Evening & Weekend Courses, Scotland 2016

It's time to learn something new, and there are many, many opportunities to do so across the country. Try a new language, make jewellery, or find out exactly what Jahrobics is

Feature by Adam Benmakhlouf | 12 Jan 2016

Happy new year, all you lifelong learners. It’s a new year, and promises come of a new you, too. How does this come about? Evening and weekend classes are a material, straightforward way to make yourself much more interesting and therefore attractive to yourself and others.

Go back to uni

If you’re looking for range and value for money, there are many, many leisure to intermediate to vocational courses at City of Glasgow College, as well as Strathclyde University nearby. From fine art ceramics, to language classes or introduction to web design and web authoring, there’s a fine range. Running for up to 15 weeks, this also brings the average cost of class below most other places.

There’s more of an academic slant to the short courses offered by Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow Universities. A few of the broad subject headings include Philosophy, Literature, Science, History of Art, as well as some practical art courses and Film Studies.

Learn printmaking

Scotland is currently enjoying a strong printmaking culture, evidenced by plenty of opportunities to learn printmaking techniques, whether etching, lithography or screenprinting. With a history steeped in the democratisation of the original artwork and radical political publications, printmaking’s based on being able to make repeats from inked up metal plates, or pushed through screens with a stencil on them.

If you like making art in a collective and mutually educational environment, head to one of the printmaking studios across the country, whether it’s Edinburgh Printmakers, Glasgow Print Studio, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Highland Print Studio (Inverness) and Peacock Visual Arts (Aberdeen).

Study dance

Otherwise, for the movers and shakers there are Jahrobics in Glasgow, every Monday night in The Art School. This one’s delivered by the dance collective Glasgow Open Dance Studio, or the G.O.D.S. for short. Every week from 6.15-7.15pm they break down dance routine inspired by a mix-up different dance traditions from around the world. Highly recommended for people that like health but would prefer to laugh loads than commit to humourless gym visits.

Become a photographer

For the budding photography enthusiast, see Stills in Edinburgh or the Glasgow Print Studio. Both have evening and weekend classes covering all things photography-related, from cutting edge digital techniques to old school analogue.

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Learn to sculpt

Between Glasgow Sculpture Studios and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, a huge range of different modelling, casting and craft techniques are being taught. Usually presented by practising artists, these classes provide a lively and informed introduction not just to the technique, but all the creative possibilities of the medium in question. These tend to have shorter, more intensive runs, so are ideal for anyone who can’t commit to too many evenings.

Become a jeweller

Or maybe you like especially well-made things, or would like to make a gift that’s got some technical knowhow behind it. Try Vanilla Ink (Glasgow) or Process Studios (Edinburgh) for jewellery making, more design-oriented printing, enamelling and glass workshops. Most of these classes are oversubscribed, so make sure to keep an eye on the class lists being released if the one you’re interested in has sold out.

Learn a language

And last but not least, if you’d like to no longer be an example of the cliched loudmouthed pointing Brit abroad, there are language classes. Part of an international network of Goethe Instituts, in Park Circus in Glasgow this institution offers a range of German language and culture courses. For similar in Edinburgh, there are the French and Italian Institutes.

Maybe you’ll learn to conjugate so irregular verbs, how to pickle an egg, or it could just be the start of a brand new lifelong pursuit. But most of all, enjoy having a substantial answer to, 'What you been up to lately?'

See the individual websites of mentioned venues for further details on course dates and prices