QPAC has been offering art workshops since 1980, taught by passionate local artists and volunteers who share their knowledge and experience with all who wish to learn! Our workshops programme is forever changing, with new options added from season to season as new tutors come forward. Our main categories, however, have remained constant throughout the years, from our extensive pottery facilities, dedicated painting studio, craft studio and needlework room. We also host music groups and holistic wellbeing sessions across the centre.

Click here to discover all of our weekly workshops. Read on to discover more detail about our workshops.

Pottery

Pottery has long been the cornerstone of our crafts programme, and our facilities are amongst the best and most popular in the county. We run more than 16 participatory workshops every week, providing tutored opportunities for complete beginners, afterschool and holiday sessions for children and teens, and a class for adults with disabilities. We also offer untutored sessions for experienced ceramicists.

The QPAC Pottery has hosted masterclasses from world-renowned potters such as John Leach, Chris Bramble and Siddig El’nigoumi. ‘Great Pottery Throwdown’ judge Kate Malone welcomed QPAC for a private viewing and talk during her residency at Waddesdon Manor, and exhibited in our gallery shop Artisan. Throwdown contestants Elaine Wells and Freya Bramble have led workshops with us. Freya’s masterclass alongside her father Chris can be watched in full above.

Our pottery department is overseen by experienced ceramicist and QPAC Centre Technician Charlie Butters, who not only specialises in throwing, but also enjoys developing new glazes and promoting the Centre’s facilities and opportunities through regular workshops. The department is supported by a loyal team of longstanding, experienced tutors.

Painting

QPAC hosts a range of painting workshops throughout the weekdays, with Acrylics, Watercolours, Oil and drawing all covered, plus special classes focussing on portraiture and life drawing. Our tutored classes are taught by local artists who share their knowledge and experience with painters of all skill levels. We also host untutored sessions for those with more experience looking for a dedicated art space and the company of like-minded creative individuals.

Many of our painting classes hold exhibitions in our Artisan Gallery spaces, providing participants with the opportunity to begin showcasing and selling work if they would like to. A number of individuals have subsequently moved to participate in Bucks Art Weeks or other local exhibitions as a result of learning or reconnecting with painting techniques at a QPAC class.