Teaching Opportunities at the London Centre for Book Arts

Come and teach at the LCBA! The centre is looking to add more workshops to their schedule. If you have an idea for a workshop to teach at the Centre, please let them know by filling in the form on their web site.

You can see examples of their current workshops at londonbookarts.eventbrite.co.uk

Questions? Get in touch with Simon at simon@londonbookarts.org

Finishing School at the Bindery Nr. Cirencester, Gloucestershire

21st-22nd September 2013
This is a weekend of gold tooling for all levels of experience from beginners to those wishing to consolidate and extend their skills. To make the best use of time students will be provided with a prepared piece of leather so that they can experience working with gold leaf immediately, before going on to work either on their own covered boards or leather-bound books.

The course will include the following:
- Basic notes on finishing
- Materials and equipment
- Tooling prepared leather
- Preparing a book for finishing.
- Working out the blind plan for titling and /or design, blind and gold tooling.
- Traditional and modern uses of gold
- Students will pay per sheet of gold leaf used.

There is a limited number of places available as there will be a maximum of 6 students. Each student will have the exclusive use of a finishing stove and a selection of finishing tools and letters will be available. Those students who prefer to use their equipment are encouraged to bring their own but it is suggested that it be marked so that it can be readily identified. Students should bring a packed lunch on the Saturday. On the Sunday it is proposed that lunch be taken at a local hostelry (not included in the fee) after which it will be back to the bindery for work/questions and finishing off. Cost of two-day workshop: £95

For more information contact annasquith136@yahoo.co.uk

Learn to bind at the Otter Bindery in Surrey

For those wishing to learn bookbinding, The Otter Bindery offers classes, for all levels from beginners upwards.

Bookbinding Taster Day (Level 1)
28th September 2013
This one day workshop is an ideal 'taster' for beginners to bookbinding. You will learn the skills needed to make your own case-bound book, which you will take home at the end of the day.
The course runs from 10am-6pm with a 1 hour break for lunch.
Cost £125 inc VAT.

Masterclass - Drop Back Box and Slip Case Course
5th October 2013
In this one day class you will learn how to make a slip case for one of your own books. You will also learn how to make a drop back box using pre-cut board. At the end of the day you will take home a finished slip case made to fit your book and a drop back box covered in cloth.
The class runs from 10am-6pm with a 1 hour break for lunch. Please bring in a small book for the slip case.
Cost £220 inc VAT.

Masterclass - Romanesque Course (Level 2)
9th-10th November 2013
Something a little bit different from Otter Bookbinding! Romanesque is the name given to a group of book bindings made in various European cities c.1140-1200. They feature robust sewing on leather thongs, wooden boards and tab endbands, and are covered in leather. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn an historic structure from the inside out, learning such techniques as the use of the endbands, herringbone sewing, and button hole stitching. In this 2-day workshop, participants will recreate the Romanesque binding applying the techniques that are typical of the period. We will look at surviving examples of bindings and their construction, and will create a book from scratch, using sewing and wood working techniques to create a working model to take home. All materials will be provided including wooden boards, text blocks, thread and leather.
Each day of the course runs from 10am-5pm with an hour's break for lunch. Participants must have Level 1 or equivalent experience to attend this course.
Cost £260 inc VAT.

Sewing Course (Level 2)
15th February 2014
This one day course will give you a good grounding in the main methods of sewing used in bookbinding. You will make prototypes to take home to refer to later. You also use one of these for the course on Library Style binding which requires participants to bring in a ready sewn book. You will learn about the techniques used in sewing structures and get to sew-up three books out of the following: sewing on tapes, link stitch, French sewing, sawn in cords, raised cords, double cords, and coptic stitch.
The course will run from 10am-6pm with a 1 hour break for lunch, and is suitable for all levels.
Cost £180 inc VAT.

Introduction to Leather Binding - Library Style Binding (Level 3)
14th-16th March 2014
This 3 day course builds on the knowledge gained on the Taster and Sewing courses. You will learn the fundamentals of preparing leather for binding using a paring knife and a spokeshave. You will work with goatskin which will be prepared, then pasted out and moulded over the book. This course is an ideal preparation for our follow on course 'Making a Traditional Bound Leather Book'.
Both days of the course run from 10am-6pm with a 1 hour break for lunch. The course is suitable for those that have completed a Taster Course and Sewing course, and you must bring in a book already sewn on tapes. The book you bring should be no bigger than 20cm x 14cm.
Cost £295 inc VAT.

Make a Loose Board Half Leather Bound Book (Level 4)
18th-20th April 2014
At the end of this 3 day course you will take home a leather bound book you have made yourself using traditional techniques little changed in centuries. You will learn about different sorts of endpapers and which sorts of endpapers apply to which sorts of books. You will round and back them. You will make handsewn silk headbands and prepare vegetable tanned goatskin leather for covering using a spokeshave and a paring knife.
The course runs from 10am-5pm on each day with a 1 hour break for lunch. This course is suitable for those that have already completed the Taster, Sewing and Library Style courses. You must bring in a book already sewn on raised cords to work on.
Cost £295 inc VAT.

Restoration and Conservation Course (Level 5)
15th-17th August 2014
On this three day course you will learn how to repair a wide variety of different types of book. We will cover repair techniques that are applicable to books of all ages. We willl also learn how to carry out some paper conservation and repair.
Each day of the course runs from 10am-5pm with a 1 hour break for lunch. Participants must have completed Level 1-4, or have equivalent experience, to attend this course. You must bring in 3 books that are in need of repair to work on - a paper back book, a cloth covered book and a leather bound book to work on.
Cost £295 inc VAT.

For further details please check the website www.otterbookbinding.com or telephone 01932 845976.

Bookbinding at Higham Hall, Cumbria with Doug Mitchell

Greek Style (Byzantine) Bookbinding C2183
15th-18th November 2013
Quality paper/leather/wood and sewn headbands are the key feature of this very early style of binding. We will be bringing all four of them together using parchment paper, goat-skin leather and various woods such as oak, mahogany and hazelwood, along with the intricate weaving of white linen thread headbands, and finishing it all off with a leather braided clasp. All materials will be provided by the tutor for a cost of about £30. All are welcome. Residential Students for this course will be put up in a local b&b and shuttled to Higham at no extra cost.
Residential: £309 Non-residential: £185

Bookbinding - The Basics C2278
21st-23rd March 2014
A workshop for those wishing to establish or develop their skills in the fundamentals of Bookbinding with one of the UK’s leading exponents.
Materials provided at cost: £20pp
Residential: £209 Non-residential: £145

For further information go to www.highamhall.com

Panther Peak Bindery Workshops, Arizona

Lets make gifts! - Three Saturdays, 2nd-16th November 2013 - $300

and the Leather/Vellum Classes workshops are................

Limp vellum - Wednesday-Saturday, 9th-12th October 2013 - $400

Further details are available from www.pantherpeakbindery.com

Arthur Green - Bookbinding Workshops in Oxfordshire

These workshops will provide students with a step-by-step tutorial on traditional bookbinding styles, with a little bit of the history thrown in too. Participants will also learn about the tools, materials and terminology of the craft. One and two-day workshops are held on Saturdays throughout the year and run from 9:30am to 4:30 pm. All workshops are held in an 18th century school house in the middle of Eynsham village, just west of Oxford. The workshops are in small groups of six or less and all levels are welcome.

Fee: £65 per day, including lunch, tea/coffee, and all materials.

Further information is available from Arthur at:

The Bartholomew Rooms
The Square
Eynsham
Oxon, OX29 4HW

tel: 07921457174
email: arthurfgreen@yahoo.co.uk

American Academy of Bookbinding, Telluride, Colorado

23rd-27th September 2013 - Letterforms as Image for Design Bindings and Artist's Books
with Suzanne Moore
This five-day session offers students insights into the alphabet - typographic, written, drawn, printed and painted - as imagery for design bindings. After an introduction to the principles of type and lettering design, we will move through a series of exercises exploring and developing words and phrases as image. By exploring and examining the effects created with a variety of tools as well as the possibilities of scale, color, abstraction, and technique options in the design of a binding, we will expand the repertoire of each person, while developing a series of sketches for a binding - real or imagined - of your choice. Prepare to draw, copy, paint, stencil and cut letterforms in a brainstorm on paper!

Designed primarily to serve bookbinders in expanding their binding design options, this course is also perfect for designers, artists and calligraphers interested in the rich potential of works and letterform in their work.

30th September - 4th October 2013 - Alternative Decorative Techniques
with Don Glaister
This one-week course is an exploration of decorative techniques not typically associated with leather bookbinding. That is, they are techniques other than onlay, inlay and gold tooling. Students will learn to use such simple and effective techniques as leather sanding, freehand tooling, painted tooling, leather painting, feathered onlay and board forming. Students will learn to make specialized tools for their work and to create decorative materials. In addition to exploring the technical aspect of this work, students will be given guidance that will help them to design their bindings creatively, using these alternative techniques. This class is open to students with all levels of experience.

7th-11th October 2013 - The Unconventional Use of Leather
with Daniel Kelm
Daniel Kelm has experimented with various vegetable tanned and chrome tanned leathers, adhesives, and book structures in order to achieve an elegant leather binding that is not so costly or difficult as the traditional marriage of vegetable tanned leather and the rounded and backed textblock.

Students will be guided in the creation of one textblock and two flatback cases with offset spine attachment. One of the two cases will be covered with chrome tanned leather and the other with vegetable tanned leather. Two forms of PVA adhesive, one wet (Jade 403) and one dry (thermoplastic adhesive film) will be compared and contrasted. Kelm will teach students how to flatten an undulating piece of vegetable tanned leather into a flat sheet so that it can be used in the same manner as book cloth or paper. Students will choose one of the two cases to attach to their textblock. Making two cases gives participants the experience and information they need to work with either type of leather on their own in the future. The result of this amazing process is “simply” elegant!

7th-11th October - Islamic Binding
with Katherine Beaty
Over the course of the week, participants will construct a full leather Islamic style binding from start to finish. Each student will sew their own textblock utilizing an Islamic style chain stitch topped with the showy chevron endbands. We will experiment with the chevron design by weaving colored silk thread over the primary tie downs. Working with leather, we will construct the binding in two parts off the book. Before attaching the bindings, we will explore a variety of decoration techniques including polishing, blind stamping, onlays and embellishment with shell gold. Finally, our bindings will be attached with burnished paste papers. Through these exercises, students should expect to gain an understanding of the mechanics of Islamic bookbinding structure, as well as potential conservation problems. Intermediate level bookbinding experience recommended.

For more information, catalog, and/or to register,
please visit www.bookbindingacademy.org

School for Formal Bookbinding, Wilkes Barre, PA

21st-25th October 2013: Cloth Binding Conservation 28th October - 1st November 2013: Leather Binding Conservation

For more information about individual classes or tuition and housing fees, please visit the website at www.donrashfinebookbinder.com.

Bookbinding Courses at Dillington House, Somerset - October, November and for 2013

You probably already know that Urchfont Manor, which hosted bookbinding courses for many years, has now closed.  With the approval of Maureen Duke, who tutored the Urchfont courses for many years and built up the very full complement of equipment, we are delighted to let you know that a new host for the bookbinding courses has now been found at Dillington House. It is not far from Taunton, about 10 - 15 minutes from Junction 25 of the M5. The Director and staff at Dillington are very positive about having the bookbinding there, and virtually all the equipment that was at Urchfont will be moved to Dillington. The timetable will also be the same as that at Urchfont.

A further course is planned for 2013, as follows:
           
            25th - 29th November

The tutors will be those who had been due to teach at Urchfont,:  John Jameson, Sarah Jarrett-Kerr, John Pursey and Angela Sutton (specific course tutors to be confirmed).  In addition, there are two events in the immediate future (details below).

Dillington is a lovely place, and although the courses are somewhat more expensive than Urchfont, the food is very good (we have tried it!), the accommodation is five star, and there has been substantial  recent investment in a new building which includes accommodation and stunning new studios, so Dillington seems to have a secure future!

We do hope that you will support this new venture not only next year, but particularly in two ways right now: firstly by sending your contact details to Dillington (via the website above) so that they can add you to the mailing list to receive all the details of the coming courses and secondly by considering coming to either of the two events below which we hope will be well supported and enjoyed despite the short notice. Dillington is taking bookings for both of these now, and we know they have already had some people book on the November course, which is great news.

Further details are available from www.dillington.com
or by contacting dillington@somerset.gov.uk or 01460 258648.

Workshops & Short Courses at the Black Fox Bindery in North London

Nicky Oliver offers a range of courses and workshops at Black Fox Bindery from beginners bookbinding and box-making to advanced book design classes such as leather dyeing techniques and onlay work. Nicky can also tailor classes to your requirements. All materials and equipment are provided.

Please contact her on nicky@blackfoxbindery.com or 07929 549 140 for details and bookings.

North Bennet Street School, Boston, MA - Full-time Bookbinding Program

Established in 1986, this popular two-year program attracts students who share a passion for books and materials, problem-solving, the creative process and working with their hands to make, restore and preserve books and other printed cultural treasures. Students learn fundamental bookbinding techniques including tool use and modification, non-adhesive bindings, cloth and paper bindings of various styles, edition binding and an introduction to book repair and conservation. The second year provides a comprehensive examination of leather bindings, decorative tooling and finishing and re-backing and repair of leather bindings. Advanced paper treatments including washing and deacidification and other conservation procedures are covered.

For more information go to: www.nbss.edu

Handmade Art Workshops, London

Handmade Art Workshops design and deliver unique analogue art projects that encourage hands on creativity. We are artists, designers & craftswomen combining our experience and skills to teach drawing, printing and bookbinding to a range of ages and in a variety of community settings.

Get a Sketchbook is suitable for anyone over the age of eleven. It aims to engage its participants with the importance of sketchbooks in the creative process by enabling them to work with two professional artists and a bookbinder to make and use their own personalised hand-made, hardbound sketchbooks. These sessions can be booked individually or as a three session package.

Stages of the Get a Sketchbook workshop:

Workshop 1
Relief printing a cover using an etching press for your own sketchbook with artist Rachel Thomson
running time 2 hours
numbers max 20
price £250 includes materials & refreshments

Workshop 2
Making and binding your own sketchbook with professional book binder Nicky Oliver
running time 2 hours
numbers max 20
price £250 includes materials & refreshments

Workshop 3
Introduction to use of sketchbooks, speed drawing and information gathering involving use of different media with artist Agnes Mitchell
running time 2 hours
numbers max 20
price £250 includes materials & refreshments

Binding in Powys at The Farthing Press & Bindery with Alan Fitch

There are available a variety of courses, which run through out the year, offering the opportunity to learn in an idyllic location and relaxed atmosphere. With only a maximum of three people on any one course, tuition is on a very personal level, with each student having their own work station and all tools and materials supplied.

The courses run from Monday - Friday (9 - 5). Over the period of the course you will be guided through all the aspects of bookbinding, relevant to each course. There are at present four courses available:

Basic Course - This course has been designed for the beginner and covers all the basics of binding a book.

Refresher/Repair Course - This course is designed for the student who :
- Has completed the Basic Course but would like to spend more time developing their basic skills before moving on to finer things.
- Has had some experience in the past of binding a case bound, round and backed book but would like to refresh their skills.
- Would like to develop their skills in repairing old cloth cased books.

Full Leather Course - This course is for the person who wants to develop their bookbinding skills and progress to binding in leather.

2 Day Bookmaking Course - This course has been designed to allow you to spend two days making a variety of types and styles of book, none of which require any specialist equipment or tools.

Accommodation is available

For further detail please telephone +44 (0)1938 590733

The School for Bookbinding Arts, Winchester, VA

The school is committed to providing quality training in the craft of hand bookbinding. Its ongoing series of two-day workshops is designed to teach techniques that are immediately useful to the student as well as to create a solid foundation of skills for further bookbinding study. The curriculum includes both basic and advanced courses that are geared toward the needs of book dealers, collectors and anyone interested in learning the art of hand bookbinding. Each workshop features demonstrations of the techniques being taught coupled with ample supervised practice time for the student. A complete package of printed notes accompanies each of the workshops to aid the student in assimilating the body of information being presented.

Workshops are taught in the studios of Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding near Winchester, Virginia. Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding is a fully operational hand bookbinding and book restoration facility established in 1991 by Jill Deiss. Instructors for THE SCHOOL FOR BOOKBINDING ARTS include Jill Deiss, Dee Evetts, Susan McCabe and Bill Deiss.

Foundation Level Course

Beginning Cloth Binding Restoration: This course teaches a wide variety of skills that are immediately useful for the repair of cloth bindings and also serves as a foundation for later courses. Techniques taught include: repairing damaged corners, endcaps and joints on cloth bindings; toning of discolorations; and minor paper repair techniques. Limited to 9 students. $235

Beginning Leather Binding Restoration: Students will learn various treatments for leather bindings including repairs for damaged corners, endcaps, and joints. Also included are techniques for polishing and improving the condition of leather surfaces. $235

Advanced Cloth Binding Restoration: Learn the professional technique for restoring a cloth binding using original boards and spine. Requires Beginning Cloth Binding Restoration for participation. Limited to 7 students. $235

Advanced Leather Binding Restoration: The leather reback is the companion repair to the cloth reback but for leather bindings. All portions of the original binding are retained in this professional restoration. Techniques for thinning and paring leather will be featured in this workshop. Requires Beginning Leather Binding Restoration for participation. Limited to 7 students. $235

New Cloth Bindings: Two styles of new bindings will be taught to enable students to put covers on books that have lost their original bindings. Introduction to book titling will be featured as well as methods for endsheet attachment. Limited to 9 students. $235

Clamshell Box Construction: Students will learn the craft of creating custom-fit clamshell boxes. Limited to 9 students. $235

Paper Marbling [Beginning & Advanced]: Students will learn many traditional marbled patterns as well as how to set up their own marbling studios. Inquire for course fee.

Further information from:
540-662-2683
www.CatTailRun.com
email: info@cattailrun.com

Bookbinding and Restoration Workshops with Douglas Mitchell

For over nine years, Douglas Mitchell has been holding various workshops covering all aspects of Paper Conservation and Book Restoration at Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Levels. They are held three times a year at a beautiful location in the Lake District and are residential. For details contact Doug Mitchell on booksurgeon@gmail.com or the colleges website, Higham Hall.

Other residential courses during the year are held at Reaseheath College Cheshire and Knuston Hall Northamptonshire. He also holds one day workshops in Suffolk, (Judith Viesner studios), London (SOB London region) and at Knuston Hall Northamptonshire.

Doug is a City and Guilds, Apprenticed Bookbinder, working at The British Museum and Foreign Office binderies and currently working as a Book and Paper Conservator and Gold Leaf Finisher at The British Library with 40 years experience.

CBL Ascona, Switzerland

The Association centro del bel libro in Ascona is the parent institution of an internationally known and recognised technical school with the specialised areas of Bookbinding and Design and Book and Paper Conservation. The Association exists for the continued development and ever higher qualification of its instructors in both areas. Competitions and exhibitions help inform the public about their activities and expand public awareness of the book. The Association makes it possible for experts in related fields and for interested laypeople to acquire knowledge and skills pertaining to the book through special courses of instruction. The Association is a not for profit organisation. Its departments assure the smooth functioning of the school and an especially well organised office assists course participants with their stay in Ascona. The Directorate, among other duties, is charged with attracting new supporting members for the Association to ensure the continued work and development of the School. Should you be in agreement with the stated goals of the Association - we would be pleased to welcome you as a new member!

Department of Bookbinding and Design - The study areas of Bookbinding and Design offer discerning bookbinders the opportunity of technical and creative challenges. Course participants have the opportunity to further their qualifications through learning internationally recognised methods and techniques, are able to hone their skills and increase their knowledge, evaluate themselves and be inspired by colleagues. They will exchange ideas and find paths in creativity and through self reflection; paths which open up by being away from job demands and daily stress, away from routine, and the pressures of time and expectations of productivity. The annually changing course offerings are continually enhanced by timely developments to expand students depth of understanding. They include classic hand bookbinding techniques, such as the French full leather binding, the Bradel technique, as well as hand gilding. Another area of program concentration is the contemporary design of bookbindings, in which design, technique and material complement each other and fulfil the functional and qualitative aspects of a book.

Department Book and Paper Conservation - The study of book and paper conservation at the centro del bel libro ascona assures further education specifically for book and paper restorers and delivers timely, inclusive and internationally recognised competencies in theory and practical applications. Scientific bases of restoration, restoration ethics, as well as documentation and decision making are encouraged and fostered in order to increase the knowledge of course participants in these areas. The opportunity to engage in dialogue in related disciplines, support and evaluation of innovation, and most of all development of practical skills to assure correct restoration and conservation measures - all are addressed in this context. The exchange of ideas among experts, and the addition of highly specialised guest lecturers provide the best conditions for exploring all relevant subjects in depth. Highly qualified teachers, a pleasant study and work environment, course participants from countries world wide, and the much renowned southern joie de vivre facilitate learning, ignite the desire to learn and communicate, and reward the student with improved self confidence. Building on these facts, it becomes an easy task to develop conventions for the protection of our cultural heritage, the book - a task which the centro del bel libro ascona has set itself and which it fulfils.

Further information regarding courses programs can be found on the schools web site at: www.cbl-ascona.ch

If you have a listing that you would like included on this page,
please let us know by e-mail to sales@hewit.com