Workshops

Workshop Program

The workshop program at North Bennet Street School is an outgrowth of the full time training programs and extends the school mission for training in traditional crafts. We offer short-term courses for serious amateurs and professionals seeking to strengthen their technical understanding and develop new skills.

Curriculum

Since our first workshop in 1991 we have steadily increased the number of workshops from 1 to over 70+ per year. Currently we offer workshops in bookbinding, fine woodworking ( hand skills and machine skills), jewelry making, piano technology, and preservation carpentry. New workshops are constantly being developed. Unless otherwise noted in the catalogue or course description, all workshops accommodate beginner to advanced students and the student teacher ratio rarely exceeds ten to one.

Facilities

North Bennet Street School provides bench space, materials for most workshops and shop supplies. Students must bring their own hand tools. Tool lists are sent with confirmation of enrollment.

Instructors

North Bennet Street School workshops are taught by accomplished professionals, many of whom are graduates of our full-time programs. Lectures, demonstrations, and bench exercises are combined to provide students with a range of information and practical experience.

Schedule

Workshops are held year round at the North Bennet Street School's Boston location. Additional workshops are held at our Arlington, MA location. Classes scheduled between September and May, are held Mondays- Fridays, Saturdays, evenings and over long weekends. During the summer, workshops are held in air-conditioned classrooms, Mondays - Fridays. Class hours are 8:30am - 4:30pm for daytime classes, and 6:00pm - 9:30pm for evening classes.

Click to see the Online Catalog and Registration

Admissions

Students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until maximum enrollment is reached. Although there are no formal application deadlines for most workshops, we advise early registration as many courses fill quickly. Full registration is required to hold a spot in a workshop. Some workshops have pre-requisites prior to a registration being accepted. The catalog or course description indicates if there is a pre-requisite. Tuition ranges from $200 for a one day class to $5500 for a three month course. Materials are supplied by North Bennet Street School for most workshops. The course description will indicate if there is an additional cost for materials.

Refund Policy

Tuition refunds will be made only: If North Bennet Street School cancels a workshop: registrants will be notified of cancellations 5 days prior to the start of the class and a full refund will be issued. If an application is not accepted by North Bennet Street School: applications received after a workshop has been filled will be returned with full tuition. If a registrant cancels: Tuition less a $50.00 handling fee will be refunded to registrants who cancel if we receive notification 14 days prior to the start of the workshop. Tuition for later cancellations will not be refunded.
Three Month Furniture Making Intensive Workshop Cancellation Policy: Students registering for this course are allowed to make a deposit of $1800.00 to hold their spot in the course. The balance is due one week before the class starts. Half of their deposit or $900.00 will be refunded if we receive notification 30 days prior to the start of the workshop. No refund will occur for later cancellation. If North Bennet Street School cancels this course, registrants will receive a full refund of the deposit.

Contact Workshop Director

To register for a workshop or for more information, you may contact Jourdan Abel, Workshop Director at 617-227-0155 extension 102, fax 617-227-9292 or email at workshop@nbss.org

Request Catalog

To request a catalog, you may email us at workshop@nbss.org. Let us know how you heard of NBSS and what programs and workshops you are interested in.

Accreditation: Please note Workshops at North Bennet Street School are NOT accredited.