Courses at Brantwood

Revisiting Ruskin's Elements of Drawing

with Patrick Corbett

Practical art workshops that explore Ruskin’s ideas on drawing and painting. Varied subject matter inspired by Brantwood house and gardens. Learn techniques in using watercolour, gouache, graphite chisel points, ink and crayons.

Suitable for all levels. All materials provided.

1 day workshops: 20 April, 25 May, 15 June, 17 August & 21 September

£45 per person per workshop (10% discount for 4 or more sessions)

3 day workshop: 6-8 July

£125 per person

5 day workshop: 8-12 October

£205 per person

Pre-booking is essential

more details

Illuminated Lettering

with Patrick Corbett

The workshops are intended as an introduction to producing original interpretations of traditional illuminated lettering and Celtic artwork patterns. After studying a selection of examples, participants will be directed on how to create simple knot work, key patterns, animals and plants that can be incorporated in designs using preformed templates.

Suitable for all levels. All materials provided.

1 day workshops: 11 May, 27 July, 31 August

£45 per person per workshop

Pre-booking is essential

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Painting the Flowers of Ruskin's Garden

with Kate Houghton

Bring along your watercolours for a weekend painting the flora of Ruskin’s garden. Tuition in watercolour technique will be given through demonstration and simple exercises designed to build up speed and accuracy giving the complete beginner confidence to produce a successful painting. Equipped with the basics you will be free to wander the gardens to search out your own subject, or if preferred you can draw from a selection of plants made available in the Studio.

Suitable for all levels.

2 day course: 28-29 July

£145 per person

includes lunch and refreshments

Pre-booking is essential

Residential option available

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Gardening: Battle or Balance?

with Sally Beamish

Having problems coming to terms with your garden? Discover how to work harmoniously with your land by identifying its own essential elements and your particular expectations as a gardener.

1 day course: 16 April 2012

£45 per person

includes refreshments

Pre-booking is essential

Biodynamic gardening – what in Heaven’s name…?

with Sally Beamish

Looking for something new in gardening? An action-packed introduction to extreme-organic gardening – working with Nature’s rhythms and cycles to create a vibrant and truly delicious garden.

All materials will be provided. 

1 day course: 22 May 2012

£45 per person

includes refreshments

Pre-booking is essential

Learning from the Land

with Sally Beamish

How to understand the history of a piece of land by reading the clues both of man and nature. This will inform us about how we might best work that land today. Resources to help you become a landscape detective will be provided.

1 day workshop: 27 June 2012

£45 per person

includes refreshments

Pre-booking is essential

Mowing in the Modern World

with Steve Tomlin / Paul Kingsnorth

Learn to use a scythe to manage grassland, mow lawns, control weeds and bracken, and more. A full introduction to the art and craft of scything in the modern world, with two experienced tutors. All equipment provided, plus a chance to buy your own scythe kit at the end of the weekend.

2 day workshop: 14-15 July 2012

£170 per person

includes refreshments, lunch and an evening talk on 14th July

Pre-booking is essential

Residential option available

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Gardening Posers

with Sally Beamish

Problem-solving in the garden.
Discover fresh ways to prune with confidence, to know & name your plants and to cope with their dis-ease.

1 day workshop: 24 August 2012

£45 per person

includes refreshments

Pre-booking is essential

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Creativity and the Spirit: creative writing with poetry

with Geraldine Green

Through a variety of writing exercises, this poetry workshop allows time and space for the imagination to explore, invent and roam. As well as producing new work, we will also spend time on feedback and editing, and host an evening of poetry reading for course participants and tutor. Some sessions will take place outdoors.

22-24 June 2012

2pm Friday 22nd until 2pm Sunday 24th June

£212 per person

Includes refreshments, lunch on Saturday & Sunday, dinner on Friday & Saturday

Pre-booking is essential.

Residential option available

more details

Cleft Oak Hurdles and Gates

with Owen Jones

An opportunity to make small border hurdles and larger gate hurdles or garden gates which can be to the participant's design and dimensions. No previous experience of green woodworking is necessary.

Starting with oak logs in the round, you will learn the basic techniques of splitting and cleaving using axes, wedges and froes. Techniques are taught to shave the clefts with a draw knife and how to use simple mortice and tenon joints. Only hand tools will be used.

2 day course: 16-17 June 2012

9.30am until 5.00pm

£160 per person

includes refreshments and lunch

Pre-booking is essential.

Residential option available

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Living Ruskin

with Richard Lemmey

What would happen if we adopted Ruskin's ideas in our lives today? Experience the landscape and natural world that affected Ruskin so strongly at Brantwood and explore those aspects of life that absorbed him so much - wealth, value, social justice, ethics and spirituality. Making use of the landscape, craft and observation, we will explore Ruskin's ideas from a current perspective and examine how we might adjust our lives as individuals and as members of organisations.

14 - 16 September 2012

4.30pm Friday 14th until 2pm Sunday 16th September

£312 per person (includes accommodation and all meals)

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Poetry in Architecture

with Professor Hendrik Louw

Ruskin's first book on architecture sets an appropriate, open-ended framework for exploring his ideas on the subject, past and present. The course will involve seminars and debates and include visits to both historic and modern buildings in the Lakes of exceptional quality in terms of design and craftsmanship.

1 - 5 October 2012

4.30pm Monday 1st to 2pm Friday 5th October

£490 per person (includes accommodation and all meals)

more details

Horse Power

with George Reid

An introduction to the practical potential of horse logging in sustainable woodland management.

1 day workshop: 2 April 2012

Max. 6 keen 'students'

To book contact North of England Civic Trust.
Email skills@nect.org.uk

The Craft of the Coppice Wood

with Peter Wright

A chance to try the practical skills of managing, harvesting and utilising the products of a coppice wood.

1 day workshop: 2 March 2012

Max. 8

To book contact North of England Civic Trust.
Email skills@nect.org.uk