insideKENT Magazine Issue 52 - July 2016 | Page 19

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

creative breaks
Sometimes a short break needs to be something more than a few days away from home.
Sometimes we need to try something totally different, absolutely new, to keep our brains active
and our bodies fit and healthy. By combining a mini holiday with an activity such as cooking
or painting, we can fall in love with a new hobby whilst recharging our batteries. Here are some
creative breaks around the UK to help you relax your body and revive your mind.

The Shoemaking School // London

Eckington Manor // Eckington, Worcestershire

Set on the border of the Cotswolds, stunning Eckington Manor is luxurious
and unique; it’s the perfect place to stay and unwind for a while, surrounded
by wooden beams and gorgeous scenery. But there is more to Eckington
Manor than simply a lovely hotel with perfectly appointed rooms – there is
a cookery school here too. And not just any old cookery school; this particular
one offers the largest number of Agas in a UK cookery school, and there
are even specialist Aga cookery courses to make the most of that fact. But
if Agas aren’t your thing there are plenty of other things to cook, and all of
them are made from fully traceable, locally produced ingredients. Courses
include knife skills, restaurant dishes at home, making the most of your
Aga, easy entertainment, introduction to bread making and more. Courses
from £40 (accommodation must be booked separately).
www.eckingtonmanor.co.uk // 01386 751600

If you really want to experience something you’ve never tried before, why
not have a go at making shoes? The tradition of making shoes by hand
(cobbling) is an ancient one, but one that is becoming more and more rare
– so not only are you experiencing something completely different at London’s
Shoemaking School, you are also ensuring that old ways are kept alive.
Here you can join an intensive five-day course in London (or in Berkeley,
California, if you want to travel further afield) for £992. The Shoemaking
School also offers courses in tutu making and boned bodice creation. And
since you’re in London (or Berkeley) why not make the most of your time
and explore the city too?
www.theshoemakingschool.co.uk // 0207 923 9450

West Dean College // Chichester, Sussex
Darren Harbar Photography

The Creative Retreat // Banff, Aberdeenshire
The Creative Retreat
offers creative art
breaks for both
beginners and experts
alike. Try out a new
medium, or hone your
skills in something
you’ve tried before; the
expert tutors will guide
you through the course
with practical tips and
sound theory. The art
holidays last for one
week, and you will be able to stay in your own self-catered room (your
evening welcome meal is included). Courses include lino printing, abstract
art, drawing in the area, the essentials of painting, creative colour, and
painting and drawing. Residential courses start at £465, although nonresidential options are available.
www.creative-retreat.co.uk // 01261 812276

There are dozens of different courses to try at Chichester’s beautiful West
Dean College. From pottery to painting, from metalworking to music, from
glass and mosaics to gardening – plus plenty more. Some of the courses
last for a day, but others are two-, three-, or even four-day courses, giving
you the full experience of whichever craft it is you are keen to have a go at.
Accommodation is available in this stunning building for those who want
to enjoy the longer courses and stay away from home to do so. West Dean
College – form er home of poet and surrealist painter Edward James – offers
both traditional and more modern rooms, but both types are fully equipped
with tea and coffee making facilities, an iron and ironing board, towels,
toiletries, and many are en suite. Prices start at £175.
www.westdean.org.uk // 01243 818300

19