Come to The Winterbourne Press to be guided through the fascinating art of printing.
Starting with choosing the right font for the job and going right through to taking a ‘pull’ for your first printing image, this short day course is a wonderful introduction suitable for any adult with an interest in the subject.
All equipment is provided, but please wear clothes you don’t mind getting slightly dirty and if you have any mobility issues let us know so that we can ensure that we can accommodate you.
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased from the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
Our courses are suitable for 18 years or above.
Calling all young artists 4-12 years - join us each Sunday and get creative! Learn from our team of experienced artist educators and try a new skill or technique each week using top quality, artist-grade materials and equipment. Explore the galleries, get inspired, create your own artwork and make friends!
Why not join our monthly book club for a stimulating and informal discussion of books that link to the Barber’s magnificent collection and the themes its works explore?
The ever popular Barber Book Club continues throughout the year, exploring literature related to themes within our permanent collection and temporaryexhibitions. We welcome ideas from participants for future book club sessions.
09/01/18 - On Beauty - Zadie Smith
13/02/18 - Autumn - Ali Smith
13/03/18 - The Song of the Lark - Willa Cather
10/04/18 - The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
Join Darren Rudge, one of our RHS course tutors, for a garden design masterclass.
Over six weeks Darren will teach you all the elements you need to create an effective garden design. In a mixture of lectures and practical workshops you will learn the basic techniques in the design and construction of gardens.
This course will take place on Thursdays from 10am – 2pm on the following dates: 16th, 23rd and 30th August, 6th, 13th and 20th September.
Darren has spent his career delivering and managing horticultural and other land based qualifications as well as running a successful garden design consultancy. He was one of the first recipients of the City and Guilds medal of excellence, awarded for his teaching and training. He works as a quality assurance coordinator for a number of organisations, ensuring standards are maintained. Darren regularly has articles published in the gardening press and is the permanent gardening expert for BBC WM 95.6 in the West Midlands, and was nominated for a garden media guild award in 2016. Darren’s enthusiastic approaches to teaching and garden design aim to inspire and motivate, and are developed to make learning both enjoyable and progressive.
Join artist and tutor Adrian Clamp at Winterbourne House and Garden. Adrian will provide guidance on compositional selection, colour mixing and application, demonstrations and advice throughout the day. You may use naturalistic colour and tones or vibrant gestural colour to record the shapes and texture of your chosen scene at Winterbourne. The garden is a terrific source of inspiration for artists and visitors.
This workshop is suitable for painters with some experience, and is a great opportunity to learn more.
All painting materials are provided, but you should bring an easel and portable stool for use around the garden. Please wear clothing which can get paint on, and dress for the weather. The house and garden at Winterbourne are accessible, but as garden surfaces are uneven, please contact us if you have any queries about access.
Pre-booking is essential, tickets can be purchased in the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
Our courses are suitable for 18 years or above.
This introductory workshop, delivered by a member of the Empowering CoachingTM team at the University of Birmingham, provides opportunities for coaches and individuals delivering sport sessions to understand the principles behind Empowering CoachingTM. Equipped with this knowledge, you will be challenged to re-evaluate common practices when coaching. You will have opportunity to interact with other workshop attendees to enhance your own existing motivational climate and to develop new strategies to help you create a more empowering environment in training and competition.
Birmingham Heritage Week talks
Delve into the Barber’s past in in this 90 minute walk and talk and find out how the Barber came to be.
Learn about our founders, Sir Henry and Lady Barber, explore our wonderful art deco architecture and take a look at some of the very first purchases that started our collection back in the 1930s.
This introductory workshop, delivered by a member of the Empowering CoachingTM team at the University of Birmingham, provides opportunities for coaches and individuals delivering sport sessions to understand the principles behind Empowering CoachingTM. Equipped with this knowledge, you will be challenged to re-evaluate common practices when coaching. You will have opportunity to interact with other workshop attendees to enhance your own existing motivational climate and to develop new strategies to help you create a more empowering environment in training and competition.
Be inspired by the wonderful array of handmade papers in our summer exhibition- it’s paper but not as you know it.
Led by expert papermaker and book artist Lucy Baxandall, this one-day course you will teach you the basic skills required to make sturdy sheets of sized cotton-rag paper suitable for drawing and other media.
You can also add your own embellishments and will go home with a collection of sheets to dry and use for your own projects.
All materials provided. Beginners welcome!
The Barber is home to more than 800 drawings and prints, pastels and watercolours by many great artists including Rembrandt, Turner, Matisse and Picasso. Find out more and view these stunning works close up in our 30 minute ‘On Paper’ talks.
Love art? Aged 13 – 15 years? Want to see amazing artworks, be inspired by real artists and try out new ideas?
Come along to our twilight workshops? Learn new art skills to impress your friends and art class back at school.
Create a sumptuous botanically detailed portrait of orchard fruits: apples, plums or pears.
This friendly and informative workshop is suitable for the complete beginner or those wishing to further develop their current skills. We start with a simple drawing in pencil then move onto using a variety of watercolour techniques. This workshop includes group demonstrations and individual tuition throughout the day. Beginners will come away with valuable hands-on experience and an understanding of the botanical art process while more advanced students will enjoy working with a variety of subject matter.
Pre-booking is essential, tickets can be purchased via the Book Now button on this page or in the Winterbourne shop.
Jeni will provide a variety of fruits (but if you have any from your own garden, do please bring them along). A sheet of hot pressed watercolour paper will be provided free of charge to all participants. However if you have a preferred paper, you are welcome to bring that instead. A selection of reasonably priced brushes will be available to purchase on the day. Jeni will also provide watercolour paints if required.
Materials required:
“The instruction was brilliant” – participant at Jeni’s workshop at Winterbourne in July 2017.
Our courses are suitable for 18 years or above.
Following the popularity of this course when it was offered in May, we have scheduled another date for those who missed out the first time.
Learn how to cut and work with a wide range of coloured and textured glass. During the day you will learn how to cut glass and glue it onto a pattern of your own design or from a sample provided to produce a lovely glass appliqué panel. The grouting process will be discussed with a demonstration as this may need to be completed at home when the piece is fully dry. You will learn how to safely use the specialist equipment and materials that are involved in the glass appliqué making process, such as cutters, grinding stones, mosaic cutters/nippers etc.
Please bring with you:
Tools, equipment and materials are provided (extra items can be purchased on the day). You do not need any previous experience of working with glass.
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased from the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
Clare Wainwright has been working with glass for about 17 years, she makes sun-catchers, mirrors, lampshades and more, and loves to experiment with new techniques such as acid etching and adding images into glass. Clare has taught at various locations including mac Birmingham and Centre of England Arts, and this will be her first workshop at Winterbourne. You can find out more about Clare at her website.
Our courses are suitable for 18 years or above.
Curator Henrietta Lockhart recounts the history of the Civic Gospel, a significant movement in Victorian Birmingham, and its influence on local government and citizenship. Part of Birmingham Civic Society’s The City Beautiful centenary celebrations.
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased using the Book Now button on this page or in the Winterbourne shop.
This course is for people who are interested in learning about becoming a beekeeper. The course covers:
The natural history of honeybees is truly fascinating and the hobby is very rewarding for those that take it up.
The sessions are delivered by members of Birmingham & District Bee Keepers Association over six weeks. The teaching is classroom based with some practical, hands on content over one and a half hours. All practical materials are provided.
Gothic Script appeared in the Middle Ages and was most popular between the 14th and 15th centuries in northern Europe. Its close, rhythmical, vertical strokes give it a heavy look, hence the term “blackletter”. The closeness of the writing lines help to preserve the texture of the script. It has more impact when written with a broad nib.
You will need to bring the following items with you:
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased in the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
On this course you will learn the techniques of copper foiled (Tiffany) stained glass. You will be taught all the skills to create two small pieces of stained glass including: glass cutting, grinding, foiling, soldering and finishing. Using these skills you will make a star and another small suncatcher to hang in a window.
You will learn how to safely use the specialist equipment and materials that are involved in the stained glass process, such as cutters, grinders and soldering irons.
Tools, materials and equipment are provided.
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased in the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
Using embroidery stitches, needle and thread, create your own piece of hanging art in a hoop.
Claire Leggett will give tuition in some basic embroidery stitches and some new ways of using them. You can then create a simple design, learn how to transfer it to fabric and use your new stitching knowledge to create a piece of embroidered art in an embroidery hoop which you can take home and hang straight on the wall.
This workshop is suitable for beginners and improvers. All materials are provided.
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased in the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
“Had an absolutely fabulous day“, “very enthusiastic teacher” – comments from participants at Claire Leggett’s Appliqué Pictures workshop in March 2018.
Claire is a colour, pattern and print loving painter and designer. She studied Fashion and Textiles before training as a primary school teacher, but now combines making her own art with teaching art and design to all ages. You can find out more about Claire at her website.
some beautiful Christmas tree decorations. You will be taught all the skills to create two or three decorations including: glass cutting, grinding, foiling, taping, soldering and finishing.
You will learn how to safely use the specialist equipment and materials that are involved in the stained glass making process such as glass cutters, grinders, and soldering irons.
Tools, equipment and materials are provided.
Pre-booking is essential. Tickets can be purchased in the Winterbourne shop or via the Book Now button on this page.
