An eight week calligraphy course with Cherrell Avery, starting Tuesday 12 March

This practical calligraphy course teaches traditional techniques in the art of fine lettering for contemporary applications. Participants will use the edged pen to write and adapt an historical script, as well as experimenting with colour and design.

Students may explore the visual expression of their own words, a poem, lyrics, a quotation or a passage from a favourite book to create a unique finished piece of calligraphy to treasure.

There will be tutor demonstrations, group discussions and plenty of individual guidance given. The course is suitable for beginners and those with some experience.

Cherrell Avery was recently calligrapher-in-residence at the V&A, and has been profiled on BBC Breakfast and in the Sunday Telegraph.

 
WEEK BY WEEK BREAKDOWN
 

Week 1 Practical introduction to Calligraphy – tools materials and information on calligraphy in context- past and present

Week 2 The edged nib and ink – Introducing an historical script as exemplar and getting in the flow.
Week 3 Script study – individual practice; Contrast and emphasis – Writing at different scales and weights
Week 4 Capitals – combine capitals with lower case script plus introduction to text interpretation
Week 5 Backgrounds and papers- pastel and paint techniques explored . Projects introduced.
Week 6 Colour in the nib- using goache paint . Individual projects discussed , contemporary examples.
Week 7 Layout – exploration of design considerations for text display. Projects continued.
Week 8 Completion of project- feedback and display. Information on Societies, exhibitions etc
 

Please note, it is important that participants attend the first two lessons.
Notebooks and Pens will be provided for participants to try out at the first session, but please bring a HB propelling pencil and long easily readable ruler.

Ancient Philosophy with Dr Mark Vernon
 

6 week course now booking : Starts Monday 13th May.

Dr Mark Vernon is a writer, broadcaster and teacher. He began his professional life as a priest in the Church of England. He has a PhD in philosophy, and degrees in theology and physics. His most recent books are two on God – God: All That Matters (Hodder) and The Big Questions: God (Quercus) – and he has written books on friendship, wellbeing and the good life.
 

The ancient philosophy course draws on his book, Plato’s Podcasts: The Ancients’ Guide to Modern Living (Oneworld). Mark writes regularly for publications in the UK, including the Guardian, TLS and The Tablet. He also broadcasts on the BBC. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London and a keen blogger at www.markvernon.com

Idler Course Testimonials
‘Mark is a great teacher who helps to bring clarity to some potentially very intimidating subjects.’
 

‘A great place to think, laugh and learn.’
 

‘It is much better to be talk philosophy than to read it.’
 

‘I never spent Sunday afternoons looking forward to Monday until I joined this course!’

13th May: The Pre-Socratics and the birth of philosophy
Socrates is the seminal figure of western philosophy, but he himself emerged from a tradition already centuries old. In this evening we will consider the thought of individuals from Thales, sometimes called the father of philosophy, to the big hitters such as Heraclitus and Parmenides, who argued over whether everything is in a state of flux or is, ultimately, one. The surviving texts of these philosophers are fragmentary but we can build up a fascinating picture of their extraordinary takes on the world, ideas that have echoed across the centuries to our own day.

20th May: Socrates and Plato and the examined life
Socrates is arguably the most influential figure in western philosophy, though oddly he wrote not a word. Most of his ideas come to us via Plato, from the notion that the unexamined life is not worth living, to that of dying for a principled cause. But what are his great insights? Why is he so important? And can Plato be trusted, because this was a philosopher who had his own, powerful ideas about how to live – ideas we will explore too.

27th May: Aristotle and the study of happiness
He has been called the first scientist and his philosophy dominated in the west right up to the Renaissance. Today, he is increasing influential for his work on virtue ethics, an approach to moral philosophy that is gaining wide recognition once more. How to be happy? What does it mean to have a friend? How should we organise society so as to flourish? We will ask these questions and more of Aristotle.

3rd June: Stoicism and the discovery of the logos
The Stoics offered probably the most successful practical philosophy of life right up to the Christian period – individuals from Cicero to Marcus Aurelius followed them – and even when the new religion arrived, Stoic ideas were imported. Notions about ‘going with the flow’ and ‘keeping a stiff upper lip’ can be traced back to Stoic ideas, and behind them lie a fully developed understanding of the nature of the cosmos.

10th June: Epicurus and the question of pleasure
Hedonism is the philosophy for a consumer age, though Epicurus – the founder in the west of this strand of thought – would have critiqued our way of life severely. Pleasure is the central question for him, but the trick is to enjoy small pleasures rather than become addicted to ever bigger, unsustainable highs and kicks. Epicurus taught in a garden and wrote from matters such as friendship, to the atomic nature of matter.

NB No course on 17th June

24th June: The Sceptics and Cynics: how to rebel and suspend disbelief
These two groups of philosophers were, in a way, the punk-rockers of the ancient world. The Sceptics, from the ancient Greek for ‘searcher’, argued that it is better to suspend your relentless questioning when answers clearly are not to be found: rest easy with mystery. The Cynics, after the word for ‘dog’ because they were accused of living like dogs, challenged the other philosophers by holding a finger to all social conventions. They were Greece’s equivalent of the Hebrew prophets, calling the powerful, the mighty and the confident to account.

Ancient Philosophy with Dr Mark Vernon
 

Pay Per lesson – £30
 

Lesson 1 13th May: The Pre-Socratics and the birth of philosophy
Lesson 2 20th May: Socrates and Plato and the examined life
Lesson 3 27th May: Aristotle and the study of happiness
Lesson 4 3rd June: Stoicism and the discovery of the logos
Lesson 5 10th June: Epicurus and the question of pleasure
Lesson 6 24th June: The Sceptics and Cynics: how to rebel and suspend disbelief

 

Dr Mark Vernon is a writer, broadcaster and teacher. He began his professional life as a priest in the Church of England. He has a PhD in philosophy, and degrees in theology and physics. His most recent books are two on God – God: All That Matters (Hodder) and The Big Questions: God (Quercus) – and he has written books on friendship, wellbeing and the good life.
 

The ancient philosophy course draws on his book, Plato’s Podcasts: The Ancients’ Guide to Modern Living (Oneworld). Mark writes regularly for publications in the UK, including the Guardian, TLS and The Tablet. He also broadcasts on the BBC. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London and a keen blogger at www.markvernon.com

Idler Course Testimonials
‘Mark is a great teacher who helps to bring clarity to some potentially very intimidating subjects.’
 

‘A great place to think, laugh and learn.’
 

‘It is much better to be talk philosophy than to read it.’
 

‘I never spent Sunday afternoons looking forward to Monday until I joined this course!’
 

13th May: The Pre-Socratics and the birth of philosophy
Socrates is the seminal figure of western philosophy, but he himself emerged from a tradition already centuries old. In this evening we will consider the thought of individuals from Thales, sometimes called the father of philosophy, to the big hitters such as Heraclitus and Parmenides, who argued over whether everything is in a state of flux or is, ultimately, one. The surviving texts of these philosophers are fragmentary but we can build up a fascinating picture of their extraordinary takes on the world, ideas that have echoed across the centuries to our own day.

20th May: Socrates and Plato and the examined life
Socrates is arguably the most influential figure in western philosophy, though oddly he wrote not a word. Most of his ideas come to us via Plato, from the notion that the unexamined life is not worth living, to that of dying for a principled cause. But what are his great insights? Why is he so important? And can Plato be trusted, because this was a philosopher who had his own, powerful ideas about how to live – ideas we will explore too.

27th May: Aristotle and the study of happiness
He has been called the first scientist and his philosophy dominated in the west right up to the Renaissance. Today, he is increasing influential for his work on virtue ethics, an approach to moral philosophy that is gaining wide recognition once more. How to be happy? What does it mean to have a friend? How should we organise society so as to flourish? We will ask these questions and more of Aristotle.

3rd June: Stoicism and the discovery of the logos
The Stoics offered probably the most successful practical philosophy of life right up to the Christian period – individuals from Cicero to Marcus Aurelius followed them – and even when the new religion arrived, Stoic ideas were imported. Notions about ‘going with the flow’ and ‘keeping a stiff upper lip’ can be traced back to Stoic ideas, and behind them lie a fully developed understanding of the nature of the cosmos.

10th June: Epicurus and the question of pleasure
Hedonism is the philosophy for a consumer age, though Epicurus – the founder in the west of this strand of thought – would have critiqued our way of life severely. Pleasure is the central question for him, but the trick is to enjoy small pleasures rather than become addicted to ever bigger, unsustainable highs and kicks. Epicurus taught in a garden and wrote from matters such as friendship, to the atomic nature of matter.

NB No course on 17th June

24th June: The Sceptics and Cynics: how to rebel and suspend disbelief
These two groups of philosophers were, in a way, the punk-rockers of the ancient world. The Sceptics, from the ancient Greek for ‘searcher’, argued that it is better to suspend your relentless questioning when answers clearly are not to be found: rest easy with mystery. The Cynics, after the word for ‘dog’ because they were accused of living like dogs, challenged the other philosophers by holding a finger to all social conventions. They were Greece’s equivalent of the Hebrew prophets, calling the powerful, the mighty and the confident to account.

Crazy comic club is returning to the idler academy!

Now Booking for Saturday 25th May, 11:30 – 1:30
 

Join bestselling cartoonist and experienced comic teacher James Parsons at The Idler Academy for a series of exciting monthly comic-drawing masterclasses!

Crazy Comic Club may contain: comic-universes-in-a-cube, 3D glasses and drawing, microcomix, How-To-Draw sessions, investigating techniques (brushes, inks, dip pens, monoprinting), secret techniques and tricks used by the professionals, creating your own comic, caricature. All you need to bring is your imagination!

http://www.crazycomicclub.co.uk/

A six week course with Susanna Hislop. Wednesday 5th June to Wednesday 10th July
 

Creative Writing & Reading 
 

The best way to learn to write better is to learn to read better. Following on from a beginners course, but open to everyone, this group meets once a week (for a six week term) and helps you to do both.
 

Looking closely and curiously at both poetry and prose, dissecting fiction and non-fiction alike, we discuss literary techniques and deconstruct the tools that great writers use. We then think about how these tools might help our own creative writing. Doing writing exercises and experiments, and sharing and deconstructing our own work, we will ask questions about form, character, plot, dialogue, genre and voice, helping you to find your own.

Whether you are a budding novelist, a seasoned poet or just have writer’s block, this course will help you to unveil the apparent mystery of great writing.

Susanna Hislop

Susanna Hislop studied English at Cambridge University and trained at LISPA before pursuing a career as an actress, writer and teacher. As a writer she has created her own work for theatre and radio, as well as doing freelance reviewing, journalism and editing; and as a performer, she has worked in theatre, radio and film.

Over the past ten years, she has taught English and Latin extensively, to both adults and children, as well as running theatre and writing workshops. She has taught several courses in Poetry and Latin at the Idler Academy.

Susanna is currently writing and developing her theatre company Slip of Steel‘s second show with the support of the National Theatre Studio, and finishing a critical study guide on Mrs Dalloway for the new Connell Guides series. She is Contributing Editor of the online literary quarterly The Junket.

A One Day Course at the Idler Academy, by John Foley

 
Sunday 9th June, 11am – 5pm
 

Chess is a game of endless fascination which is played the world over. The game is easy to learn, but hard play well. Many people know how the pieces move but have yet to penetrate into the delights of the game. If you have ever wanted to take your curiosity a little bit further, then this course is for you.
 

The course comprises a mix of theory and practice. You will get a chance to play against others of a similar level in a supervised learning environment. You will learn about tactics and also some practical rules of thumb. Above all, you will have a lot of fun. At the end of the day, you should have more confidence about playing a social game of chess.
 

Refreshments and light lunch are included. Please advise any special dietary requirements.
 

John Foley is an experienced chess educator. He runs the teacher training courses for Chess in Schools. He was London Junior as well as Oxford University champion. He is chairman of Kingston Chess Club, runs the British Chess Magazine team in the National first division (4NCL) and plays competitively for Surrey.
 

Level: Beginners
 

Singing Workshop with Diana Cabarrus now booking
 

Wednesday 12th June – 7 – 9pm
 

This will be an opportunity to engage with singing whether it’s a while since you’ve sung, or whether you’ve sung a lot. There will be a bit of information on how best to develop your voice; some warm ups, and the rest of the session will be spent learning and singing songs drawn from a repertoire of contemporary and folk material, adding some harmonies and having a good sing-song. Participants are welcome to submit requests although we can’t guarantee they will be chosen.
 

Diana’s musical adventures suffered an early setback when a choir master failed to spot any potential whatsoever in her junior warblings, and admission to the choir was refused. Spurned by the choral establishment, she embarked on the path of rock and roll, and has been merrily urging people to take up their right to enjoy music loudly, quietly and mostly in tune ever since.
 

She has founded London’s longest-established pop and rock music education service, Key To Music. She continues to release original alt/psych/indie music as Candythief (double A-side single coming this summer). She designs and delivers all kinds of different music projects from junk rhythm improvisation to song-writing, which she enjoys doing with groups from all over the UK. She gigs regularly with all kinds of functions bands, in theatre and with her own material.
 

Beginners Carpentry Course with Myles Stewart

Day course now booking, Saturday 15th June 2013, 10am – 4:30pm

 

On this beginners carpentry course, you will learn all the basic techniques of using hand tools and power tools. This will give you the confidence to tackle those DIY tasks around the home and garden. The day will structured around making a simple bird box to take home at the end of the day.
 

10.00am-10.30am Course Introduction with coffee and cake
10.30am-12.30pm Planning a project. Measuring and sawing
12.30pm-1.15pm Lunch
1.15pm- 2.30pm Drilling and fixing techniques and power tools
2.30pm-2.50pm Tea break
2.50pm-4.30pm Completing the project. Finish
 

Myles trained as a Product Designer and Cabinet Maker and has been a boat builder for the last 18 years. He has recently completed his training as an Art Psychotherapist and divides his time working in the NHS with acute mental health patients and boat building projects.

Back by popular demand – two hour Grammar lesson with Mr Gwynne, author of the best selling Gwynne’s Grammar on Sunday 16th June – Book your slot now

Choose between: 11am-1pm or 2-4pm

Why is grammar so indispensable? We think with words; without words we can only feel. Grammar is simply the science of using words correctly. Without grammar, words are useless. With inadequate grammar, our thinking is at best fuzzy and at worst inaccurate. Since all our decisions depend on the thought we put into them, inaccurate thinking leads inevitably to bad decisions. With bad decisions, our lives are going to be neither successful nor satisfying; and unsuccessful and unsatisfying lives cannot be happy lives. Happiness itself, therefore, depends in part ultimately on good grammar.

In our two hours together, the following will be included:
 

* Enough of the elements of every aspect of grammar to give you a good start and to show you how to progress from there on;
 
* The bare essentials of logical thinking, including how to protect ourselves against being deceived by false arguments.

Who is Mr Gwynne?
 

Mr Gwynne is the author of the best selling hardback Gwynne’s Grammar. He has taught all age-groups from three-years-old to over seventy. On a monthly basis, BBC Radio 5 employs him for two hours at a stretch to argue against all-comers in favour of the importance of teaching grammar. Last year, Selfridge’s employed him to give six weekly grammar-lessons in the Selfridge’s Ultralounge. He has been featured in the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Daily Express to name but a few.

Half day course including lunch on Sunday 23rd June 2013

www.stuartbeesley.co.uk

“Street photography is all about the present. It’s what you engage with every day but often don’t really ‘look’ at and appreciate. It can be beauty just as much as it can be ugliness. The only thing you need as a photographer of the streets, is be ready to capture these moments during their fleeting public appearances. Whether that’s a grumpy businessman not enjoying his routine on the central line; a chirpy market trader who’s business is thriving in Ladbroke Grove or simply the way a shadow falls.
 

On this half-day course we will be using the work of Elliott Erwitt, a Master of photographing the streets, as our inspiration. He is famous for using unique techniques to capture fleeting moments, such as ‘photographic sequencing’ to tell a more complete story, surprising passers-by with a loud horn before snapping their portrait or simply using humour as the main subject. We will study these techniques and then go out onto the streets, canals and alleyways of Ladbroke Grove to practise them.
 

Stuart is a photographer who enjoys the idle journey in finding his next photo. He won The Travel Photographer of the Year in 2010 and has recently been nominated for The International Street Photography Awards 2013. His images have featured in Vogue, Homes & Gardens, The Guardian, TimeOut London and various frames on his Mothers wall.”