Short Course

Bookbinding - Beginners

Name: Hereford College of Arts
Price range: $

Duration

10 Weeks
Cost

£375
Tutor

Aoife Higgins
When

Wednesday Evenings

Learn to create hand-bound books exploring decorative techniques and bindings from concertinas to case-bound volumes - perfect for artists, zine-makers or anyone looking to learn a new creative skill.

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Overview

This course will begin by introducing you to some of the materials and tools used to create books by hand from paper and cloth. You will learn how to use paste to make decorative papers, which you will then use to make a variety of binding styles: from simple concertinas and pamphlets, to a case binding with multiple sections as well as slipcase boxes.

There will be opportunities to discuss content and uses for your books: whether you are an artist looking to explore the concept of zines or artists books, or simply looking for a new craft to explore you will find something here.

A close-up of a hand-stitched bound book, with decorative stitching on the side. The papers are different colours and look marbled.

A birds-eye view of two books stood up on a table. You can see the multi-coloured pages fanned out.

A hand is holding a small grey, cloth-bound book with a small picture on the front of it.

A page spread of a small hand-made zine. The colourful yellow page contains small, unreadable hand-written text and a painting of a black and white bird.

A flat lay of various bookbinding tools, including threads, awls, brushes, bone-folds and rulers.

A portrait of Aoife Higgins. She is in a bookbinding studio, and is holding some colourful patterned paper.

About the Tutor

Aoife Higgins is a bookbinder and book artist from Dublin, Ireland. She makes zines and one-off artists books and boxes focused on themes of the natural world, the subconscious, and the esoteric. In 2020, she completed an M.A. in book arts from UAL: Camberwell and then moved to Ludlow, Shropshire where she has been working in an edition bindery for five years.

See more of Aoife's work

Term Dates

Term will start on Wednesday 1st October. There will be 10 sessions, with a break over half term on 29th October. The final session will be on 10th December.

Term will start on Wednesday 14th January. There will be 10 sessions, with a break for half term on 18th February. The final session will be on 25th March.

Term will start on 15th April. There will be 10 sessions, with a break for half term on 27th May. The final session will be on 24th June.

A wide shot of the Folly Lane Print workshop. Various students are working at different workstations throughout the workshop. The room is filled with old fashioned printing presses, ink stations and is flooded with natural light from big windows.

Industry standard workshops and studios

This is where you make your ideas happen. Find out more about the professional kit and spaces we provide at HCA.

Workshops and Resources

FAQs

All materials will be provided including paper, glue, fabric, tools, and more. You will be advised on any additional materials for personal projects whilst on the course.

You may want to bring a sketchbook for taking notes. We sell these at our college shop if you need to get one on the day.

Make sure to bring some water, and dress appropriately for using college equipment (for example, no open-toed shoes, long hair tied back when using workshop equipment)

Courses like these can look great on your CV and are good for professional development. Therefore, we award certificates at the end of the course, provided that you attended enough of the sessions.

Our short courses are non-credit bearing programmes.

This course is suitable for complete beginners and people with some previous bookbinding experience. The course will start from the basics and move onto more intermediate techniques by the end of the 10 weeks.

This course will be held at our Folly Lane Print Workshop.

This course will take place over 10 sessions with a break for half term. Please see dates listed above.

Sessions will start at 6.30pm and will finish at approximately 9pm. You may have to arrive earlier on your first week for registration.

This course is suitable for anyone over the age of 16.

We recommend that attendees between the ages of 16 and 18 are accompanied by a parent or guardian who is also a paying participant.

We keep our class sizes small so that you benefit from a lot of contact time with the tutor. There will be a maximum of 10 people attending this course.

Yes, there is parking available on campus. Please use the car park at the back of our Folly Lane Campus, just off Whittern Way.