Mosaic Workshops

Mosaic Art Studio is running a series of workshops at Fleetville Community Centre on Royal Road, starting Sunday 8 November. It's a three-hour session that kicks off at 10:00, and it's one of five dates running through to Sunday 6 December, so if the first one doesn't fit your schedule, there are a few more to choose from.

The session is all about making a traditional Turkish mosaic lamp from scratch. You build it piece by piece, fitting hand-cut stained glass and glass beads into zamak metalwork. When you're finished, each lamp comes wired with a UK plug and an energy-efficient LED bulb, so it's ready to plug in and light up as soon as you get it home. You don't need any prior experience to take part, and the instructors lead you through the whole process.

There's a bit more to it than just the craft, too. The studio sets the room up with a Turkish cultural atmosphere: you'll sip Turkish tea and taste rose delight while instrumental Turkish music plays in the background, and the space is decorated with the tools used for making Turkish coffee and tea. Mosaic Art Studio itself is a social enterprise founded to promote inter-cultural dialogue through art and socio-cultural experiences from West and Central Asian countries, and it's since expanded to Taiwan, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, France, Norway and the United States.

The workshop is pitched at individuals, couples, team-building activities and private parties, and if you want to bring someone along to work on the same project, it's an extra £20. The venue is wheelchair accessible and has free parking. It costs £72.95 per person, which includes all your materials and the tutoring.