Following our Benefits of Extracurricular Activities feature, we look at the types of clubs and classes available for your child to try.
Here we provide a round-up of visual arts clubs, classes and workshops in Edinburgh.
Visual Arts
Regrettably, many schools are cutting back on specialist art provision. So if your child enjoys drawing and painting, they might benefit from joining an art class or participating in a workshop outside school.
This will enable them to explore new techniques and their own ideas. It’s always worth speaking to your child’s art teacher and/or enquiring at a local art shop for class info. regarding specific disciplines. Museums and galleries such as Edinburgh Printmakers host fantastic workshops.
Such opportunities are important in early childhood when a child is developing motor skills and other qualities such as concentration and resilience. Creative self-expression is also fundamental to a child’s wellbeing.
The list below is not exhaustive. We have limited ourselves to just a few establishments known for the quality of their coaching. But this is not to say that there won’t be other professionals and organisations equally capable of inspiring your child.
Leith School of Art (Est. 1988) runs an in-depth weekly summer course for keen young artists aged 11-15. Families in receipt of state benefits are eligible to receive 50% off the course fees. Other courses are only suitable for young people aged 16+ and provide a good opportunity to build a portfolio.
The Edinburgh Drawing School runs classes for children aged 8-14 and teens aged 13+. These are based at 13A Great King Street EH3 6QW.
The Art Club in Canonmills runs term time and holiday courses for children and teens aged 6-10, 10-14 and 14+ years. Each set of 10 term time classes takes place on a weekday evening and lasts 1.5 or 2 hours. Whereas themed holiday courses run Monday to Friday.
At Studio 48 the artist Sally-Ann Johns runs weekly term time classes (1.5 hours) for young people aged 6-10 and 10-14. These are held at Unit 7, The Matrix, 62-66 Newhaven Rd. EH6 5QB.
Louise Campbell-Rogers of artroom32 also runs weekly after-school classes (lasting 1 hour) at 44 Ferry Road EH6 4AE. These are an affordable opportunity for young people aged 7-17 to explore different mediums.
Doodles Ceramics in Marchmont run ceramic painting for all ages and clay modelling workshops for children 14yrs+.
Everybody deserves extracurricular enrichment, regardless of their family’s financial status. So please look carefully at the individual listings for info. regarding concessions and bursaries. We would also recommend contacting the class organisers for updates regarding fees and financial assistance.
The next few features we are going to look at the following extracurricular activities in more detail: