West Dean College is partnering with East Beach Café to put creativity on the menu with exclusive creative workshops this spring, followed by a delicious lunch. Specialist tutors from the College will be teaching art, textiles and photography sessions on 11, 18 and 25 March at the award-winning café on the beach at Littlehampton. East Beach Café's reputation for excellence in design and food complements West Dean and makes the ideal partnership. Just a short journey away, near Chichester, West Dean runs over 700 short courses in arts, crafts, gardening, music and more each year and offers an outreach programme at locations in the south east.

"I invited West Dean College to come to Littlehampton because I love the way they nurture and develop people's creative energy and I am sure anyone who joins us will gain a great deal of inspiration from the opportunity to work with them inside our world famous Thomas Heatherwick building," says Jane.

It was to help re-assert the importance of the British seaside town for visitors and local people that Littlehampton residents, Jane Wood and Sophie Murray, decided to replace their kiosk selling chips, burgers and ice-cream, with a new café building and asked the Heatherwick Studio to design East Beach Café, which opened in 2007. The steel building was made by local wel ders, Ernie Bayley and Dave Bowness. It has since won more than twenty national and international awards for design, architecture, steelwork, craftsmanship and engineering.

Wednesday 11 March

Decorative textile fish with Ginny Farquhar & Alice Butcher. Choose from a beautiful range of recycled fabrics and trimmings to create your very own beaded fish decoration.

Wednesday 18 March

Watercolour painting with Christine Forbes, Learn how to mix washes and experiment with colour. We do a little drawing and you complete a small painting of your own. The day's weather may become part of your finished work!

Wednesday 25 March

Light & Composition in Photography with Roy Matthews Discover the secrets of light and composition, this practical workshop will help you achieve consistently good images regardless of your subject matter or camera.

All workshops: 10.30am - Noon. Lunch at 12.15pm. Adult £30 including all materials, a two-course lunch and a drink.

To book your place telephone 01903 731903 or email [email protected]. www.eastbeachcafe.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information about Short Courses at West Dean College and to browse the digital brochure visit www.westdean.org.uk. First time bookings receive a 10% discount telephone bookings only call +44 (0)1243 818300.

West Dean has a commitment to providing access to education in the creative arts. From its own funds and with the support of generous donations from a number of trusts and individuals, the College can offer bursaries to people who could not otherwise afford to study on a short course.

-ends-

Notes to editors

• West Dean College outreach events in 2015 include; a mixture of workshops and demonstrations at Living Crafts, Hatfield House (7 - 10 May) and a showcase of original artwork by the College's printmakers including Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Visual Arts and Short Course students at the Printmakers' Exhibition, Oxmarket Centre of Arts, Chichester (3 - 15 March).
• West Dean College is part of The Edward James Foundation which also comprises West Dean Gardens, West Dean Estate and the West Dean Tapestry Studio. Charity No. 1126084.
• West Dean College is internationally renowned for teaching in the School of Conservation (Books, Ceramics, Clocks, Furniture and Metalwork) and the School of Creative Arts (Visual Arts, Creative Writing and Publishing, and Making Stringed Musical Instruments). The College recently announced a new Visual Arts Scholarship in Tapestry and Textile Art for 2015/16. For more details visit www.westdean.org.uk
• All photography is free to use for editorial purposes.
• Any journalist interested in visiting the Gardens, attending a course or an event for news or review purposes or filming opportunities at West Dean should contact the Media Relations team.
• West Dean College is situated on the A286, six miles north of Chichester and six miles south of Midhurst.