B plus C
BplusC offers a huge variety of creative classes for children of all ages (and for adults as well). Just check their homepage at www.bplusc.nl/cursussen.
Just to name a few, they are offering:
- Kinderatelier (6+7 years, drawing and painting) on Wednesday afternoon at Oude Vest (Centrum Leiden).
- Knutseltijdrijs (8-12 years, "handicraft time travel", constructing things Romans or Knights might have used, Tuesday at Apothekersdijk (Centrum Leiden).
- Basisjaar Kunstzinnige vorming (4-6 and 6-8 years; basic year with mixed arts; the kids are doing dance, visual arts, theater and music; wednesday afternoon at Apothekersdijk (Centrum Leiden.
What is it: Children learn to make bowls, jewellery, vases, animals or other sorts of forms out of clay. What they make also depends on the age and skill level of the child. The goal is to let kids experience the joy of working with clay and stimulate their imaginations and creativity. Alongside the "assignments" they are given to help them learn various techniques, they are always free to decide what they want to make on their own. They also get to decorate their creations using various glazes and paints.
Teacher Odette also offers workshops for children's birthday parties.
For: Children between 6 and 12
When: WEdnesday afternoon from 15-16.30
Where: Herengracht 110
Cost: €65 for 5 lessons; €125 for 10 lessons
Website: www.atelierodette.com
Review: My daughter has been doing a weekly class with Odette for nearly two years, and she loves it. She and the small mixed-age group have built up a real relationship with Odette, who is a wonderful calm inspiring woman. They work on their own projects (new pupils will follow some learning steps to begin with) with Odette's help and encouragement.She has made some really lovely things. A wonderful option for motivated children, as they are given the freedom to pursue their own goals. (Harriet)
What is it: In a playful atmosphere kids draw/paint with acrylics, charcoal, crayon and ink. They find inspiration in the real art, for example in Picasso's portraits or in kitsch flower still lifes à la Niels Broszat.
Note that Lyda from "Schilderfactory" also offers workshops for children's birthday partys!
For: children between 8-10
When: Wednesday afternoons 13.30-15.30, every second week
Where: Haagweg 4 - B8
Cost: €110 for 10 lessons
Website: www.schilderfactory.nl
Review: My daughter loves to go there. It is a very quiet and peacefull setup. Lyda Bekker is a professional artist. My daughter comes back with the most beautiful paintings all done by herself: still life painting, perspective painting, nature painting, you name it. If your child is looking for an escape from hectic life (computers, TV, DS ,... ), this is the place to go! (Elisa)
What is it: Every second week children meet in the printing atelier and experiment in a playful way with different techniques. They might cut linoleum, produce stamps, print on paper or fabric.
For: Age not specified; from the website one would guess six or so and up.
When: Every second Wednesday from 13.30 to 15.30
Where: Hand& Werk, Haagweg 4
Cost : €25 per month inclusive drink and materials
Website: www.hand-en-werk.nl/html/cursussen.html
What is it: In a year-long class the kids develop small pieces; in the second half of the year they develop and prepare a big theatre production. Between 8 and 12 year olds can also choose to do musical. For teenagers there are even more classes, for example musical, film and cabaret.
For: Children between 4 years and teenager age; groups are divided into 4-7, 8-12 and 12+
When: 4-7 just on Monday (16-17); 8-12 on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday; 12 + Monday, Tuesday and Saturday
Where: Theater ins Blau, Haagweg 6
Cost: from €175 for the whole year, depending on classes. The older the children, the higher usually the fee.
Website: www.jtsleiden.nl
What is it: B plus C is offering several musical classes for kids from 6 years on. They practice acting, singing and moving with music. After the Christmas vacation other classes start that will prepare a big final show...
For: Children from 6 years on. The groups are 6-8, 9-14 (both starter's groups) and 9-16 ("production group").
When: Wednesday afternoon
Cost: 6-8 years: € 93.85 for 10 lessons
9-14 years: € 115.25 for 10 lessons
9-16 years: € 450 for 32 lessons
Where: Apothekersdijk (Leiden Centrum) and Voorschoten
Website: www.bplusc.nl
What is it: Children that like to draw and paint experiment with different sorts of paints and crayons/pencils/charcoal, mix their own paint in their favourite colours, work with potter's clay... The class takes place at the traditional "Ars Aemula Naturae" academy in a beautiful old house in the city centre.
For: Children between 6 and 12 (two different age groups).
When: Thursday, 16-17.30
Where: Pieterskerkgracht 9a (Center Leiden)
Cost: €120 for 12 meetings; includes material and drink
Website: www.arsaemula.nl
What is it: The italian artist Lucia Rafanelli, who works with an imaginative mix of painting and illustration, offers different types of workshops and classes for children. Lucia, herself a mother of two, says: "I'm offering classes because of my desire to share with others my imagination, to confront my fantasy with the unsurpassable fantasy of children who are my biggest source of inspiration. It's through their drawings, tales, dreams that I'm nurturing my imagination, but especially through their capacity to catch or to invent the little details that make all the difference. At the same time I'm happy to provide my experience in order to play a role in the education of art - while creating art."
For: children from 5 years up; Lucia can do the classes in Italian, English - and a tiny bit in Dutch. There are always max. 2 children at the same time, in order to give them her full attention.
When: Organized on request, from monday to friday afternoon.
Where : Watergeuzenstraat 10
Cost:
For children between 5-12
Weekly course " Dipingi con l'artista", 7 x 90 min. = €120 including material except canvas; or Workshop of 2 hours (with the possibility to make two meetings of one hour each) = €30 including material.
For children above 12 years
Weekly course "Painting on Canvas", 4x2 hours = €220; Weekly course "Illustration", 4x2 hours = €220; Workshop of 4 hours (with the possibility to make two meetings of two hours each), €80.
Website: www.luciarafanelli.com
Review: Together with a friend and our six year old daugthers we have made a course with Lucia Rafanelli. In total, my daughter succeeded in making three lovely paintings with acrylic paint: Little Red Riding Hood, Pippi Longstocking and a wire dancer. Together with Lucia, she first worked on drawing a sketch, and then they coloured it together, adding also different material like little paper cutouts with drawings on them. My daughter had a lot of fun - and in fact to do another class. She's very proud of her paintings, and Lucia has been a wonderfully cordial and vivid teacher. (Antonia).
What is it: Handwerk Studio Leiden is a studio where people of all ages can come together and craft. For children, Liz is offering sewing classes. They learn how to handle a sewing machine and are making their very own pieces of clothing.
For: Most kids are between 9 and 13 - but the studio has a wide range of ages, starting with 5 years.
When: Time of classes might be changing. At the moment there are groups of 9-11 year olds on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. If parents contact Liz with a group of kids who would like sewing lessons, she is happy to work around their schedule.
Where: Middelstegracht 89y
Cost: €96 for 8 lessons (2 hours each)
Website: www.handwerkstudioleiden.com
Review: My daughter (9 years old) enjoys very much sewing lessons with Liz. She is going there once per week with a friend of hers, and it's a lovely quiet atmosphere. She's learning to make her own clothes or clothes for her doll or lovely little bags - really useful. She can now sew with the machine better than me! She's developed her creativity and concentration a great deal, and now instead of thinking of buying clothe she is thinking of making them. Liz is very kind and has good contact with the children.
