The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design is putting on a series of fall workshops through their EdVentures program to give the public an opportunity to try new hobbies.
EdVentures, formally known as Leap, is a program that provides a variety of art workshops throughout the year with the goal of creating a community with shared knowledge around craft and design.
“We want to give folks an opportunity to come to the college and get some experience, hands on, small class sizes, with the instructors and learn how to do something that brings them joy and helps them find a community,” said Anna Mathis, instructional designer and opportunities coordinator at NBCCD.
The courses are available to anyone above the age of 16, in either online and in-person classes.
Unlike the courses that NBCCD students take, these classes are non-credit and require no homework. Mathis said the workshops have a stronger emphasis on participants having fun and enjoying themselves.
The fall lineup for these workshops include a number of art mediums from hand-dying yarn to animation.
“Making is so fulfilling and satisfying, whether that’s your potter’s wheel or whether you’re designing stickers on a computer, or using Photoshop for the first time,” said Mathis. “There’s something so exciting when you have that lightbulb moment and you realize that it’s not as hard as you thought it was going to be.”
The program is still growing and online courses were recently added to accommodate public health concerns.
Much like the in-person courses, the online workshops are hands-on and offered in various levels of difficulty to accommodate beginners and intermediate artists.
“There are some courses geared towards beginners but there are also courses geared towards intermediates that have an established studio that are looking to take that step further in their professional development,” said Mathis.
To ensure that the program is filled with as many unique experiences as possible, NBCCD is searching for local instructors interested in providing in-person courses and instructors from across Canada to provide more opportunities for the online program.
“We want to tap into the experts in their field right where they are and bring together makers and creative communities far and wide. So that’s what we’re trying to do with our online courses,” said Mathis.
