Creative short courses at Nottingham Trent University

With longer evenings just around the corner, February is the perfect time to carve out space for creativity, curiosity and learning.

Whether you want to build confidence, develop practical skills, or finally try something you’ve been putting off, our short courses are designed to fit around working lives and busy schedules. All courses are taught in person on our Nottingham city campus by experienced tutors and industry professionals, with a strong focus on hands-on learning.

Courses starting this February:

• Drawing for Beginners
• Confident Presenting Skills
• Botanical Drawing and Illustration for Beginners
• Domestic Machine Knitting for Beginners
• Exploring Colour
• Footwear Design and Construction
• Contemporary Life Drawing
• Digital Photo Editing
• Sewing Techniques: Methods for Professional Finishing
• Wildlife Photography

Ready to make time for something new?

Ready to build your design skills?

Our Graphic Design for Beginners course gives you hands-on experience with layout, colour, typography and industry-standard tools, all taught by practising creatives in a supportive studio environment.

Here’s what our previous students have to say about their experience.

It's not just the workshops in the North Pole that are busy at this time of year. Our furniture making studio is full of people learning proper joinery, working with solid timber, and building pieces they’ll keep for years.

On this practical course you’ll cut joints by hand, use professional woodworking tools, understand timber selection, and make your own small piece of furniture to take home. You’ll work in a well-equipped workshop with expert guidance and plenty of time on the tools.

This short course is perfect if you’ve got a passion for textiles or fashion, and want to take your creativity into the digital realm. Over five Saturdays, you’ll work on real design projects and explore pattern repeats, texture, layout, mock-ups and trend research. With NTU’s creative studios and one-to-one tutor time, it’s a welcoming space to experiment, connect with like-minded creatives and grow your digital skill set.

Ready to start – or rediscover – your love of writing?

Join our Short Story Success course and learn how to craft compelling fiction with confidence. Whether you’re a total beginner or looking to refine your style, this practical course will help you:

✏️Find inspiration and develop your unique writing voice
✏️Experiment with prompts, flash fiction and story structure
✏️Get constructive feedback and tips on editing and publication

Led by experienced author Megan Taylor, whose short stories have featured in Weird Horror, The Invisible Collection and The Classic Ghost Stories podcast, you’ll join a creative community that supports experimentation, collaboration and confidence-building.

Upcoming dates:
• 29 Nov – 6 Dec 2025 (Saturdays)
• 21 – 28 Mar 2026 (Saturdays)
• 13 – 20 Jun 2026 (Saturdays)
• 16 – 17 Jul 2026 (Thursday & Friday)

Spaces are limited – find out more and book your place: https://loom.ly/-GQisBY
📸 Photographed at Bromley House Library, Nottingham.

We’re excited to welcome Lee Wildish to the NTU Creative Short Courses team!

Lee is a celebrated illustrator whose work has delighted children and adults alike around the world with more than 40 picture books, 25 young fiction titles, and over 3 million copies sold.

His clients include Hodder, Penguin Random House USA / UK, Usborne, Franklin Watts, Harper Collins, and Scholastic and his witty, heart-warming illustrations have earned him a Red House Children’s Book Award and several shortlistings.

Lee says he enjoys illustrating Children's books and finds them funny through adding slight adult humour to appeal to the adult purchaser too. He believes that there is nothing more warming than seeing people enjoying and laughing a book you have written or illustrated.

Join Lee in January on our Children’s Book Illustration course and discover how to bring your own stories and characters to life.

Find out more and book your place: https://loom.ly/lkzFeCw

🎨 Discover Your Creativity at NTU’s Saturday Art Club

Are you aged 13–16 and love being creative? Join us at Nottingham Trent University for a free, inspiring Saturday morning programme where you’ll explore:

✨ Art, design, fashion, photography, film and more
✨ Hands-on workshops with NTU tutors and guest artists
✨ The chance to showcase your work in a national exhibition

📍 Nottingham Trent University
🗓 Saturdays, 10am–1pm, from November 2025
💸 Completely free to attend

Find out more 👉https://loom.ly/LW9y4Is

Nottingham Trent University - National Saturday Club Club members of The Nottingham Trent University Art&Design Saturday Club will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of…