WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
To release your inner creative?
To celebrate a special occasion?
To treat
your staff?
To turn your creative passion into a career?
To reward your customers?
A creative gift?
Some fun
time out?
RELEASE YOUR INNER CREATIVE
The Arienas Collective offers a supportive, welcoming and non-threatening space in which to release those creative skills that we believe lie within us all. Our taster and introductory workshops are perfect for beginners and returners, and there are options for those wanting to take their skills to the next level.
"A relaxing learning environment helped by the friendly and welcoming approach from both Lynn and Jenny. Lovely surroundings and a real sense of team effort from start to finish learning both processes."
- David Campbell
CELEBRATE A SPECIAL OCCASION
If you would like to create with a group of family or friends, or to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or hen party, we've got you covered. Most of our workshops can be booked as a private class, and you get sole use of our lovely space. We can also personalise your workshop to suit your celebration theme.
"Sue was looking for a fun, creative way to celebrate her niece's 40th birthday that would suit mixed generations and abilities, and loved the look of gel printing. Lou adapted the workshop so that they could create birthday cards, and I served up birthday cake and fizz!"
- Lynn Powell
TREAT YOUR STAFF
Getting together to create is perfect for team building, and staff days out. We can host small groups in our workshop space, or bring our team of creatives to you. Many of our creative workshops can be adapted for larger groups and venues, and suitability will depend on numbers and venue facilities. We are happy to help and advise, so if this is something you'd like to consider, email Lynn.
Baillie Gifford hold an annual Staff Away Day and invited us to suggest a range of 3- hour creative options. These were run in venues nearby to their office, organised by them.
"A huge thank you for all your help in making Friday such a success. We have received really positive feedback from both groups, so thank you for making the visit so special for them. Please pass on our thanks to Lucy and Panna. We have already pencilled in the date for next year and would love if we could book the classes again."
- Julie, Baillie Gifford (June 2023)
TURN YOUR CREATIVE PASSION INTO A CAREER
We love it when people turn their creative passion into a career - it’s what we’re about after all! If that’s something you’re considering, you'll find our career-focussed workshops and courses grouped together in one Collection at the top of our workshops page.
David attended our beginners' soap making workshop with Jenny from The Scottish Soapworks. He was seeking a change of career, and the idea of making and selling soap and skincare products appealed. He loved the workshop so much that he booked up for Jenny's 1:1 business course, and then into production! Jenny continued working with David to create his lovely Sunart Soap Co brand identity, and he is now a proud artisan soap maker!
- Lynn Powell
REWARD YOUR CUSTOMERS
As a small business we truly value our loyal customers. One way we demonstrate this is through offering ‘creative rewards’ to our newsletter subscribers. We also support other local businesses who want to say 'thank you' or 'welcome' to their customers by running in-person workshops in their shops, restaurants, and bars. If you'd love to treat your customers through offering them an onsite creative experience, drop Lynn an email to talk through the options.
And, if you are a like-minded local business interested in collaborating with our creative community, we would love to hear from you.
John Lewis approached us about helping out with their Festive Fun Day. They wanted to offer a selection of fun, in-store festive activities for their My John Lewis members. They loved the idea of personalised calligraphy baubles, something they'd spotted Panna already ran here as a class. We also suggested soap making with Jenny as a group activity suitable for all ages, knowing it would also fill their shop floor with lovely Yuletide scents!
"Thank you for your contribution to Saturday. Both of your artists were brilliant. Really nice people and great with the customers. I think Jenny's demo was the surprise hit of the day! Always a pleasure working with you. Hopefully...we can work together again."
- Kirsty, John Lewis Edinburgh (December 2021)
CREATIVE GIFT
Creative workshops make a great gift! You can book a space on any of our workshops and courses, but if you’re not sure what they would like - or want to leave the choice of workshop and date to them - our gift vouchers are the perfect option. They come inside a lovely, complimentary hand-stamped gift card, ready for you to add a personal message (or we can do that for you and post them directly). A gorgeous, white gift box is available as an optional extra.
Around Christmas time, we stock a small range of themed, creative gift experiences which include a workshop gift voucher plus a creative kit, for an extra special gift.
PS If you’re in a hurry, there’s an e-voucher option available via the workshops page.
FUN TIME OUT
Our workshop space is hidden in plain sight, a few steps from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh's New Town and St James Quarter, and near to the tram, bus routes, and Waverley station. This makes us perfectly placed for some creative time out in town: be that nighttime or daytime. We've been running our Art & Wine Evenings for around 6 years now, and have recently added Soap & Sip and Sketch & Sip options to our Collection of lighthearted creative workshops. We love it when people discover the fun side of creating - especially when they also surprise themselves with their level of skill!
"If you have never picked up a paintbrush since leaving school, or if you are an absolute beginner, I can thoroughly recommend the Art and Wine evening. At the end you will be astonished and delighted with your work - go on, try it! Under the expert guidance of Suzanne and Lynn's generous hospitality, the evening provides time to step aside from the hurly burly of life and create something beautiful."
- Elaine, Art & Wine Evening