Creative short courses at Nottingham Trent University

30/01/2026

We caught up with some of our short course students about their experience on our Botanical Drawing and Illustration for Beginners course. Here's what they had to say...

27/01/2026

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?

19/12/2025

We’re signing off for the year!

We’ll be away from Friday 19 December to Monday 5 January, but courses are still open to browse and book online.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and some well-earned rest. See you in the New Year.

05/12/2025

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.

03/12/2025

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.

01/12/2025

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.

28/11/2025

Bring Your Designs to Life with Adobe After Effects

This practical, two day course is perfect for designers, video editors, content creators and anyone wanting to bring movement into their creative practice. You'll explore how to animate type, logos and simple graphics, build clean motion assets, and put together a short animated piece you can use in your work or portfolio.

🗓️ Course dates: 15 to 16 December 2025
📍 City Campus, Nottingham Trent University
Course fee: £325

Find out more: https://loom.ly/Q2CorG0

29/10/2025

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.

27/10/2025

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

26/09/2025

Last call to sign up for our Autumn Creative Short Courses!

Our face-to-face evening and weekend courses start next week – don’t miss your chance to learn new skills, meet like-minded people, and get creative this autumn.

Courses starting soon include:

- Writing Modern Fairy Tales – Tuesdays, 10 weeks
- CAD for Beginners – Wednesdays, 10 weeks
- Graphic Design for Beginners – Wednesdays, 10 weeks
- Interior Design for Beginners – Thursdays, 10 weeks
- Creative Writing for Beginners (daytime) – Fridays, 10 weeks
- Psychology for Designers – Fridays (two days)
- Domestic Machine Knitting for Beginners – Saturdays (two days)
- Furniture Making Workshop – Saturdays (five weeks)

Secure your spot now - https://loom.ly/D8eoszU

10/09/2025

✨ Ready to bring your womenswear designs to life? ✨

Join us this September for 'Pattern Cutting and Drafting for Womenswear' – a practical, hands-on course running over five Saturdays from 27 September - 25 October 2025.
Whether you're dreaming of your own clothing line, enhancing your dressmaking skills, or preparing for further study or career progression, this course is designed to give you the tools to create bespoke patterns and perfectly-fitted garments.

You'll work with expert guidance, develop a close-fit bodice draft from scratch, and master techniques like lay planning, toile fitting, sleeve drafting and adapting commercial patterns.

No prior pattern cutting experience is needed – just confidence with a sewing machine and a passion for fashion design.

📍 Taught at NTU’s City Campus with access to industry-standard facilities.

👗 Let your designs speak your style.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/QacuGH4

08/09/2025

🎨 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

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