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Highbury's community courses and training are fun and flexible.

Free training for the Unemployed

Highbury College offers a range of programmes to help the unemployed gain employment. The programmes are funded through the European Social Fund and are free to all unemployed people aged 18 and over. They include:

Employability Programmes
Introduction to Working in Adult Health & Social Care
Introduction to Working in Business Admin
Introduction to Working in a Contact Centre
Introduction to Working in a Warehouse
Introduction to Working in IT
Introduction to Working in Retail
Introduction to Working in Customer Service

Our community courses are available for groups or individuals, taking place at more than 50 community venues in Portsmouth and the surrounding area, as well as at Highbury College Centres.

Venues include:

Carnegie Library, Fratton
Southsea Library
Portsmouth Central Library, Guildhall
Tonic Music for Mental Health, Highland Road, Southsea
Highbury Campus, Cosham
Unit 3, Mitre Court, Bishopsfield Road, Fareham
Making Space, Leigh Park, Havant

We offer a wide range of programmes, accredited and non-accredited, starting at various times and running throughout the year. They cover cameras and photography, computing and IT and creative crafts.

Our photography and camera courses suit all abilities, from absolute beginners to would-be professionals. Courses cover a range of subjects, from getting to know your camera to taking portraits and water photography.

We offer a number of short courses for people who want to develop their creative side, from calligraphy to pebble art. The courses are fun and the majority are FREE. All we ask is that you bring basic resources with you to the classes.

For more information, give us a call on 02392 383 131 or email info@highbury.ac.uk

In partnership with

Hampshire Futures logo

Creative community courses - click to view

We offer a number of short courses for people who want to develop their creative side, from Calligraphy to Pebble Art. The courses are fun and all are FREE. All we ask is that you bring basic resources with you to the classes.

COURSE	VENUE	START	DURATION	TOTAL	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Book Making	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Book binding using hand-marbled paper. Create, write and illustrate your own books or your own hand bound journals.
Calligraphy	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Develop and build skills in contemporary and traditional calligraphy, including lettering, layout and illumination.
Card Making	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn card making, use your style and creativity to make greeting cards for any occasion.
Casting Concrete	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Using no special tools or equipment, you'll be able to learn the fundamentals of working with concrete to make smaller crafts using standard moulds, moulds with voids, and custom moulds to make your own concrete creation.
Collaging	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Explore and combine a variety of collage techniques using found pictures, drawing, painting and paper to create new images.
Drawing and painting with Chalk Pastel	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn techniques that you can use to create still life art using chalk pastels. You will learn to sketch, blend colours, create light and dark space, and to use the pastel to create strokes with various degrees of clarity.
Drawing with Charcoal and Chalk	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Create gradation and change pressure while sketching. Learn how to use erasers, cloths and blend charcoal drawings to lighten and soften edges.
Drawing with Coloured Pencil	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn simple coloured pencil and drawing techniques. Learn how to draw from real life and from observation
Drawing with Pen and Ink	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to create ink drawings using a range of different tools and with a variety of different styles.
Drawing with Oil Pastel	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn a wide variety of mark making with oil pastels, from heating up to build up colour in thick layers to diluting with solvent.
Drawing with Pencil	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to accurately draw from a simple reference photo using a range of graphite pencils. Learn how to draw, shade, and create gradation with graphite pencils.
Dry/Needle Felting	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	An introduction to dry needle felting, you will learn the basic techniques and be guided through the processes in order to make 3D felt objects.
Glass Painting	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Using glass paints you will learn how to mix glass paints, use stippling, texture and create detailed line work by applying relief.
Jewellery Making	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn to make your own beads and jewellery from a range of materials including clay, leather and metal.
Lino Cutting and Printing	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to plan your own design, transfer it on to lino and cut ink and print your lino by hand.
Marbling	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Make simple marble patterns using paper and have the opportunity to choose your colours and create your own designs.
Mosaic	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn basic mosaic making techniques including selecting a base, designing the shape and colour, grouting and cleaning.
Painting with Acrylic	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	During this course we will cover Materials and set up, colour mixing and pigment choice, brush handling and palette knife techniques and gels and mediums.
Painting with Acrylic Ink	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Discover how to manipulate and experiment with acrylic coloured inks. You will draw and paint from both still life and images.
Painting with Chinese Brush and Ink	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn the art of using simple and effortless brush strokes to give the impression of a figure or scene.
Painting with Watercolour	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Develop a range of watercolour techniques; from traditional, illustrative and abstract. Practice observation and interpretation skills for handling watercolour.
Paper Cutting and Stencilling	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn to paper cut from a template and how to create a template from your own drawing.
Pebble Art	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Use nature to create works of art. You learn how to create simple but effective images using pebbles and drift wood.
Screen Printing	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to create a design and how to print it using screens and ink.
Sculpting/Modelling with Clay	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn sculpting and hand building skills along with gaining knowledge about different types of clay.
Sculpting with Paper Mache	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to use different paper mache techniques; pulping, layering and sculpting to create a range of objects.
Seasonal Crafts (Easter, Spring, Christmas etc.)	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to create beautiful decorations and unique gifts for any seasonal occasion.
Weaving	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	Learn how to make your own woven wall-hanging or decorative fabric from rags.

Writing, computing and IT courses - click to view

IT for Business; our range of bespoke Microsoft Office training programmes cover Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook in versions 2003, 2007 and 2010. Our qualified tutors take time to fully understand your organisation’s learning and training requirements. This ensures that the end result is achievable and meets the needs of both the learner and the organisation. To date, excellent feedback has been received from businesses within the area, from this progression opportunities have been made available.

COURSE	VENUE	START	DURATION	FEE	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Intro to Creative Writing	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	This course is for people who have never tried to write creatively. Over the three sessions you will get the opportunity to write creative stories and share it with the other students/tutor in the class.
Google Photos	Various	Flexible	3 hours	FREE	This three-hour lesson will introduce you to using Google Photos. Find out why you should store a copy of your photographs in the Cloud.
Protecting your personal digital data (Internet Security)	Various	Flexible	3 hours	FREE	A three hour presentation/discussion on how to protect yourself online and keep your personal data safe.
Intro to Working in a School	Various	Flexible	36	£200 FREE to the unemployed.	This twelve session course is aimed at those who wish to become Learning Assistants in a school and support children with their learning.
Basic Microsoft Office Suite	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	This three session course is aimed at people who have no or limited experience of using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Microsoft Office Intermediate	Various	Flexible	9 hours	FREE	This is the follow on course for those who have successfully completed the Basic Microsoft Office Suit course. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint will be covered in more detail.
Photoshop Elements Basic	Various	Flexible	15 hours	£80 Concessions are available	Learn what each tool in the Photoshop Elements toolbox is used for.
Photoshop Elements Intermediate	Various	Flexible	15 hours	£80 Concessions are available	The follow on course for those who have successfully completed the Basic course. You will learn how to apply several different effects to images.
Photoshop Elements Advanced	Various	Flexible	15 hours	£80 Concessions are available	The follow on course for those who have successfully completed the Intermediate course. You will learn how to apply several more complicated effects to images.
Photoshop Elements Organizer	Various	Flexible	3 hours	FREE	In this three hour lesson we will introduce the Organizer feature built into Photoshop Elements.

Photography courses - click to view

Highbury College offers a variety of photography courses to suit all abilities, from absolute beginners to would-be professionals. Our courses introduce you to the world of photography and are ideal if you’re interested in developing your technical and creative skills. You will be introduced to certain terminologies including many genres such as landscape, on-location, astrophotography, light painting, portrait, water effects and much more.

COURSE	VENUE	START	DURATION	TOTAL	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Advanced Photography	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This three-week course runs for three hours each week and has been designed for those who already have an understanding of aperture, shutter control and ISO; but not quite sure on certain other concepts such as using lighting correctly, how to use a diffuser or a reflector to reduce or gain light; this course is a natural progression if you’ve attended our intermediate sessions. The course will also introduce you to Histograms (if you’re not already familiar with them), what are they and how to use them correctly when creating your photograph.
Introduction to basic Photography	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This three-weeks DSLR courses are aimed at beginners, enthusiasts and those who wish to refresh their knowledge including those who have just recently purchased a DSLR. The number of buttons and dials can be intimidating as well as the thickness of the manual, it can be very tempting to put the manual down, flick it onto ‘Auto’ and start shooting. Whilst that is fine for some, it may not be long until you crave the creative control that inspired you to purchase a DSLR in the first place, but where do you begin? If you consider yourself a beginner who is unsure of how to make the most of your camera, then this course is for you. It’s intended to be a brief one-stop shop to help you take your camera off auto and take control of your DSLR.
Introduction to Abstract	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This 1-day taster lesson is the perfect introduction to Abstract photography by understanding the concept of shape, form, colour, pattern and texture as seen by the artistic viewer.
Introduction to Water & Smoke Photography	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This 3 weeks DSLR course will cover how to use your camera for special effects using water, smoke and other equipment to create some stunning results. The sessions are a mix of instruction, hints and tips, practical exercises, picture reviewing and assignments and is open to those with a DSLR, SLT or bridge camera (not mobile phones or compact). Water Effects Probably the most challenging as you have to be quick; this fun one-day lesson will show you how to explode a balloon while still keeping the shape of the water in mid-air Smoke Effects Have you always wanted to create some stunning smoke effect photography? Well, this course will teach you how to create smoke with different lighting and colour.
Introduction to Composition	Various	Flexible	2 weeks	Free	Do you ever look at a picture or photo and keep looking at it and you’re not sure why you like it? Well many people get in to photography without knowing the simple but yet eye-pleasing composition of an image. This two-weeks course will give you a better understanding of composition, you will be able to create some really stunning images. What does the course cover? The main focus of this course is to understand Composition such as leading lines, rule of thirds and framing etc. This course is 90% hands-on experience.
How to make money from your photography	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	There are many ways you can make money or earn a simple wage by being a photographer; our three-hour one off lesson is aimed at just showing you how this can be achieved. You will learn how to: Upload to certain web sites Promote your style and creativity Keep track of your images (in case they’re stolen)
Get of Auto – A beginners guide to manual mode	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This three-week DSLR course is the natural progression from a beginner’s point of view or for those who wish to have a better understanding about their camera settings and the functions available. The sessions are a mix of instruction, hints and tips, practical exercises, picture reviewing and assignments.
Getting to know your camera and menus	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This three-week DSLR course is the natural progression from ‘Getting off Auto’. The course is aimed at those who wish to know their camera functions and menus better. We will cover the basics and the functionality of certain features such as the quality of images, picture styles, formatting, saving, viewing, copyright, date and HDR etc.
Getting to know camera equipment	Various	Flexible	2 weeks	Free	This two-week DSLR course is aimed at the photographer who wishes to progress with their knowledge on certain camera equipment be it flashguns, triggers, diffusers, reflectors, types of memory cards lenses, bags, tripods etc. You will be offered advice on which products would suit your requirements (for the genre you enjoy taking photos of), and within your budget.
Introduction to Intermediate Photography	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This three-week DSLR course is the natural progression from a beginner’s point of view and for those who have attended the ‘camera menu course’ or our ‘basic course’, or for those who wish to have a better understanding about their camera. The sessions are a mix of instruction, hints and tips, practical exercises, picture reviewing, and assignments and is open to those with a DSLR, SLT or bridge camera (not mobile phones or compact).
Specialised Genre Photography – Landscape & Macro	Various	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	This three-weeks course will introduce you to Landscape and Macro photography. The Macro lesson is ideal for those with a keen interest in macro/close-up photography and those wishing to improve their practical skills, knowledge and understanding of this specialised subject. Landscape photography is probably the most popular; the course will show you how to apply technical theory to convey the intrinsic feeling of each location; produce your own intriguing and daring photographs that will enchant for years to come.
Night time (includes Astro and light painting)	HC	Flexible	3 weeks	Free	Discover the secrets of night time photography with this three-week course; during this fun, hands-on and informative course you will be introduced to some fundamental techniques as well as having the chance to capture stunning shots without using a flashgun (Speedlight). You will require a tripod ( we do have some available for you to use ) and a camera with shutter control to get the maximum from this course.
Portrait Photography	Various	Flexible	6 hours	Free	Our Portrait Photography Course is for those wishing to learn how to take flattering portraits of friends and family using the full potential of a camera and lenses in any lighting situation. Learn how to create beautiful portraits with the minimum of equipment. You will develop a better understanding of how light affects a portrait and how to make the most of any situation. You will be inspired to use the full potential of your camera and lenses and understand how aperture plays an important part in your image.
Getting to know your camera - Intermediate	HC	Flexible	5 weeks	£100	This course is designed to enable students to expand their technical knowledge and develop their understanding of technical language used in photography. As a student you will explore compositional techniques and use shutter speed and aperture creatively to capture images. This five-weeks DSLR course is the natural progression from our introduction to intermediate course, or for those who wish to have a better understanding about their camera. The sessions are a mixture of instruction, hints and tips, practical exercises, picture reviewing and assignments. There will also be an introduction to Adobe Photoshop Elements which is regarded as the principal image manipulation software for photography.