Short courses London

Unleash your creativity and explore your passion for art with our inspiring new range of short courses at our London campus in Bloomsbury.

Immerse yourself in a world of artistic expression with our short art courses for beginners to advanced learners in painting, drawing, printmaking, textiles, creative writing and photography. Study under the guidance of skilled, expert tutors from our state-of-the-art studios in the heart of central London at our new Bloomsbury campus.

"The course was an excellent experience. Katie did a wonderful job of creating a calm and friendly environment in which to explore creativity. I do not draw routinely, and the class was just the right level of challenging to help me to push myself."
Lucy, Mark Making & Meditation.

Find your course

Art courses in London

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Discover our range of short courses in art, craft, design and conservation at our new London campus
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Craft courses London

Basket making & willow weaving

Basketry, willow weaving and chair seating
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Bookbinding Calligraphy & Paper

Bookbinding Calligraphy & Paper art
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Interior Design

Fundamentals of designing for residential interiors, covering the design process, putting together a design scheme and more
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Multi-Disciplinary Art

Enrich your techniques and push the boundaries of contemporary practice
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Printmaking courses London

Printmaking

Monotype printing, Japanese woodblock, embossing and more
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Surrealism short courses

Surrealism

Explore the magic and beauty of the unexpected and unconventional with this collection of short courses
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Creative writing short courses London

Writing

Crime writing, fiction writing, editing and publishing
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Travel & transport

Our London campus is located in the heart of Bloomsbury and offers excellent travel links.

Travel by public transport
Tube stations: Russell Square, Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street and Euston Square.
Mainline stations: King's Cross/St Pancras and Euston
Bus stops: Russell Square or Goodge Street
Plan your journey with the Transport for London journey planner.

Travel by car
Our Bloomsbury campus is within the central London Congestion Charge zone. There are no parking facilities on campus. The nearest NCP car parks can be found at Woburn Place and Bloomsbury Place, for which additional charges apply.
Plan your journey with Google Maps

Address
West Dean College, Dilke House, 1 Malet St, London WC1E 7JN

FAQs

WHAT COURSE LEVEL AM I?

Beginners 
Starting point. For those with little or no experience who want to go back to basics and would like a structured introduction to a subject.

Intermediate
Skills development. For those who have taken a related course or have some existing skills. The focus is on further developing and building of skills working towards independent practice.

Advanced
Creative development. For the more experienced who want to expand skills, develop their own practise and are open to working intensively to achieve their maximum potential.

Suitable for all
A subject focused course that is delivered to suit any level of experience from beginner to advanced practitioner. A structured start is followed by guided independent practice.

WHERE DO I GO WHEN I ARRIVE?

Entry and exit are through the main college door. Please read your confirmation email for the exact start time of the course. We advise all students to arrive 30 minutes prior to the course starting to allow for check in at the student welcome desk.

WILL I BE GIVEN A SAFTEY INDUCTION BEFORE MY COURSE?

Yes. The tutor will give a course induction once you’ve reached the workshop. Each workshop has its own safe method of working, which is based on equipment, the nature of the course, and the facilities in the workshop. Your tutor will explain these as part of the course induction, along with other safety matters.

WILL THERE BE REFRESHMENTS?

Tea and Coffee are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are plenty of local venues to purchase food locally, if needed, though we recommend that you bring a packed lunch.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FEEL UNWELL THROUGHOUT MY COURSE?

If you feel unwell at any time during your course, please let our friendly Student Welcome Team know at the front desk as soon as possible, and they will be able to assist you with the next steps. 

WHAT DO I DO IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY COURSE AT SHORT NOTICE?

Please contact the booking office by email at: [email protected] and refer to our cancellation terms and conditions.

REUSABLE CUP LOAN

We are making lots of changes towards being a more sustainable business. One of these is removing single-use paper cups for tea and coffee from our refreshment areas. We encourage students to bring their own reusable cups – and if you don’t already have one, you can purchase a reusable West Dean cup from our front desk or take advantage of our 'Loan a Cup' scheme.

Loan a Cup
A fully refundable £6 deposit is required when loaning a cup. Deposits must be paid by card. (No cash is held on the premises.) Full refunds for cup loans will be given provided the cup is returned in good condition with no missing parts. Ask our Student Welcome team for more details.

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

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