from £66-£99 on photography, stained glass, felt-making and even handmade books. Stevenson College has an in- depth photography course for £200, while Telford College’s photography lessons, as well as drawing and painting, corsetry and portfolio preparation, are all priced between £58 and £174. Leith School of Art offers full terms from £140, with one-off classes from £65, on topics as diverse as printmaking, mixed media, jewellery and mosaics. Both Creative Glass Designs and Edinburgh Stained Glass House offer courses around the £95 mark, and once again, the CEC has something to offer, with creative activities such as crochet, knitting and dressmaking to accompany more standard drawing and painting sessions (all priced at £60-£66, with
the exception of crochet, £36). ■ ECA, 74 Lauriston Place, 221 6109, www.eca.ac.uk. Jewel & Esk College, 24 Milton Road East, 344 7000, www.jec.ac.uk. Stevenson College, Bankhead Avenue, 535 4700, www.stevenson.ac.uk. Telford College, 350 West Granton Road, 559 4000, www.ed-coll.ac.uk. Leith School of Art, 25 North Junction Street, 554 5761, www.leithschoolofart.co.uk. Creative Glass Designs, St Margaret’s, 103 Drum Brae South, 339 5135 / 07745 791011, www.creativeglassdesigns.co.uk. Edinburgh Stained Glass House, 46 Balcarres Street, 452 8062, www.edinburghstainedglasshouse.co.u k. CEC, see Dance, Edinburgh.
LANGUAGES Glasgow
Glasgow University’s fantastic Languages @ Lunchtime programme offers two terms of tuition in a range of languages, from European standards (French, German, Italian) to farther flung dialects (Mandarin, Hebrew, Urdu). The classes meet for two hours a week, and cost £190 for the general public (with discounts to university staff and students). Strathclyde University offers its own language classes for £164-£172 a semester, with an option to take a Get By In . . . class for £71 – ideal for learning the basics before a holiday. Cardonald College takes a more ‘conversational’ approach in their classes, which are all around £82, while Langside College offers ten- week terms of classic European languages for £100. It’s sometimes worth going to a
For more information on courses visit www.list.co.uk
specialist, though: Alliance Français is the best place to go for French classes, for example, as it offers 8-, 16- or 32-week courses from £118- £440. You have to phone to book, which gives them the opportunity to show off their Glaswegian receptionist’s flawless French accent as a testament to their teaching skills. ■ Glasgow University Language Centre, Hetherington Building, Bute Gardens, 330 6521, www.gla.ac.uk. Strathclyde University, see Arts and Crafts, Glasgow. Cardonald College and Langside College, see Dance, Glasgow. Alliance Français, 3 Park Circus, 331 4080, www.afglasgow.org.uk.
Edinburgh
The Languages for All programme at Edinburgh University covers a mainly European curriculum (including ancient Greek and Latin), offering 11 classes a term for £125. For a different method of teaching, the University’s Open Studies department allows students to improve existing language skills through film viewing and discussion at the Filmhouse; the courses are six weeks long and cost £55. Stevenson College covers the main
European languages in 18-week courses for £175, while Telford offers these languages plus Gaelic and even a specific Gaelic for Hillwalkers class, all from £55-£86. CEC offers a range of language courses from £60-£115, covering many European languages, as well as Gaelic, Arabic, East Asian and British Sign Language. ■ Edinburgh University, 11 Buccleuch Place, 650 4400, www.ed.ac.uk. Stevenson and Telford Colleges, see Arts and Crafts, Edinburgh. CEC, see Dance, Edinburgh.
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Glasgow It’s good to know that some studies have an everyday practical application: both Strathclyde University and Cardonald College, for example, have courses on gardening (Strathclyde for £13 a session, Cardonald £110 for a full ten-week course). Cardonald also offers courses of a similar length covering plumbing and joinery (one class, £137), sewing and computer care (both £99 for eight weeks), and a one-day class on bicycle maintenance (£55). North Glasgow College’s DIY courses develop skills such as brickwork, joinery and painting and decorating, as well as other useful practical abilities such as PC-building and car maintenance (all £135 per 15-week block). ■ Strathclyde University, see Arts and Crafts, Glasgow. Cardonald College, see Dance, Glasgow. North Glasgow College, see Languages, Glasgow.
WHERE CAN I LEARN TO . . .
. . . PULL RABBITS OUT OF HATS?
Two Glaswegian colleges have courses in magic hidden up their sleeves: Langside offers ten-week sessions for £100, while North Glasgow College has a 15-week course for £135. ■ Langside College, 50 Prospecthill Road, 272 3600, www.langside.ac.uk. North Glasgow College, 123 Flemington Street, Springburn, 558 9001, www.northglasgowcollege.ac.uk.
. . . SPIN PLATES? The Glasgow Juggling Club meets every Wednesday evening to provide a safe and fun environment in which you can learn to juggle, unicycle and, yes, spin plates. There’s a selection of books to learn from (not to mention the other jugglers), plus a variety of props should you want to try out something new. ■ North Kelvinside Community Centre, 76 Kelbourne Street, 0776 376 0592 / 07973 769 297, www.glasgowjugglingclub.com.
. . . STAR IN A SILENT FILM? One of the many film and media courses available at Jewel & Esk College is silent movie performance: students focus on the work of greats such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, before working on scoring the movie and finally performing in a public screening. ■ Jewel & Esk College, 24 Milton Road East, 344 7100, info@jec.ac.uk.
. . . TELL A JOKE? In amongst the Ramshorn Theatre’s catalogue of stage directing and acting courses, you’ll find a couple of classes in stand-up comedy. Taught by comedy veteran Viv Gee, the original courses were some of the first to be held in the UK; after eight weeks, the final exam is a short set in a genuine comedy club. ■ Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, 552 3489, www.strath.ac.uk/culture /ramshorn
. . . POSER LES INDICATIONS
POUR LE TERRAIN DE BOULES? Um, you’ll have to ask the good folks at Alliance Français about that. ■ Alliance Français, 3 Park Circus, 331 4080, www.afglasgow.org.uk.
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