You can discover your inner artisan by attending our craft courses.
Craft is the art of making and requires particular skills and knowledge to carry out skilled work.
This hands on style of craftsmanship involves so many years of dedication in perfecting skills and individual style.
The term ‘crafts’ covers a whole host of different disciplines. From metalworking to jewellery making and bookbinding, but all involve the same handmade principle.
Crafts are an intrinsic part of our natural heritage so inspiration and creativity often rely on the nature around us.
What crafts can you discover on a Field Studies Council Craft Course?
Here’s just a few of the crafts you can hope to study when attending one of our craft courses.
Calligraphy Courses
Calligraphy is the beautiful art of writing and lettering with a pen, ink brush and other writing instruments.
Calligraphers can study different scripts and font styles and so It is a highly regarded art form.
It can be like learning the alphabet again from scratch. Learning and understanding how each letter is stylised and spaced so there is rhythm and harmony with other letters.
Calligraphy doesn’t need to be restricted to the colour black. Caligraphers also experiment with colour to add personality to their writing.
Discover a love for learning new skills like this on one of our craft courses.
Bookbinding Courses
The traditional craft of bookbinding uses various skills so as to physically assemble a book from individual sheets.
The process involves a multitude of techniques. These include: paper folding and cutting, through to sewing and lettering. Understanding the techniques of hand binding can help so you can develop a deeper insight into this rewarding craft.
This ancient technique can be dated back to the 5th century. Hand made books replaced the use of scrolls and wax tablets. Books were bound with hard covers and so sheets of parchment were folded and sewn into place.
The modern process of hand binding hasn’t ventured too far from original techniques.
The UK uses over 9.9 million tonnes of paper each year and so around 80% of that, we recycle. To put that into perspective of the environmental impact, one tonne of paper would take the wood of 24 trees.
The recycling of paper goes back many years, back to the 19th century in fact. Traditionally, households would leave out unwanted items for the ‘Rag and Bone’ man. This would include old rags so they could be converted into paper and animal bones for glue.
See what you could create and join us on one of our traditional craft courses.
Basket Weaving
Basket weaving is an ancient technique and actually predates pottery and stone carving. The original purpose for creating baskets was to carry and store materials.
These days basket weaving has become more of an art form. It’s a great way to engage with nature and the rural traditions of our ancestors.
Willow is the preferred material with its flexibility and how easy it is to manipulate. Other tools that are key for basket weaving include secateurs, a knife, a bodkin or hammer and pliers.
Discover our Range of Craft Courses at Field Studies Council
These courses are a great opportunity for novices and beginners to have a go and learn a new skill. Also, the more advanced artisan can try new techniques under the supervision of our expert tutors.
These craft courses take inspiration from the beautiful natural surroundings of our centres, and local wildlife. The landscape is abundant with flora and fauna, so let the UK’s nature and wildlife inspire your creativity.
Field Studies Council’s creative courses range from day art courses and longer craft weekends. We also offer week long art and craft holidays.
They do feature some studio time, but getting outdoors and immersing yourself in the natural landscape can have a whole host of benefits: creatively, mentally and fantastic for all-round well-being.
Our craft courses are more than just a learning experience. They are a chance to meet like-minded people and a chance to unwind from everyday life. You can experience the UK’s glorious countryside, a relaxing backdrop to your time away.
Our courses studying various craft techniques take place at some of our most inspiring locations, Flatford Mill in Suffolk, Slapton Ley in Devon and Bishops Wood in Worcestershire.
