Pay As You Feel Art Group: Northlight CIC

Northlight CIC run their Pay As You Feel Art Group at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre on Thursday 22 October, starting at 10:00. It's a drop-in morning rather than a formal class: there's no tutor standing at the front, no set project to follow, and no particular skill level required. You just turn up and get on with whatever you fancy.

That's the point of it. You'll find people who've been working on the same painting for months sitting alongside those who haven't drawn anything since school, and both are equally welcome. It's one of the more relaxed creative sessions in north Leeds, and it works as a drop-in, so you don't need to commit to a course or a long-term project to get involved.

The venue gives you a few different places to set up. The Chapel Allerton Arts Centre has a gallery area, a conservatory, a studio, and a terrace and garden to paint or draw in, so you can pick the spot that suits your mood on the day. The cafe bar opens at 10:00, too, if you want a coffee to start the morning.

It draws a genuinely mixed crowd — retired people, students, parents, shift workers, and newcomers to Leeds — and more than a few regulars say the Thursday morning slot has become the part of the week they protect. Northlight CIC also runs the Makers Morning craft group on Fridays and free Sunday morning jazz sessions at the same venue. The art group is pay as you feel, so you pay whatever feels right on the day. It starts at 10:00 at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre, 31 Potternewton Lane, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 3LW.