Creative classes and Craft Workshops for Summer at West Dean - photo credit Thom Atkinson

Creative classes for Summer
1 June 2025 to 31 August 2025

Elevate your creative skills this summer! West Dean offers a delightful array of creative classes and craft workshops in summer, perfect for everyone from absolute beginners to those looking to explore a new skill.

Whether you're searching for beginner creative classes to dip your toes into the world of making, or seeking inspiring summer craft workshops across London and Sussex, you'll find an enriching environment here at West Dean.

If you have specific summer months in mind, check out our variety of creative classes throughout June, July, and August.

Why not turn your course into a creative retreat? Book a beautiful period room at our Sussex campus and enjoy an art short break with friends or family. Plus, with West Dean Gardens right on your doorstep, you'll find extra inspiration in the stunning colours during your stay.

Give the gift of creativity to someone special this Summer with a Short Course gift voucher.  They can be used in full or as part-payment on all of our Short Courses and make the ideal experience gift for all ages.

Monotype printmaking – direct drawing

2 Jun 2026 | London
Booking closed
Tutor: Caroline Wendling |
Suitable for all
£140

Weave a small tapestry using a nail frame

4 to 7 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Justine Randall |
Suitable for all
£600

Botanical colourants from local plant pigments

4 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Lucy Mayes |
Suitable for all
£165

One day silversmithing workshop

5 Jun 2026 | West Dean
2 places available
Tutor: Julian Stephens |
Suitable for all
£196

Woodturning for beginners

5 to 7 Jun 2026 | West Dean
1 place available
Tutor: Stefano Santilli |
Beginners
£474

Creative papermaking – emboss, layer and cast

5 to 8 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Lucy Baxandall |
Suitable for all
£620

Experimental drawing, collage and painting from natural forms

5 to 8 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Joe Packer |
Beginners/Intermediate
£607

Enamelling on silver – an introduction

5 to 7 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Amanda Zoe |
Suitable for all
£459

FF&E Mastery – for Interior Designers

6 to 20 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Wendy Cooper |
Intermediate
£420

Stitched stories, drawings and marks

6 to 7 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Jessie Chorley |
Suitable for all
£270

Figure sculpture in clay

7 to 10 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Arabella Brooke |
Beginners/Intermediate
£693

Making automata

7 to 12 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Fi Henshall |
Suitable for all
£999

Silk painting with vibrant colour and pattern

8 to 9 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Hilary Simon |
Suitable for all
£335

Kantha quilting embroidery – making tactile memories

11 to 14 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Lynn Setterington |
Suitable for all
£590

Make a fused glass panel

11 Jun 2026 | West Dean
2 places available
Tutor: Martin Cheek |
Suitable for all
£228

Mosaics for beginners and improvers

11 to 14 Jun 2026 | West Dean
2 places available
Tutor: Martin Cheek |
Beginners/Intermediate
£598

Contemporary painting – abstracting the landscape

11 to 14 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Full - join waitlist
Tutor: Steve Humble |
Intermediate/Advanced
£590

Watercolour painting – dynamic dappled light

12 to 15 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Christine Forbes |
Intermediate
£596

Raku – throwing, decorating and firing

12 to 18 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Full - join waitlist
Tutor: Tim Andrews |
Intermediate/Advanced
£1,486

Textile basketry – with stitching and loops

12 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Mary Crabb |
Beginners
£135

Writing from life: autobiography, biography and creative non-fiction

12 to 14 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Hannah Vincent |
Suitable for all
£401

Photoshop Essentials for Interior Designers and Other Disciplines

13 to 14 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Federica Capitani |
Beginners/Intermediate
£275

Planning and planting a scented garden

13 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Annie Guilfoyle |
Suitable for all
£192

Perspective drawing for interiors

13 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Natalie Arnold |
Beginners/Intermediate
£145

Monotype printmaking – layers and colours

16 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Caroline Wendling |
Suitable for all
£140

Acrylic paint workshop

17 to 19 Jun 2026 | West Dean
1 place available
Tutor: Claire Chandler |
Suitable for all
£454

Carve a greenwood pocket spoon

17 Jun 2026 | London
Full - join waitlist
Tutor: Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell |
Beginners/Intermediate
£135

Vibrant machine stitched and collaged textiles

19 to 21 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Imogen Bittner |
Suitable for all
£424

Visible mending for knitted fabrics

19 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Sarah Elwick |
Beginners
£200

Simple furniture making – beginners

19 to 22 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Tom Kealy |
Beginners
£599

Abstract painting – the next level

19 to 22 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Robert Sosner |
Intermediate/Advanced
£596

Blacksmithing – an introduction

20 to 21 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Andrew Smith |
Beginners
£490

Paper quilts

20 Jun 2026 | London
Full - join waitlist
Tutor: Maria Thomas |
Suitable for all
£130

Creative Non-fiction – true stories

20 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Jacq Molloy |
Beginners/Intermediate
£125

Ceramic glazes – exploring colour

21 to 25 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Kyra Cane |
Intermediate/Advanced
£809

General silversmithing

21 to 26 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: John Norgate |
Intermediate/Advanced
£932

Botanical painting – the summer garden in ink and watercolour

21 to 23 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Full - join waitlist
Tutor: Sandrine Maugy |
Suitable for all
£407

Drawing in the landscape – pattern and rhythm

22 to 25 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Rosie MacCurrach |
Suitable for all
£593

Painting portraits in oils for beginners

22 to 23 Jun 2026 | London
2 places available
Tutor: Zara Drummond |
Beginners
£325

Introduction to marbling for paper, textiles and leather book arts

23 to 26 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Rachel O'Connell |
Intermediate
£666

Monotype printmaking – chine collé and transfers

25 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Caroline Wendling |
Suitable for all
£145

Woven textiles and expressive basketry

27 to 28 Jun 2026 | London
Full - join waitlist
Tutor: Joanne Lamb |
Beginners
£265

Writing the short story

27 Jun 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Jacq Molloy |
Suitable for all
£125

Introduction to portrait heads in terracotta

27 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Jon Edgar |
Beginners
£220

Life drawing – introduction

28 Jun 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Sarka Darton |
Beginners
£225

Japanese woodcut printmaking

2 to 5 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Akiko Fujikawa |
Suitable for all
£648

Jewellery making for beginners

2 to 5 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Hendrike Barz-Meltzer |
Beginners
£640

Portrait painting in oils

3 to 5 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Allan Ramsay |
Suitable for all
£466

iPad Procreate landscapes

4 to 5 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Philip Tyler |
Suitable for all
£399

Conservation of Historic Concrete

13 to 16 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
£1,491

Ash splint basket weaving

13 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Michelle Mateo |
Beginners/Intermediate
£266

SketchUp – for Interior Design

13 to 15 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Hitesh Maroo |
Beginners/Intermediate
£400

Connecting to land – observational sketchbook practice

17 to 19 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Susie Koren |
Suitable for all
£404

The Gardening Year at West Dean – Summer

17 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Tom Brown |
Beginners
£193

Watercolour – a beginner’s guide

20 to 22 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Susie Hunt |
Beginners
£441

How to build your interior design business

23 to 30 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Hana Clode |
Beginners/Intermediate
£275

Interior design for small spaces

23 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Kate Barlow |
Beginners/Intermediate
£155

Gelli-plate printing: imprint, mask and image transfer

23 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Jane Fox |
Suitable for all
£155

Mythical figurative painting

24 to 30 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: George Popesco |
Suitable for all
£1,416

Watercolour painting 'en plein air'

24 to 30 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Brian Smith |
Intermediate/Advanced
£1,365

Sculpting a half life-size figure in plaster

24 to 30 Jul 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Anna Gillespie |
Suitable for all
£1,609

Bookbinding – Japanese Stab Bindings

24 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Amy Kitcherside |
Beginners
£150

Lighting workshop for residential interiors

27 to 28 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Rebecca Weir |
Beginners/Intermediate
£435

Celebrating Constable: Landscape painting and observation in nature

29 to 30 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Estelle Lovatt |
Suitable for all
£295

Printmaking – surface and technique

31 Jul 2026 to 6 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Ralph Overill |
Beginners/Intermediate
£1,340

Surrealist bronze candlesticks

31 Jul 2026 to 6 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Necole Schmitz |
Suitable for all
£1,551

Shibori techniques for textiles

31 Jul 2026 to 6 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Rob Jones |
Beginners/Intermediate
£1,322

Twined Pod forms with spiral patterns

31 Jul 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Mary Crabb |
Beginners/Intermediate
£140

Vibrant watercolour painting

2 to 3 Aug 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Hilary Simon |
Intermediate/Advanced
£265

Stone carving – fantastic fish and shiny shells

7 to 13 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Paula Haughney |
Suitable for all
£1,332

Drawing to painting in oils – the figure in summer

7 to 13 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Tim Patrick |
Intermediate/Advanced
£1,440

Hybrid printmaking

7 to 13 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Mary Dalton |
Suitable for all
£1,338

Botanical French beading – Rudbeckia

9 Aug 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Holly Parr |
Suitable for all
£155

Make cordage from plant fibres

13 Aug 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell |
Beginners/Intermediate
£130

Printmaking – linocut beginners

14 Aug 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Lorenzo Davitti |
Suitable for all
£145

Collagraph printmaking

14 to 16 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Joanna Veevers |
Beginners/Intermediate
£423

Coiled basketry, using rope and string

15 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Mary Crabb |
Beginners
£203

Expressive watercolour landscapes

17 to 20 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Louisa Boyd |
Suitable for all
£619

Upholstery – a modern footstool

17 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Lucy Thomas |
Suitable for all
£269
Alison Sandeman

Practical glazing day

18 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Alison Sandeman |
Suitable for all
£201

The creative self – finding your power

20 to 23 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Veronique Maria |
Suitable for all
£625

Design, carve, print and make your own lampshade

20 to 23 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Moji Salehi |
Beginners
£404

Persian and Indian miniature painting with gilding

20 to 23 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Vaishali Prazmari |
Suitable for all
£631

Designing your own garden

21 to 24 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Annie Guilfoyle |
Suitable for all
£590

Damascus steel making

23 to 27 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: John Mosse |
Suitable for all
£966

Fibre art basketry

23 to 28 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Tim Johnson |
Suitable for all
£962

Landscape to studio - drawing to painting at West Dean

23 to 28 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Nick Bodimeade |
Intermediate/Advanced
£957

Styling for the Home

25 Aug 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Joanna Thornhill |
Suitable for all
£190

Practical gardening skills: Summer fruit tree pruning

26 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Tom Brown |
Suitable for all
£83

Interior design for small spaces

27 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Kate Barlow |
Beginners/Intermediate
£221

Painting trees and woodland in oils

28 to 30 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Tom Benjamin |
Suitable for all
£406

Illustrated maps – with pen, wash and lettering

28 to 31 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Helen Scholes |
Suitable for all
£598

Stitched textiles – reclaimed landscape

29 Aug 2026 | London
Places available
Tutor: Cas Holmes |
Suitable for all
£130

Print your own textile collection

30 Aug 2026 to 3 Sep 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Justyna Medon |
Suitable for all
£799

Porcelain – throwing and turning

31 Aug 2026 to 3 Sep 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Jo Davies |
Intermediate/Advanced
£656

Hand-pleated scarf - fabric manipulation techniques

31 Aug 2026 | West Dean
Places available
Tutor: Nawal Gebreel |
Beginners/Intermediate
£210