Dubai: You have the tools, the ideas, but don’t know where to begin? Look no further: Speedex, a hardware retailer, holds free DIY sessions for budding artists in the city.
“A lot of people have ideas, but they don’t know where to begin,” says Chetna Pandita, marketing manager at Speedex. To provide a platform for DIY enthusiasts in Dubai, the retailer holds two sessions every month, known as ‘Speedex Creative Mornings’.
The wokshops, which began in April this year, are led by Julie Fraser, the owner of Artistic Décor in Dubai. The initiative has so far seen sessions on string art and step stool painting with a tile designing workshop coming up on June 12. “It’s a good way to meet people with similar interests, while enjoying a satisfying art-and-craft session with basic skills,” says Julie, 52, a South African expat.
Art of recycling
The goal is to encourage the DIY culture and inculcate a habit of recycling in Dubai households. “We usually throw things away without thinking it could make a beautiful piece of art,” says Julie.
The materials used in the workshops are provided free of charge and the end product can be taken home. Residents who have attended the sessions believe this is what budding artists have been waiting for. “It’s like I was doing a long distance learning with my DIY, but now I have a place where I can learn from the best and do my own things,” says Jia Mistry, 32, an Indian.
The class is open to everyone. “The step stool painting session had 25 women and one man,” says Chetna. Speedex also plans to introduce a kids-only sessions before schools begin in September.
Details:
Upcoming session on June 12 at 10am – Tile Designing Session
To register, log on to Speedex’s facebook page
