There’s no doubting that months spent at home in Lockdown has made people want to re-fresh and re-furbish their surroundings. Seeing a home furniture boom, and a demand in unique bespoke home furnishings, West Dean College of Arts and Conservation have recently launched a programme of 180 new short courses taking place between now and December 2021, which allow students the chance to make unique pieces, artwork and accessories for a truly individual interior.

As Rosemary Marley, Short Course Manager and Programmer at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation commented: “Nothing beats the sense of satisfaction of learning a new skill while making something you can enjoy using at home.”

While Jenny Gibbs OBE, Principal KLC School of Design noted: “Once again we are discovering the joy of colour, pattern, texture and individuality in interiors and these new short courses provide the perfect way to gain the skills to create original pieces for our homes”.

Forget mass produced. Ten courses to create unique home furnishings:
- October 1-3 – Mosaics for beginners and improvers with Martin Cheek (Beginners/intermediate £260)
- October 2 - Blacksmithing with Cara Wassenberg (Beginners/ £149)
- October 14 - Decorative marquetry – a wall clock face with Toby Winteringham (Beginners/Intermediate/ £145)
- October 24 - 26 - Make a fused glass panel with Martin Cheek (Suitable for all/ £301)
- November 3 - Mosaic mirror frame with Joanna Veevers (Suitable for all/ £136)
- November 4 – 7 - Chair seating with cane, rush, willow or cord with Rachael South (Suitable for all/ £401)
- November 19 - 21 - Basketmaking – an English squarework log basket with Stephen Caulfield (Intermediate/ £298)
- November 25 – 28 - Make simple furniture – for complete beginners with Tom Kealy (Beginners/ £397)
- December 3-5 - Marbling on paper, fabric and other materials with Louise Brockman (Intermediate/ £305)
- December 10-13 - Hand block-printing with natural dyes with Sarah Burns (Beginners/Intermediate/ £457)

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation has a wide variety of short courses available to all abilities covering a wide variety of crafts including textiles; pottery & ceramics; painting & drawing; metalwork, sculpture and gardening. They span from one to five days and range in price from £128 upwards. The College is a perfect place to escape and recharge, and the courses offer the opportunity to get hands on with arts and craft skills, as well as boost your wellbeing in the process. Set in the heart of the South Downs National Park, in a stunning location, the College’s rural setting makes it particularly attractive as more of us take the opportunity to reconnect with and discover the restorative power of the natural environment.

To ensure a safe and welcoming campus, the College has put in place measures operating on a principle of the same as, or better than, national guidelines. This includes social distancing, self-opening doors, and extensive cleaning and sanitising protocols to protect students and staff. For more details on Social Distancing and COVID-19 measures, please visit https://www.westdean.org.uk/coronavirus

For full details, plus information on accommodation, please visit www.westdean.ac.uk Bookings can be made online or by calling +44 (0)1243 818300.

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