Online hub
Welcome to the online hub, where you will find digital resources and information to connect with the College and tutors, providing ideas and online courses for you to join in at home.
Join the community on social media
Our social media is full of developments from the West Dean community. Follow #westdeantogether for inspiration and to join the creative conversation. Maybe your own work will help inspire others?
- Facebook @westdeancollege
- Instagram @westdeancollege
- Twitter @westdeancollege
Short Courses Online
Enjoy the flexibility of doing a Short Course at your own pace.
Nurture your creativity from home with one of our online Short Courses, taught by the same expert tutors as our 300+ on site courses. Choose from:
- Get started with making books
- Start drawing
- Learn to draw portraits
- Relief printing at home
- Hybrid printmaking at home
- Get started with watercolour painting
- Oil painting for beginners
- Tapestry weaving – learn the basics
Many online courses are also available with craft boxes posted directly to your door (currently only available to mainland UK addresses).
Book an online course today
NEW Online Certificate in Art and Design
This NEW flexible foundation course is taught online through a mix of self-directed study, live study days and a student community hub.
Designed to fit around your day-to-day commitments, eight modules are taught by specialist subject tutors from the Short Course programme to improve competence and confidence in the core skills in art and design.
Read more about this courseLearning in lockdown
We now have 50+ tutorials on Youtube from the College’s expert Short Course Tutors. These bite-sized tutorials are designed to keep us all connected with creativity, and to provide inspiration for creative projects.
Many of the tutorials focus on materials you may already have. Try drawing a charcoal self-portrait (why not challenge friends and family to draw live via video call), explore botanical painting, fill a sketchbook with mixed media collages, get to grips with using flash on your DSLR camera or learn the basics of crochet.
See demos on Youtube
Sketchbook Project
Designed to bring us inspiration from West Dean Gardens, the sketchbook project encourages us to experiment with drawing, painting, stitching and printmaking using the colours, textures and shapes found in nature. A great activity to keep us busy and creative whilst at home.
Explore the Sketchbook Project
Creative writing exercises
To keep us inspired, Creative Writing and Publishing Subject Leader Mark Radcliffe has put together a series of 15 minute creative writing exercises. These prompts, tips and ideas are designed to encourage us to explore our imaginations and are suitable for all ages and abilities.
Download your daily exercises:
Degree and Diploma courses
Students are currently learning remotely and because our class sizes are small it helps to keep class dynamics working. MFA student Philippa Clarke has been responding to everyday life in isolation with daily drawings, including this sketch of an online lecture.
Discover degrees & diplomas
Take a virtual tour
If you aren't able to visit us or want to take another look around then take a virtual tour. Explore the degree and diploma studios, workspaces and communal areas of the College to get a feel for what it's like to study here.
Take a tour
