Do you have a passion for fashion? Could you be the next David Bailey or David Hockney?

CALAT (Croydon Adult Learning and Training Centre) at Strand House in Zion Road offers a great range of creative courses for the hobbyist or those wanting to pursue a career.

Courses are subsidised and CALAT offers a vast range of subjects including:  painting and drawing, floristry, photography, dress making and art history and appreciation.

The classes are for all ages from 20s to retirement age with a maximum of 14 in each class to ensure a good teacher to student ratio.

There are two dress making courses on a Wednesday as part of a 10 week course costing £140 operating from  10am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 4pm.

The class is taught by Anne Cooper, who worked as a theatre costume designer and when not teaching runs a bridal and evening wear design service.

She said: “It doesn’t really matter if you are a beginner or advanced as everyone works on individual projects. It’s a nice range of mixed abilities.

“We’ve had students who have gone on to be accepted on fashion courses, work in dry cleaners doing alterations or gone on to start their own dress making business. If you have a flair for fashion, drive  and ambition there are plenty of opportunities out there.”

The vocational course is accredited and shortly there will be the opportunity to work towards a Level 2 City and Guilds in dressmaking.

The centre is introducing a two day t-shirt design making course over Easter and other one day courses which can be viewed on the CALAT web site: www.calat.ac.uk/our-centres

Mark Huggett,  CALAT’s creative arts programme manger, who also lives in Thornton Heath is keen to see more arts and crafts courses run at the centre.

He said:  “Arts is for all ages and we are keen for local people to be more aware of what  creative course are available on their doorstep.”

The five week drawing and painting class which is held on Saturdays is for all levels and covers still life, portraits and general art skills. The photography course runs from April 28 to July 7, on Saturdays 10am-12pm and will cover perspective, storytelling and how to create your own style and includes lessons in street and wildlife photography.

Our picture shows dressmaking students Kemi Olaniyam, Lily Nwosu, and Joyce Deards hard at work on their creations.