Workshops
We want to share our knowledge, skills and experience. Providing great workshops and classes is therefore a key activity for us and we feel passionately about providing excellence in every aspect of a workshop experience. We try to pick outstanding tutors and provide a great environment in which to work.
How do we do it?
Whether a class is being run from the dedicated C2C studios (and house) or from a hired venue such as Chequer Mead Arts Centre, we make a big effort to ensure you get professional facilities and plenty of personal space, Students always have a workbench/table to themselves as we know full well that trying to be creative in a cramped environment just isn't on.
Facilities
As far as wet facilities go, we believe we're one of the few places in the UK where you can access large padded print-benches, industrial sinks, washing machines, miles of hanging lines, design boards, more tools than you can shake a stick at, dyes, screen inks, discharge media, metal leaf, threads and PFD cloth - all 'on tap' in a warm and stimulating environment with tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes whenever you want.
What we offer
Our Summer School and 3-to-5 day retreat workshops offer you the opportunity to immerse yourself totally without the distractions that every-day life can bring. The Day-a-Month programme allows people to study with us for a day a month for 10 months, enabling them to realise the work they want to make (through Independent Study classes) or develop specific ability in wet processes and surface design through a structured class such as Wet 'n Wild.
To find a workshop for you, please see below (2009)
In summary
Either way, you'll meet like-minded people, be stretched whilst being supported and have fun. Get in touch if there's anything you don't understand or need more information about.
Workshops 2009
| Workshop | Tutor | Start Date | Fee | Spaces | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creating & Using Temporary Designs on the Silkscreen | Claire & Leslie | 3rd August | £275 | 0 | View |
| Paper & Metal Leaf Lamination | Claire & Leslie | 30th November | £275 | 0 | View |
Day-a-Month Classes
10 Days across 12 Months
We have offered a schedule of "day-a-month" classes since the inception of Committed to Cloth. In brief, these classes enable students to work progressively on a specific day of the month, every month, for 10 months.
'Wet 'n Wild: a day-a-month programme that enables students to experience and learn the full spectrum of wet techniques; high and low water immersion, screen printing, general surface design techniques, discharge processes, dye paints, exploration of different wet media and tools etc. It's suitable for absolute beginners or those who feel they need a structured 'refresher'. This programme is run on Mondays and dates for 2010 will be available at the end of August.
The fee is £450 for the year, but is paid monthly at £45 each session making cash flow easier for everyone. Students who sign up need to acknowledge that they are committing to the full 10 days of study... and need to commit to paying the monthly class fee even if they cannot attend. For a copy of the full syllabus or to find out more, please email Claire at cb(at)committedtocloth.com
'Independent Study'; this programme is geared to provide a focused studio environment for intermediate to advanced level students. Participants turn up prepared to work with intention towards specific, individual goals: whether that be wet, dry or potentially both. Our job is to guide, mentor, give feedback and teach technique where appropriate. The Independent Study programme is not suitable for absolute beginners - as without some experience of process, it's hard to be independent! As such, whilst help and guidance is always available, Leslie and Claire need to prioritise one-to-one sessions on any given day and you'll therefore need to be reasonably familiar with wet processes and able to make a start independently.
The fee for an Independent Study programme will be between £400 and £450 for the year, as 'wet' days cost £45 and 'dry' days cost £40. Fees are paid monthly for everyone's benefit in terms of cash flow. Students who sign up need to acknowledge that they are committing to the full 10 days of study... and need to commit to paying the monthly class fee even if they cannot attend. Five classes will be offered in 2010, although places will be offered first to current students, as many come back year-on-year. Dates will be available at the end of August. To find out more and discuss your experience level, please email Claire at cb(at)committedtocloth.com
The Small Print
Deposits & Full Payment
A deposit is required on registration. The balance will be payable 4 weeks before the workshop. Any additional specified supplies/lab fees are payable on the last day of the workshop.
Cancellations / Refunds
If the workshop of your choice does not take place due to a shortfall of enrolments to make it viable, we’ll refund your deposit in full. Refunds cannot be given in any other circumstances. If you live outside of the UK, please check that the workshop will run before confirming your travel.
Experience Levels
Please heed the advice on experience levels! It can be extremely difficult and time consuming to bring a complete novice up to the required speed, which can be frustrating for the student, the tutor and the rest of the class! If the workshops states “suitable for all levels”, it does mean just that; beginners will learn from scratch and those with more experience will have the opportunity to refresh and consolidate any previous learning and develop existing skills/ideas.
Options
Some workshops fill faster than others. If you have first and second choice options, please let us know by simply writing a ‘1’ or a ‘2’ against the appropriate workshop name. If we can’t accommodate you in your first choice, we’ll let you know and you can advise us if you wish to take up your second option.
Insurance
All workshop fees are exclusive of insurance. We recommend that you take out insurance to cover the eventuality of you being unable to participate for reasons beyond your control. Our refund policy still applies; refunds will not be given unless we cancel the workshop due to lack of numbers.
Materials & Supplies
The Student Requirements list for each class is available to download on the web site. Please note that for most classes, there is an additional ‘supplies/lab fee’ on top of tuition. This is to ensure that you have access to the right materials, tools and media throughout the week. We normally have plenty of cloth, media, chemicals and tools available for purchase and payment for any items bought should be made at the end of the class unless otherwise advised.
Questions & Registration
If you have any questions about any of the workshops, please contact Claire Benn by telephone or email; 01737 844228, cb(at)committedtocloth.com. Claire will either be able to give you the information you need and if not, she’ll liaise with Leslie and come back to you with an answer! To register, please complete the back of this form, copy it for your own reference and return it to Claire with your deposit cheque to;
Committed to Cloth
Bovey Cottage, Station Road, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7DF
You’ll be provided with an acknowledgement and if you need a receipt, please let us know!
Accommodation
All B&B information is available on the web site. The Red Lion in Betchworth is probably the best bet; run by Cindy Kearney – one of our students – it’s within a 10 minute walk, the rooms are comfy and clean, the food is delicious and the conversation is stimulating!