Teaching Creative Workshops In Person and Online - Patricia van den Akker ID: 9712

Turn your creative skills into inspiring workshops that people will love to attend.

Whether you want to teach your first craft class, improve an existing workshop or take your teaching online, Teaching Creative Workshops In Person and Online by Patricia van den Akker offers practical guidance to help you move forward with confidence.

Written for makers, designers, artists and creative educators, this comprehensive guide explores both the teaching and business sides of running workshops. From developing your initial idea to promoting your sessions and delivering an engaging learning experience, it helps you bring the different elements together into a considered, workable plan.

Patricia draws on her expertise at The Design Trust to help you share what you know, connect with your audience and develop workshops that support your creative business.

Shape your knowledge into a workshop

Being skilled at your craft is the starting point. Turning that knowledge into a workshop means thinking about what participants want to learn, how to explain your process and how to guide them through each stage.

This book provides step-by-step support for developing your workshop concept and planning its content. Explore how to give your session a clear purpose, organise your teaching and create a learning experience that feels approachable and rewarding.

Whether you are introducing beginners to a technique or helping more experienced participants develop their skills, it encourages you to consider the workshop from your learners’ perspective.

Teach in person and online

Creative workshops can take place around a shared table or bring people together through a screen. Each setting offers different opportunities and calls for a thoughtful approach to teaching.

With guidance for both in-person and online delivery, this book helps you consider how to adapt your content and teaching style to suit the environment. Explore ways to communicate your process, encourage participation and maintain a sense of connection throughout the session.

It is a useful resource whether you already have a preferred format or want to explore another way of reaching your audience.

Table of Contents:

• Preface
• Why I wrote this book
• How this book is organised
• How to get the most from this book
• PART 1
  • Chapter 1: Why teach?
  • Chapter 2: What to teach
  • Chapter 3: Who do you want to teach?
  • Chapter 4: How to teach?
  • Chapter 5: Where to teach – in-person, online, or both
  • Chapter 6: Managing yourself and your students
• PART 2
  • Chapter 7: Costing, pricing and getting paid
  • Chapter 8: Marketing
  • Chapter 9: Launching, onboarding and evaluation
• PART 3
  • Going beyond training – what's next for you?
  • Resources

Create an engaging learning experience

A memorable workshop offers more than a set of instructions. It gives participants space to experiment, ask questions and enjoy discovering what they can do.

Patricia explores approaches to encouraging creativity, building a sense of community and helping learners leave feeling inspired. Consider how your teaching can support confidence as well as practical skills, and how the experience you create can make people feel welcome and involved.

For experienced makers, it is an opportunity to reflect on familiar techniques and find clear, encouraging ways to explain them to others.

Plan the business behind your teaching

Successful workshops also need practical organisation and a sustainable business approach. Alongside creative planning, the book covers the decisions involved in bringing your workshop to market:

• Workshop development — shape your idea and organise the content you want to teach.
• Pricing — consider how to charge for your workshops as part of a sustainable creative enterprise.
• Marketing and positioning — communicate what your workshop offers and attract the audience it is designed for.
• Logistics — plan the practical arrangements that support a well-organised session.
• Delivery — adapt your approach for teaching in physical spaces and online.

Together, these topics help you think beyond an individual class and consider how workshops could fit into the wider development of your creative business.

Practical advice to put into action

Actionable tips, real-world examples and guidance on common pitfalls make this a resource to consult at different stages of your teaching journey. Use it while developing a new idea, reviewing a session you already offer or preparing to introduce a different workshop format.

For those starting out, it provides a framework for working through the decisions ahead. For established workshop leaders, it offers an opportunity to review your approach and identify areas to develop.

About Patricia van den Akker

Patricia van den Akker brings her experience at The Design Trust to this guide, combining an understanding of creative businesses with practical advice on planning, promoting and delivering workshops.

Teaching Creative Workshops In Person and Online is for anyone who wants to share their creative knowledge with greater confidence and purpose, helping participants learn new skills while enjoying the experience of making together.

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