Summer Art School

Upcoming events

2 Aug 2025

Summer Art School

31 May 2025

LEGO®Mission: Build the Change

14 Jun 2025

Right Between the Eyes!

2 Aug 2025 - 30 Aug 2025

Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery

Arts & Crafts Event

What's on

Summer Art School

Upcoming Dates for Summer Art School

Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery

Arts & Crafts Event

All workshops are 10am - 4pm

Join us this August for a series of inspiring, full-day art workshops (10am–4pm) at Peterborough Museum, designed for adults of all skill levels. From embroidery to life drawing, portraiture, illustration, and expressive watercolour, each session offers expert tuition, hands-on practice, and creative exploration in a relaxed, friendly setting.

All workshops include materials (unless otherwise stated), a packed lunch, and unlimited teas & coffees.

Saturday 2 August
Embroidery: Helen Tovey
£55 per person

One-day Embroidery Workshop
Join embroiderer and Family Tree editor Helen Tovey for a hands-on day of stitching, history, and inspiration. Learn key decorative stitches, explore embroidery design by artist James Tovey, and start your own project using a provided kit (threads, fabric, needles, and instruction booklet). The day includes talks on the history of embroidery, composition and pallet choices, and materials—plus guided sewing time. Suitable for beginners and experienced stitchers alike.
Includes: embroidery cushion kit, lunch, and all-day teas & coffees.

Book

4 - 8 August
Life Drawing: Jim Tovey
£50 per person, per day or £200 for the full week.

Deepen your practice with a full week (individual sessions available) of life drawing from a model, focusing on longer poses not possible in our shorter Thursday evening sessions. Ideal for artists seeking intensive study, the course includes tutor support, technical guidance, and discussions on figure drawing concepts.
Basic materials provided (paper and drawing tools); bring your own paints or preferred media to explore personal techniques.
Open to all levels – from beginners to experienced artists.
Includes: Lunch and all-day teas & coffees.

Book

Saturday 9 August
Portraiture: Jim Tovey
£50 per person

Explore the proportions, features, and character of the human face through drawing and painting from a live model. Learn how to place your subject within a setting and bring personality to your work, with guidance from the tutor throughout. The day includes a talk and discussion on contemporary portrait practice in the UK.
Basic materials provided (paper and drawing tools); bring your own paints or preferred media for deeper exploration.
Includes: Lunch and all-day teas & coffees.

Book

Saturday 16 August
Illustration Techniques - An Introduction: Natalie Bates
£55 per person

Learn practical techniques for accurate, expressive drawing in this hands-on workshop. Explore methods for illustrating objects, figures, and scenes—covering scale, working digitally and composition planning for narrative and communicative 2d artwork. Sessions include drawing from museum artefacts, with talks and demos from tutors experienced in both traditional and digital illustration.
All essential materials provided.
Includes: Lunch and all-day teas & coffees.

Book

Saturday 23 August
Watercolour - Realistic Abstracts: David Swinton
£50 per person

David Swinton is a professional artist living in Whittlesey. David teaches three local art classes for adults in watercolour and other media. Using watercolour, wet-in-wet, to create free backgrounds with realistic detail for the main images added in pen and ink.

Includes: Lunch and all-day teas & coffees.

Book

Saturday 30 August
Watercolour - Willow Portraits: David Swinton
£50 per person

David Swinton is a professional artist living in Whittlesey. David teaches three local art classes for adults in watercolour and other media. Exciting back grounds in watercolour - sunrise, sunset, stormy skies, summers days - with willow trees in the foreground. Six different willows to choose from.

Includes: Lunch and all-day teas & coffees.

Book