Your Creative Summer at the Botanic Gardens

This summer, the best thing to do is enjoy yourself. Whether this is going on a summer holiday, having long bubble baths, or being with your family and friends – we think you deserve the best. So let us offer you something new, enriching and sure to be the highlight of your summer: our incredible creative courses hosted in the University of Leicester’s own Botanic Gardens.

Founded in 1921, the Botanic Garden was established on its present site in Oadby in 1947. The site was home to four houses – Beaumont, Southmeade, The Knoll and Hastings – which were built early in the 1900s but now are used as student residences or for the Universities education programme.

The garden boasts 16 acres of cultivated grounds and greenhouses that are home to a rich diversity of national and tropical plants and wildlife, aided by the herb garden, woodland, rock and water gardens, and glass houses. The formal planting area centre around a beautifully resorted Edwardian garden that is perfect for enjoying a summer breeze.

All of our courses have been selected to work beautiful in the gardens setting, to allow you to benefit from the natural setting to enrich your own creativity. Whether it is creating slate art with nature-loving artist Hayley Stokes, or creating lino plates for prints with leaves and flora found across the gardens, each workshop immerse you in the setting while supporting your own creativity. Plus, all this ties beautifully with our upcoming summer exhibition with the incredible Bruce McLean, as he explores abstract and colourful paintings of his garden titles ‘Black Garden Paintings’. This summer, we are all exploring the beautiful natural world of flora and fauna.

Upcoming Classes:

Botanic Garden: Portraiture workshop 

Portraiture is one of the oldest forms of art which aims to capture the essence of the person they are painting, showing them as who they are or who they want to be. Come develop your painting skills in this area within a support and exciting workshop.

Sat 16 July, 10am – 3:30pm

 

Botanic Garden: Slate Tile Garden Art

Join nature-loving artist Hayley Stokes at the Botanic Garden to make your own piece of weatherproof garden artwork to take home.

Wednesday 20 July, 9.30am – 4pm

 

Botanic Garden: Seasonal Arts for Wellbeing

Especially designed for 6-11 year olds, these relaxing sessions will nourish young children’s holistic health and wellbeing through creative learning, colour therapy, self-expression and seasonal artworks.

Saturday 23 July – Saturday 27 August, 1pm – 2.30pm

 

Botanic Garden: Botanical Plaster Wall Plaques

Soak up the relaxing atmosphere at the Botanic Garden and find organic inspiration to create a beautiful plaster wall plaque using flowers, leaves and plants.

Saturday 30 July, 10.30am – 4pm

 

Botanic Garden: Botanical Drawing & Painting

Develop your observational skills in drawing and water colours through the use of beautiful botanicals such as seasonal fruit, veg, and flowers, all in the beautiful setting of the Botanic Garden over an in-depth 3 day course.

Mon 1 August – Wed 3 August, 10am-4pm

 

Botanic Garden: Weaving with Waste

In this one-day workshop at the Leicester Botanic Garden, you will learn the basics of weaving on a simple loom and how to weave with materials which are often thrown-away to make small bags, decorative wall hangings, table mats or small book covers.

Fri 19 August, 10am-4pm

 

Botanic Garden: Painting and Drawing with Diane Hall

Drawing inspiration from the relaxing and diverse Botanic Garden, you will stretch your imagination by experimenting with different drawing, painting and mixed-media approaches to reflect the environment around you.

Monday 22 August – Wednesday 24 August, 10am – 3.30pm

 

Botanic Garden: Leaves in Lino

Taking inspiration from the beautiful diversity at the Botanic Garden, explore the shapes and textures of a wide variety of different species of leaves and plants to create your own lino plates and stunning prints.

Thursday 25 August, 10am – 3pm

All courses take place at the Botanic Gardens inside of the stunning Beaumont Hall, with opportunities to truly go out and explore the incredible space with your tutors and classmates. Book now by clicking here to secure your place for unmissable workshops and courses this summer.