Take advantage of the longer days and more free time on your hands to learn a new skill. From crochet, photography and painting to manga art, sailing and French lessons, Veronica Stivala chooses some interesting summer courses for adults.
Artistic and creative skills
Photography
Fed up of taking pseudo-artistic photos of your feet on the beach? Learn the art of taking a good photo with a basic course in photography. The Art Academy in Mosta (www.artacademymalta.com) offers a summer photography course for adults at basic, intermediate and advanced level.
Painting
Take those notepad sketches to the next level, or simply learn the basics of perspective and shading with art lessons. The Art Academy (www.artacademymalta.com) offers open art classes aimed at adults who wish to improve their artistic skills as a hobby. Or if you’re up for it, take a class intended to prepare you for the Matsec exam.
International artist Caroline S. Lawrence (www.paintmalta.com) offers lessons in acrylics and drawing while VGB art gallery organises art lessons in San Ġwann and Valletta. The Malta Society of Arts (www.artsmalta.org) offers courses in figure and portrait drawing and even manga art.
Drama and directing
Unleash your inner characters, or perhaps the Marcel Marceau in you, by signing up for a theatre course. Or simply use the classes to improve your presentation and delivery style. Helen O’Grady (www.helenogradymalta.com) offers a development programme for adults who wish to develop some acting skills. If you want to perfect your performance at auditions, the School of Performing Arts (www.performingartsmalta.com) offers a course in audition techniques. And if you have a vision for a play, take a course in stage direction.
Dancing and salsa
If you often find yourself the wallflower at parties or the chair hugger at outdoor restaurants when everyone jumps up to dance, why not sign up for a salsa class or even a zumba class, which incorporates elements of salsa, samba, merengue and mambo, and right those two left feet. Jungle Spirit in San Ġwann (www.junglespirit.org) offers classes in both disciplines.
Music
Learning to play an instrument requires hours of practice but it’s never too late to start. Take lessons in guitar, piano or violin at the Malta Society of Arts. The School of Performing Arts also offers classes in singing, harp, percussion and songwriting.
Handy and DIY skills
Crafts
Make your own wooden sculpture during a wood carving course at the Malta Society of Arts. Or choose from a plethora of crafts, all available at the Malta Society of Arts, including beading, ganutell, glass painting, parchment craft, crochet and knitting.
Outdoors
Sailing
If you’ve ever wished to explore further the cool, clear waters of the Mediterranean, why not learn how to sail? The Sailing School (www.sailingschoolmalta.com) offers courses all year round.
Diving
In the wise words of the Little Mermaid, under the sea there is “a whole new world”. Granted she was singing about the world above the sea, but the same applies to underwater. Malta is renowned for having some of the most beautiful diving sites in the world and there are many diving schools which offer diving courses. Try the Malta Diving Centre (www.maltadiving.com).
Language skills
Learn a new language
Take your trip to Lake Como or the Black Forest to a whole new level and gain some insights from the locals by speaking their language. We’re not quite sure whether the Hinterwald cattle speak high or low German, but they’re renowned to be a graceful and understanding breed. The German Maltese Circle (www.germanmaltesecircle.com) is offering a 12-week course in German for beginners, starting in July while the Società Dante Alighieri (www.dantemalta.org) offers summer courses in Italian also starting in July.
Or why not try learning Japanese? In addition to offering Maltese and English lessons, the Malta University Language School (http://universitylanguageschool.com/) offers evening Japanese courses.
Academic
Stretch your mind matter and gain some academic credit from the comfort of your home. Take an online summer course in astronomy, molecular and cell biology or psy-chology at Berkeley University of California ( http://summer.berkeley.edu/ ). The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA, www.uclaextension.edu) offers online summer courses in journalism, media as well as a writer’s programme, to name a few.