New Season of Fantastic Classes and Workshops at Down Arts Centre

Down Arts Centre has an amazing line up of classes this January, from Beginners Dressmaking to Guitar and Pottery workshops; new workshops include Cake Decorating, Making Jewellery with Plastic and Fabric Birds.

New Year, New You! Are you looking to get fit? Then Dance Yourself Fit with Lesley Ann Craig is just the ticket. Starting Tuesday 12 January, for ten weeks, at 7.30pm – 8.30pm, this light hearted dance class will get the limbs limbered, brain moving and the fun flowing. Participants are sure to have a laugh.

Were you watching the ‘The Great British Throw Down’? Then this is for you! Current Artist In Residence, Helen Faulkner, is running a ten week pottery class, starting Tuesday 19 January from 7-9pm. Helen is also offering one-to-one pottery throwing sessions. These cost £75 for 1.5 hours and includes materials and firing. To book contact Helen directly on: helenfaulknerceramics@gmail.com.

One of our long standing tutors, Naomi Whan, is running several classes this term, a ten week beginners’ dressmaking course that starts Thursday 21 January from 10.30am-1pm and Love to Sew, again a ten week class commencing Friday 22 January from 10.30-1pm. Love to Sew gives step-by-step instructions, patterns and a fantastic selection of projects to sew.

On Thursday 21 January Lynda Kelly will be taking Patchwork classes from 7-9pm, whilst Paul McMordie, from OSSIA Music, will be helping budding musicians to pick their guitar strings with beginner’s classes starting at 6.30pm; improver’s lessons kick off at 7.30pm.

OSSIA MUSIC also brings Rock School to the Centre, Thursday 21 January from 4-6pm, 11-15 year olds can come and join a band. This is an opportunity improve skills on bass, drums, keyboard and vocals. Teens will learn to play in a band and write and original song.

If music is not your thing, then there will be pottery classes for 4-6 and 7-11 year olds with ceramicist Aine McKenna – no excuse for our younger people not to join in on the fun!

Storytelling and image-making workshop uses well known stories and inspires the children to retell these stories through art, by making mini theatres, cartoons, masks and mobile. The storytelling workshops suitable for 7-11year olds are run by Lisa Murray. These workshops begin on Saturday 23 January.

For further information on any of the above events, please contact the Down Arts Centre box office on 028 4461 0747. The complete Down Arts Centre programme is available at www.downartscentre.com