Intergenerational Cooking students explore the Folk School Herb Garden (2019).
We’re excited to introduce younger generations to enriching art, music, and traditional mountain crafts. Our Intergenerational Week, scheduled for July 18-24, invites youths 12-17 to take classes with a parent, grandparent, or other special relative or guardian. This rewarding experience brings families together, and has proven to be great fun for all who participate.
To register, call the Folk School Office at 1-800-365-5724 (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST.) Tuition: $630.00. Youths will receive a $100 discount on tuition. Tuition does not include material fees.
Please note the following guidelines:
- Youths age 12 to 17
- Only one youth may be registered per attending adult
- Adult and youth must register for the same class
- In order to offer as many spots as possible for youths, we cannot accept registrations for additional adults in classes.
- Additional adults may register as guests.
- Please read our Covid-19 Safety Guidelines.
Full Classes
To increase safety, we have decreased the number of spaces available in all 2021 classes. Classes often fill quickly, so we recommend you register as soon as possible to get your class of choice. You can register to be on the wait list for any currently full class. Cancellations do happen, and you may be able to get into a class at the last minute. Please don’t hesitate to call to check on availability.
Intergenerational Week 2021 Class Offerings
Basketry
Sweetgrass Basketry – A Family Tradition
Lynette Youson & Felitshea Venning
Learn to weave beautiful Charleston sweetgrass baskets from a pair of cousins who are 5th-generation weavers. This African style of basketry has been handed down through Gullah culture for centuries. The baskets are coiled sweetgrass, stitched together with palmetto fronds and accented with pine needles and bulrush. Make a large, shallow “rice fanner” basket, or two or more smaller projects. All levels welcome, though some manual dexterity is needed.
Beads, Glass
Taming the Flame
Marjorie Langston
Have fun exploring the art of glass beadmaking! Cover the basics of making well-centered beads, then move on to surface decorations including dots, flowers, organics, and more. You’ll learn the safe way to work with molten glass and open flame as you bring your beads to life. This class is designed for beginners, but advanced-beginners and self-taught folks are welcome to enhance their skills.
Blacksmithing
Starting with Fire
Kenneth Thomas
There are foundational skills every aspiring blacksmith must know: how to start and tend a coal forge, followed by basic hammer control and forging techniques. Gain comfort with these introductory steps, then create small utilitarian items catered to your skill level and available time. Additional start-up information and resources will be discussed. No experience is necessary, just the desire to try blacksmithing.
Book Arts, Paper Art
Batik from Cover to Cover
Emily Ayers
Explore the ancient art of dyeing cloth using wax as a resist to create stunning patterns that pop with color and originality. Learn to batik on paper, then use your papers to create covers for a Coptic style binding. Progress to making small batiks on fabric and transform them into covers for long-stitch books. Take home your original pieces to add to your library or gift to your favorite book lover. All levels welcome.
Clay
Fundamentals in Clay
Samantha Andrews-Jarvis
Artists of all ages and abilities – join us to learn easy, yet effective fundamentals in clay. Slab construction, clay impressions, press molds, and coil construction will be explored. Glaze and fire your handbuilt creations and take home beautiful pieces of art. Discover what you can learn and make in just one week!
Cooking
Great British Bake-off Boot Camp
Susannah Thompson
Join an avid home baker to find out why baking has once again become a favorite pastime. Learn basics like weighing ingredients for the most accurate results, then have fun baking a wide variety of British and European classics-delicious cakes, tarts, breads, and biscuits (cookies). Challenge yourself to create new flavor combinations and share the rewards. Scones, shortbread, pies, cakes, and puddings…get baking! All levels welcome.
Dyeing, Surface Design
Yoruba Batik, Adire, and Tie Dye
Gasali Adeyemo
Armchair travelers – explore traditional batik, adire, and tie-dyeing techniques while learning about the arts and culture of the Yoruba people from a native Nigerian artist. Experiment with patterns and vibrant colors using wax, paste resist, indigo, and fiber dyes to produce beautiful cloth. No experience is required.
Jewelry
Gems and Jewels
Terry Hale
Take the first steps in designing and creating your own jewelry! Start with a basic understanding of tools, materials, and supplies, then move to hands-on creation. Work with copper, silver, semi-precious stones, crystals, and beads to make one-of-a-kind designer earrings, pendants, chains, and more!
Leather
Love That Leather
Linda Prejeant & Billy Whitefox
Cut and lace beautiful, soft leather to make jewelry, bags, a backpack, vest, or similar items. Choose from a variety of colors, styled in different shapes and sizes, and adorn pieces with antique beads, feathers, fur, or woodburned designs. Gain the skills to prepare you for more advanced projects such as complete outfits or regalia. All levels welcome.
Music
Fun with Hand Drums
Jim Roberts
Put your hands on the drums! Learn the basics of hand drumming and its uses in folk music through the ages. Feel rhythms in duple and triple time. Play the goblet-shaped West African djembe and its cousin, the ashiko. Also try the Afro-Cuban conga and the boxy Afro-Peruvian cajón. Learn hand care to prevent overuse and overplaying. You’ll also experience various shakers, bells, and rhythm instruments for accompaniment.
Painting, Mixed Media
Playing with Paint
Bradley Wilson
Acrylic paints are an extremely versatile medium and are perfect for use in combining with other media and materials. Experiment mixing acrylics with inks, decorative papers, leaves, coffee grounds and a host of other items to achieve unique and visually striking effects. Expand your creativity and build your confidence as you work with composition, color theory, and a little bit of exploration.
Photography, Nature Studies
Capture Nature Through the Lens
Liz Domingue
Learn basic techniques of nature photography, enhance your current skills, and experience the joy of this creative outlet. Compose pictures of mountain landscapes, wildflowers, and wildlife (as opportunities arise) while strengthening your powers of observation. Expect a mixture of classroom time and field trips. A digital SLR camera is required, and a laptop computer is recommended.
Woodturning
It’s Your Turn
Steve Cook
Have fun learning how to turn on the lathe. Start with basics and safety, then start making the chips fly! Projects will include everyday items for the home, as well as playful pieces (spin tops, Harry Potter wands, etc.). We’ll also learn how to finish our woodturned pieces. Move at your own pace and choose from a wide selection of projects. No experience needed.
Woodworking, Music
Build a Cigar Box Guitar
Bart Mitcham
Starting with a cigar box, a few pieces of wood, and some wiring, learn to build and play a 3-string cigar box guitar! Shape the neck, cut and install frets, install tuners, and wire up simple electronics to make a playable instrument. Use saws, wood shapers, a drill, soldering iron, and wood finishing to create a unique work of musical art. We’ll also explore tunings for different keys while we learn camp songs, folk songs, country songs, and more.
The Folk School transforms lives, bringing people together in a nurturing environment for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Located in scenic Brasstown, North Carolina, the Folk School offers year-round weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography and writing.
Embrace your creative potential, and join us for a life-changing Folk School experience. Our new January–June 2022 
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