture of the Entertainment Industry , 8 June 2011
Field Breaks: Art breaks offer a range of non-residential and residential art, craft, textiles and media workshops running over 2 - 3 days or a week throughout the year
Join Belper Book Chat on the 3rd Tuesday of every month
Forest Arts provides workshops at Rosliston Forestry Centre in various forms; watercolour painting, botanical painting, photography, drumming, singing for pleasure, drawing from the forest floor and more
Enjoy a literary lunch break! Come along and read (or listen to), historical fiction in a period setting on the 1st Monday of every month. Pickford's House Museum, Derby.
Buxton Writers Circle meets twice a month for those interested in writing stories, novels and poetry
Derby Scribes Writing Group meet the 1st Monday and the 3rd Monday of every month
Pickford's House Museum run an informal Reading Group on the 1st Monday of every month
Free access to over 100 e-courses from Creative Choices

Professional development

Keep your professional practice skills up to date. Also check out our Artists' and Arts Organisations' Training News page for many more opportunities.

The One small leap workshops run from 20 August to 1 October. The workshops offer free professional development workshops for artists and designers.
Become a volunteer trainer. If you are interested in attending a FREE volunteer training day and taking on a leading role, up-skilling members of your local volunteer network, then email for a job description and further information. 9 Sept in Derby
Digital photography workshop : Build photographic skills, knowledge of digital photography and photo editing, make the most of your digital camera (compact or SLR)
A HipHop Training for Dance Teachers course will be running to introduce the art of Street Dance, in Sheffield on 26 September
A course on the art of Break Dance will run 24 October, also in Sheffield by the Hype Dance Company
Junction Arts are offering an opportunity for practicing artists to extend and develop their solo practice , into the important arena of participatory work. A one day workshop will take place on 14th October 2010. Places are limited and by application. Deadline for Applications 6th September 2010
Facilitating With Ease runs 18 to 19 October. This two day course is aimed at experienced facilitators who wish to develop approaches and improve their skills. It focuses upon what happens when facilitation works well and what you can do to avoid pitfalls and difficulties.
Yoga for Dance and Performers is a Derby based class that meets every Thursday at 1pm and also Thursdays at 7.30pm , to help improve and enhance performance, during not only training and recovery but in performance potential also.
How to write and develop exceptional grant funding applications courses take place in July, August and September.
Painting Course with Hazel Lale - Harbour & Boats in Mixed Media. 7-8 October. 2 day painting course focusing on Harbour landscapes in Watercolour and mixed media. Not suitable for beginners.
Autumn Landscapes in Oils - Painting course with Andrew Macara . 18-19 October. 2 day painting course drawing on the inspirational Autumn landscapes of the Peak District. Suitable for improvers and experienced oil painters
Free access to over 100 e-courses from Creative Choices
'10 Steps To Event Delivery' is a 2 (or 1 intensive) day course for individuals and organisations that are planning to produce their own licensed event.
QuickSmART is for arts managers and leaders tasked with the strategic and organisational development of their organisation.
Creative Exchange - free training
Introduction to Print with Nicola Hingley, Leicester

For children

Acting Workshops for 13 to 18 year olds every Saturday in Derby. Regular professional acting workshops for those interested in the performing arts. Only with Oceantide Entertainments @ Deda, Derby.
In August the Wizard of Oz Musical Theatre Summer School will be running week-long courses during the summer holidays for 5-16 year olds. The first week-long course starts 2 August in Swadlincote and the second will take place week commencing 23 August. There are 40 places for each summer school course and the sessions, that run 9.30am-3.30pm each day culminate in an 'end of week show'. So, get your children packed off down the yellow brick road this summer!
Twistin' Tots is a fun mix of songs, rhymes, actions and props to educate young children and keep them entertained. Every Monday in Duffield , Tuesday at 10am in Matlock or 2pm in Belper , Wednesday in Ripley , or Fridays at 10am or 11.15am in Belper
Pyjama Drama provide young children with a drama programme that is fun, exciting, and which develops key social skills.
Dancebeats are dance classes around Derby for children aged 3-18 years old. Venues include Stepping Lane, Chellaston, Mickleover and Chaddesden.
Hey Diddle Diddle is an informal, relaxed and friendly music group/class for Babies, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers. Songs, actions, movement, percussion, musical development and bubbles! Every Monday,Wednesday and Thursday in Chesterfield.
Performing Arts classes for 3-17 years . Theatreworks in Matlock every Saturday
Derby Academy of Acting have Advanced acting classes for adults and young people between the ages of 11 and 18.
The Bakewell School of Dance and Arts have classes every Monday.
Roleplay Drama workshops for 5 to 11 year olds every Wednesday in Starkholmes near Matlock. Helping children to develop confidence and imagination.
Creation Station - Big fun for little people. Award Winning Children’s Creative Arts and Crafts Activity for 1-5 year olds in Mickleover every Tuesday

For the whole family

Weekly dance and drama classes for all ages and levels at Bakewell School of Dance & Theatre Arts including - Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Street, Under 5s creative Dance, Drama. Classes on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays
Cardmaking and papercrafts in Heanor every Tuesday evening
Join Artcore at Normanton Fire Station every Saturday for Clay N Glaze , experiment with clay and pot making.
Harlequin Arts run a Family studio craft session on the 2nd Saturday of every month

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