Arts & culture

Class act

An Australian success story, ClassBento has recently jumped oceans and launched on UK shores, tapping into the growing demand for virtual artisan experiences and at-home crafting

Lead image: ‘Paint your pet’ class with ClassBento

If artisan craft boxes and classes with a focus on wellbeing sound like the perfect evening in to you, then get browsing through ClassBento’s hundreds of classes. The Australian experiences marketplace connects you with top Australian and UK based artisans, creators and foodies, with fun workshops spanning arts & crafts, cocktail & cooking experiences, and everything in-between – all with the happy aim of improving wellbeing.

Some of the Scottish artisans offering classes include Whisky Frames, who teach you how to make a DIY Christmas Wreath using a Scotch whisky barrel; Eteaket who offer tea tasting for mindfulness at home; and cocktail-making with a master mixologist from Glasgow bar Porter & Rye.

With a ClassBento LiveBox class, you have your craft box delivered to you, then you either participate in a live online class or watch a pre-recorded video to guide your creating.

 

Calligraphy – one of the skills on offer to learn at ClassBento

Classes are as varied as learning smartphone photography directly from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, making festive Neapolitan Struffoli, learning to belly dance, a private ukulele course, lampshade-making and folding a Miura-ori origami vase.

ClassBento was founded in 2016 by Brit, John Tabari and Australian Iain Wang while they were working together in Australia. Engaging in arts and crafts has been proven to strengthen the brain’s resilience to depression and decrease stress levels. Tabari, from Newcastle, was inspired to start ClassBento after watching his grandmother struggle with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, and ClassBento is committed to helping support those with dementia by donating to Dementia UK with every class booking.

To find out more or book a class visit classbento.co.uk