Art at the Adventurers with Clavis Mentis

Clavis Mentis are running a life drawing session at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall on Thursday 17 September, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. It's a drop-in afternoon in the middle of the city, so you can slip in and out around your day rather than committing a whole evening to it.

Clavis Mentis is led by Anna and Yulia, two sisters and artists from Ukraine who founded the project. They run the session with a gentle touch: they'll offer guidance, tips and encouragement as you work, but they leave you the freedom to do things your own way. There's a clear philosophy behind it, too — they believe creativity isn't something reserved for professional artists and that everyone has the ability to create. If you've never picked up a pencil or haven't done so in years, that's exactly the kind of thing they're looking for.

The setting carries its own weight. The Merchant Adventurers' Hall is one of the finest medieval guildhalls in the world, and it's been home to York's entrepreneurs for 660 years and counting. It's a rare thing to spend an afternoon drawing in a room with that kind of history behind it, and it adds a certain stillness to the whole thing.

It's a bring-your-own affair, so you'll need to pack your own sketchbook and art materials. The session runs from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Thursday 17 September at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall in York.