Get a Hobby: Eight Short Courses to Take This Winter

Unleash some creative talent or start a new hobby by signing up to a short course in something a little bit different. You could draft that TV sitcom you’ve always wanted to write, dust of the ukulele you’ve got hiding in the cupboard (we know you have one), or shake your tail feather at a beginner’s burlesque course.

To help get the creative juices flowing, here are Concrete Playground’s picks of the best short courses to enrol in this winter in Sydney.

Hooping for Beginners

Learn how to hula hoop with hip-swaying extraordinaire Bunny Star, founding member of Australia’s one and only hula hooping troupe, The Hoopaholics. Sydney Community College is running eight Saturday lunchtime sessions to help you master the skills of hula whilst simultaneously toning your abs and gaining one fine talent to share at your next work social.

When: 11.30am-1pm Saturdays, starting 4 August
Where: Rozelle
Cost: $159

Learn the Ukulele

Who wouldn’t want to learn to play a jolly ukulele? It’s apparently the easiest stringed instrument to learn and you don’t even need to be able to read music to enjoy the four sessions run by City East Community College.

When: 7pm-9pm Wednesdays, starting 22 August
Where: Randwick
Cost: $125, plus $35 to purchase a pre-tuned ukulele (optional)

Writing Crime

Fancy yourself as the next Agatha Christie? Expose your crime-writing superpowers at this one-day intensive writing course with crime novelist Phillipa (PD) Martin, creator of Aussie FBI profiler Sophie Anderson. Run by the NSW Writers’ Centre, the course covers practical and theoretical tips to get you inspired.

When: 10am to 4pm on Saturday 1 September
Where: Rozelle
Cost: $165

Drop-in acting class

Express yourself without breaking the bank at a free, open acting workshop run by the Actors College of Theatre & Television. ‘Drop in’ by nature, but more ‘book in advance, then drop in later’, the sessions are suited to anyone who wants to try acting, beginner or advanced.

When: 6.30-8.30pm various weeknights, 10.30am-12.30pm specific Saturdays 
Where: Pitt St, Sydney
Cost: Free

Alterations Made Easy

Spend a Saturday learning how to transform your wardrobe with a few simple adjustments: crop those jeans, take up a hemline, transform a jacket into a waistcoat and go from winter to summer-ready, without hitting the shops. You’ll need to bring clothes to alter and a sewing machine if you have one.

When: 9.30am-3.30pm on Saturday 4 August
Where: Alexandria
Cost: $95

Beginners Burlesque

Learn the art of traditional burlesque glamour, including twirls, shimmys and seductive strides, taught by Miss Anna Felactic. The four-week beginner level course from Love Rouge requires no previous experience, just a pair of killer heels.

When: Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons, starting late July
Where: Surry Hills
Cost: $100

Sushi & Sashimi Workshop

Under the guidance of master sushi chef Hideo Dekura, prepare and create your own sushi and sashimi dishes at Sydney Fish Market.

When: 11am-3pm on Saturday 4 August
Where: Pyrmont
Cost: $155

Stand-up School

You have to be pretty serious about comedy to sign up for this five-week course, it’s certainly not for the stage-shy. Starting in September, Australia’s School of Stand-up Comedy will help you sharpen your wit and perfect your act to take you from funny to hilarious.

When: 12-2.30pm or 3-5.30pm Saturdays, starting 8 September
Where: Star Bar, Sydney CBD
Cost: $374.99