School Blog

Be quick to get a place for this special and you'll get an Early Bird Discount! Book tickets here.

Title: How to take great portrait photographs
Date: Saturday 9th April 2011
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 2 hours
Price: £20
Teacher: Immo Klink
Photo: Immo Klink (of course!)

About this class:

• Only 10 spaces available
• 2 hour class in East London
• Bring your own digital camera
• Rare chance to learn from Immo Klink

A rare chance to learn from Immo Klink - a professional Photographer with a very impressive client list including Dazed&Confused and I-D magazine.

In this 2 hour class, those with a very basic knowledge of photography will be given all the information they need to take great portrait photographs, be more confident when taking photos, and learn some technical tricks. You’ll find out how the Pros take portrait photos - how to get your subject to do what you want them to do, how to build trust, and make them feel confident and relaxed. Immo explains “In my practice as a photographer I’ve learned that apart from the technical stuff, portraiture is a ‘people skill’. The best equipment won't help you if you can't make the person in front of the camera comfortable. I will tell you some tricks to achieve that.”

You will learn some technical basics about light, backgrounds and lenses. You’ll try some practical exercises so bring your camera with you - both pocket and SLR cameras are fine for this class. There will also be a surgery session, where you can ask Immo about particular problems you may have been struggling with.

About the teacher:
Immo Klink has worked for a number of publications including Dazed&Confused, I-D, Another Magazine, Adbusters. He regularly shoots covers for the Independent Magazine. Exhibitions include Museum of Contemporary Art Castilla y Leon (MUSAC), National Portrait Gallery (London), Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (Sunderland) Immo Klink has participated in numerous group exhibitions alongside Allan Sekula, Andreas Gursky, Boris Mikhailkov, Massimo Vitali, Thomas Hirschhorn, Tracey Moffatt and Wolfgang Tillmans.

Book tickets here.

Be quick to get a place for this special and you'll get an Early Bird Discount! Book tickets here.

Title: How to make a DIY synth sound machine
Date: Thursday 14th April 2011
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 2 hours
Price: £25
Teacher: Evan Raskob

About this class:

• Only 10 spaces available
• 2 hour class in East London
• Includes kit of sound-making electronics and a booklet to take home
• Taught by multimedia artist Evan Raskob
• Suitable for all ages and abilities

Using basic circuitry, in this School of Everything Special you will learn how to create a synth sound-making machine to impress your friends and astound your enemies. It doesn’t involve soldering or anything like that and we’ll provide an exploratory kit of electronic parts, sensors and expert guidance. All you need to bring is a little bit of creativity and enthusiasm. The result is a sonic cacophony for people of all abilities. The class is suitable for all ages and skill levels so you can bring the whole family along. Be warned that there are small parts that younger kids might try to eat; this is not ideal obviously.

About the teacher:

Evan Raskob is a contemporary multimedia artist whose works spans video, sound, installation, performance, and interactive art. Recent exhibitions include Waving / Drowning, a gallery show of human movements crystallized into a series of digital prints, sculptures, and interactive software, and Drawn Together, an interactive installation project exploring creative crowd sourcing in hand drawn music videos, featured at The Big Chill festival this past August. He also set up Open Lab Workshops to explore creating and hacking media using free software and tools. Basically, he knows what he is doing.

Book tickets here.

Yet another very special School of Everything Special for you. Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to create advanced interactive WordPress themes
Date: Wednesday 30th March 2011
Time: 2.30pm - 5.30pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 3 hours
Price: £55
Teacher: John O'Nolan
Photo: Odyssey (Some rights reserved)

About this class:

• Only 10 spaces available
• For those with a strong existing knowledge of HTML and CSS
• 3 hour class in East London
• Rare chance to learn from John O’Nolan

A rare chance to learn from John O’Nolan - a WordPress expert with a very impressive client list and a member of the WordPress UI Team. In this 3 hour class, those with a basic knowledge of WordPress theming will be given a crash course of extra advanced know-how. If that’s you - this is the first and only class of this kind so sign up quick!

In this School of Everything Word Press Special you can gain advanced knowldege of WordPress themes. John will teach how to integrate HTML and CSS with a WordPress theme, how to use WordPress template syntax, and give a basic introduction to additional coding methods to extend themes beyond their default functionality.

This class is for you if you either have a strong existing knowledge of HTML and CSS, an understanding of what PHP is (without needing to understand how it works), or currently build small websites and want to start using a content management system. It will cover WordPress theme elements, getting from design to HTML, installing a theme, modifying themes, integrating HTML with WordPress, integrating plugins, advanced functionality, and what to do next.

This evening class includes the chance to win a copy of 'Smashing WordPress Themes' of which John was the technical-editor.

About the teacher:
John is a creative professional working with companies everywhere in a modest effort to change the world for the better. He is a core member of the WordPress Core UI team and the technical editor for Smashing Magazine's new book ‘Smashing WordPress Themes'. He's got a pretty impressive WordPress client list and we can honestly say he is a bit of a WordPress expert.

Book tickets here.

Yet another very special School of Everything Special for you. Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to homebrew anything
Date: Wednesday 30th March 2011
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Location: Near Chalk Farm, North London
Duration: 2 hours
Price: £30
Teachers: Charlie Tims and Pete Clarke
Photo: Charlie Tims

About this class:

• Only ten spaces available
• Created exclusively for School of Everything
• No previous homebrewing experience necessary
• Beer and supper included
• Learn to harvest and homebrew without leaving London

A rare chance to learn from Charlie Tims and Pete Clarke - they make beer, wine and cider in their London home and they want to teach you how to do it too. In this 2 hour class you will be taught the homebrewing process, how to source your own materials, and learn what you can cook up. You’ll be surprised! This is the first and only class of this kind so sign up quick.

In this School of Everything Homebrew Special you can learn to create your own homebrew to share with friends. You’ll be welcomed in to Charlie and Pete’s home near Chalk Farm, North London and they’ll talk through the process, demo the techniques and reveal how they got started with harvesting and homebrewing the fruits of London's trees and hedgerows.

This class is for all. You don’t need to have any homebrewing knowledge to attend this class. It will equip you with a basic knowledge to make beer, cider and wine in your home - including hands on experience of syphoning, capping, corking, sterilising, measuring specific gravity, fitting an airlock. It also covers basic safety and hygiene, approaches to sourcing fruit, advice on stockists and equipment.

This evening class includes supper and beer - you may get to sample some of their homebrew alcohol too.

About the teachers:
Charlie Tims is a freelance researcher interested in creativity, communication and public spaces. He tries to find new ways to research with others and share ideas in simple ways. Charlie is currently working with A New Direction in East London on Biglop - an education programme that brings 15 artists together with 142 schools across London to explore questions raised by London’s Olympics. His other projects include Hometaping and Make Nubs he spends his spare time gardening, printing, cooking and scrumping of course. Pete Clarke is a French and Spanish tutor by day but homebrews by moonlight.

Book tickets here.

We have another very special School of Everything Special for you. Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to make your own newspaper
Date: 10th March 2011
Time: 6.30pm - 8pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 1.5 hours
Price: £25
Teachers: Tom Taylor and Ben Terrett
Photo: Newspaper Club

About the class:

• Only ten spaces available
• Created exclusively for School of Everything
• 1 hr 30 min class in East London
• Taught by the founders of Newspaper Club

Extra! Extra! It used to be only media tycoons that had access to the printing presses but now Newspaper Club means we can all have a go at creating beautiful printed things. Whether you want to produce a one-off for a friend's wedding or your own weekly tabloid, Newspaper Club lets you curate, design and print anything from 5-5,000 copies. You can read a bit more about them in this BBC News article.

In this exclusive School of Everything class, Newspaper Club co-founders Tom Taylor and Ben Terrett will give you tips about how to create your own fantastic newspaper using Newspaper Club. The class will include:

• Newspaper Design 101 - learn the lingo. Know your masthead from your dropcap.
• How ARTHR works - learn the basics of Newspaper Club's in house design tool.
• An introduction to printing - what happens when you click 'print'.
• Advanced tips - a few design tricks to make your newspaper look like the real deal.
• Includes £10 voucher towards printing your first newspaper.

About the teachers:
Tom Taylor is a creative technologist and engineer and co-founder of Newspaper Club. He's a partner of the Really Interesting Group and has done work with the BBC, the National Maritime Museum, Dentsu London, Innocent Drinks and Stamen Design. He's just cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats.

Ben Terrett is an award winning designer and also co-founder of Newspaper Club and a partner at RIG. As well as loads of conferences, he has spoken about design on Radio 4's Today programme and written feature articles for The Guardian, Creative Review and Design Week. He has notoriously bad music taste and as a consequence knows all the words to DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Summertime.

Book tickets here.

We have another very special School of Everything Specials for you. Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to draw a cartoon
Date: Wednesday 2nd March 2011 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 2 hours
Price: £30
Teacher: Tim Sanders
Photo: Tim Sanders

About this class:

• Only ten spaces available
• All materials provided
• 2-hour class in East London
• Taught by the cartoonist for The Independent
• No drawing experience necessary

A rare chance to learn from Tim Sanders - a successful political cartoonist for a number of publications including The Independent. In this 2-hour class you will be taught how to tell a story in a few frames as well as how to express movement and emotion in your very own cartoon. He doesn’t offer these classes often so sign up quick!

Whether it’s The Simpsons or Micky Mouse everyone loves a great cartoon and now you have the chance to draw and star in your very own. In this School of Everything Cartoon Drawing Special you can learn to create your own masterpiece to hang on your wall for all to see.

Materials are provided for free including all the paper and pens you’ll need. This class is for all. You don’t need to be able to draw to attend this class, in fact it may be better if you’ve not achieved as much as a scribble before this - Tim will talk you through every step of creating the perfect comic strip.

About the teacher:
Tim Sanders has worked as the pocket cartoonist for The Independent for more than ten years. He has worked for most of the major newspapers, and lots of magazines, and different sorts of publications. He lives in London with his partner Judith and two daughters Maria, and Juliet.

Book tickets here.

We have another very special School of Everything Specials for you Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to live for free
Date: Monday 28th February 2011 6.30pm - 8pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 1.5 hours
Price: £12
Teacher: Katharine Hibbert
Photo: Katharine Hibbert

About this class:

• Only ten spaces available
• Created exclusively for School of Everything
• 1.5-hour class in East London
• Taught by the author of 'Free: Adventures on the Margins of a Wasteful Society'
• Covers the practicalities, history and ethics of living for free

Things aren't looking good for the economy. You might already find you've got less money in your pocket in a city that costs a fortune to live in, but there are ways of living for a lot less money while reducing your impact on the environment and maybe even having some fun. In this class Katharine Hibbert will share her experience of living in London for free for a year. She found that there were lots of ways to find food, accommodation and to get around without spending any money at all - and found herself happier than she had been while earning and spending. She’ll be discussing the practicalities, history and ethics of squatting, scavenging and hitchhiking, describing how her experience changed her attitude to her possessions and left her less fearful and more optimistic. So if you’re feeling skint, glum or just fed up with the old bed-work-shop-eat-bed routine, come to this class and discover how you could walk away from it all - or just how to find some free bike maintenance and sushi.

About the teacher:
Katharine Hibbert gave up spending money after being made redundant during the financial crisis. She lived off food, clothes, goods and accommodation that would otherwise have gone to waste for a year, and wrote a brilliant book about her experiences called 'Free: Adventures on the Margins of a Wasteful Society'. She's passionate about making use of things that are going to waste and believes all of us could live a lot more cheaply, sustainably and enjoyably if we thought about our actions a little more.

Book tickets here.

Here is our second School of Everything Special. Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to remember
Date: Monday 21st February 2011 7pm - 9pm
Location: London
Duration: 2 hours
Price: £30 (normally £50)
Teacher: Richard Bowdler
Photo: Some rights reserved by Cory Doctorow

About this class:

• Only ten spaces available
• Free book included
• Exclusive discounted price - pay £30 instead of £50
• 2-hour class in East London
• Memory techniques masterclass

There's no such thing as being forgetful, you just need to know how to remember stuff. In this two hour class you will learn some brilliant memory techniques you won’t want to forget. Whether it's peoples' names or facts for exams, this unique class will help you remember more information more effectively. If you’re far from being an Elephant that never forgets this is perfect for you. And it doesn't matter how old you are it's suited to anyone aged 8 to 108.

About the teacher:
Richard Bowdler is an Oxford graduate who has trained himself to have an exceptional memory - he can teach you to do the same. He taught himself techniques for optimising retention of vast quantities of complex information whilst studying for his Masters degree in Chemistry, turning an ancient Greek memorising system into something a little more manageable and up-to-date. His memory techniques have been successfully applied to people whose ages range from 6 to 64 and include City whizz-kids sitting their CFA exams, MBA students, hedge-fund managers, private investigators, an elite branch of the british military, to name but a few.

Book tickets here.

Here is the first of our very special School of Everything Specials! Be quick to get a place as there are only 10 spaces available. Book tickets here.

Title: How to knit a bunny
Date: Tuesday 1st March 2011 6pm - 9pm
Location: 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Duration: 3 hours
Price: £30 (normally £35)
Teacher: Aneeta Patel
Photo: Courtesy of Peter Schiazza

About this class:

• Only ten spaces available
• All materials included
• Exclusive discounted price
• 3-hour class in East London
• Basic knitting skills required

Easter eggs are already in the shops so it’s not too early for us to offer you an alternative to over-eating chocolate. Spring is spun with this School of Everything Easter Knitting Special. Learn how to knit your own Easter Bunny Egg Cosy. Makes a perfect Easter gift!

In this 3-hour evening knitting class you will be guided through each step by Aneeta Patel, professional knitting teacher, the creator of Knitting SOS and author of ‘Knitty Gritty - Knitting for the Absolute Beginner’. All materials needed are provided for free, including yarns, needles, embellishments, egg cup and chocolate egg. Please note that this class is not for absolute beginners to knitting; it’s best if you are already able to cast on and do the basic knit stitch as a minimum. The design is simple enough for most levels of knitters, with plenty of scope for customisation, experimentation and personality.

About the teacher:
Aneeta Patel started knitting when she was 5 years old and has gone on to knit original samples for designers both in London and New York. With over 30 years experience Aneeta created Knitting SOS in 2006 as a free service for knitters in need of emergency advice. A professional knitting teacher providing knitting classes for beginners and intermediate knitters across London. Aneeta turned her classes into a knitting book Knitty Gritty - Knitting for the Absolute Beginner which has proved to be a best-seller and the sequel will be out in August 2012.

Book tickets here.

Date: Tuesday 30th November
Time: 6.30pm - 9pm
Venue: School of Everything, 18 Victoria Park Square, London, E2 9PF
Food and drinks provided

Next Tuesday we are holding a discussion about how the internet is changing the way in which we learn music - whether it be singing, digital music production, guitar or music theory or anything in between.

We are delighted to announce our guest speakers for the event - each talking about what they think is going on with all this and outlining their experiences with music, technology and peer education. They’re also very nice people.

David Jennings - author of Net, Blogs and Rock 'n' Roll
Charlie Tims and Pete Bradwell - co-founders of hmtpng

Here at Everything HQ we are particularly interested in how the internet can help people interested in learning something, in this case music, to meet others to learn with. Because we think learning is better with friends. Also, come along for the chance to try out a very new School of Everything service that helps you start your own peer-to-peer learning group.

There are a few spaces left for this event and we'd love it if you could join us. If you’d like to grab a space send us an email. ([email protected])

We're running this workshop in conjunction with Netsounds, a European network project that promotes the use of digital technology and social networking in musical education.

Image: Some rights reserved by jediduke