Free Workshops for Southwark Residents

Have fun, meet new people, gain new skills! CoolTan Arts is running free arts and IT workshops open to any Southwark resident over 19. People can attend one 10 hour workshop for free. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Workshops run from 20th April to 31st July 2009. If you do not live in Southwark, courses are £250 per course.

• Basic IT, Monday and Tuesday 11am - 1pm
• Podcasting with Fari Bradley Tuesday 1pm - 4pm
• Play writing, Tuesday 1pm - 3pm
• Beginners Photoshop, Wednesday 1pm - 3pm
• Portrait drawing, Wednesday 4pm - 6pm
• Machine sewing, Wednesday evening 6pm - 8pm
• Screen printing, Friday 11am - 1pm
• Book making, Friday 2pm - 4pm
• 2 textile dyeing weekends, Dates and times TBC

If you are interested in attending or want more information please contact Michelle or Kathrin at CoolTan. CoolTan Arts Unit B, 237 Walworth Road London, SE17 1RL Telephone and Fax: 020 7701 2696

About Us

Welcome to

CoolTan Arts began in 1990 taking their name from the disused CoolTan sun lotion factory where their studios were based. CoolTan remained in Brixton until 2006 when they moved to their current site on Walworth Road.Initially CoolTan funded themselves by organising parties and events. They ran art based workshops aimed at women who had survived mental health issues, sexual assault and trauma. The classes acted as a catalyst for women to share their experiences, and to create and develop their own creativity. To this day CoolTan continues to run a women only visual arts workshop.CoolTan Arts addressed a growing need for low cost, non vocational education as local authorities became constrained by the push for accredited courses, isolating many individuals from attending classes for reasons of poverty, ill health, mental health and disability. Over the years the number of creative classes and projects has grown. Workshop participants are referred to CoolTan Arts by NHS professionals and social workers.This simple nurture with creativity goes a long way in enabling people back to good health. Art enables key skills and re-learning processes without any feelings of excessive pressure. The types of skills are discussion, making choices, language, expression, feeling, intuition, confidence to be in a group, and confidence to speak. Workshops provide a social atmosphere away from a day centre, which will encourage people who do not like to be labelled a place to go, break their isolation and give participants an activity to look forward to.

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