If like me you don't live in Brighton and only visit on the odd weekend for a stroll down the lanes…read moreand fish and chips on Brighton Pier, you'll never even notice Phoenix Art Gallery despite its imposing size - it's massive! Once inside you forget its ugly interior and the traffic outside. I came for the opening event and artist talk for an exhibition of digital art. There is a second exhibition of sound art teamed with ceramics in the other gallery space - both are part of Brighton Digital Festival and run until the end of September, not to be missed!

A gigantic building a small walk from the North Laines and Brighton City Centre, Phoenix is a large…read morearts organisation run by a co-operative. There's over a hundred affordable art studios and workspaces and a busy annual programme offering short courses in drawing, painting, fine art, print making, life-drawing, performance art, jewellery making and -don't laugh! - puppetry. Open to the public as well as resident artists and members, it also has a couple of gallery spaces which show contemporary art, multi-media and photo exhibitions. The priority seems to be local and national group shows but there's also regular installations by visiting artists from Europe and overseas. Sadly, the couple of times I've visited I thought the work was abysmal. I also went to an event they held on Saturday night as part of the White Night festival and wish I hadn't bothered. I was expecting to see great bands and some mind-blowing work and instead was met with hundreds of pissed students and locals talking loudly and drinking cans of lager infront of a tired performance poet and a bad improvisational jazz band. I have friends who claim to have seen great work here though so I'm hoping I will have better luck next time I visit!

Go to any local art gallery that specialises in screenprints and chances are, the artists they…read moreexhibit will have learnt their craft at BIP. A fantastic, community based print studio, it was founded in 2000 by local artists Jane Sampson and Ann d'Arcy Hughes and offers affordable screen printing, mono printing, etching, collagraph, lino, woodcut and letterpress facilities. There's a one-off joining fee of £20 for new members and the hourly rate to use the studio is £4.75 plus materials. Beginners can learn the tricks of the trade by enrolling in workshops and evening classes run by Sampson, Hughes and fellow local artists Rich Townsend and Helen Brown. In short, a wonderful resource centre and a hot-bed of creativity.

As well as artwork and exhibitions, Fabrica is also an amazing venue to hire out for Weddings,…read morecivil ceremonies, conferences and launch nights. My brother was married here 2 years ago, and Fabrica as a venue was absolutely top notch. From the outside, it is a beautiful old church situated right in the South Laines, which could look as though services are still taking place. Once inside, the venue's space is one massive room with a striking viewing gallery, which give it so much potential to make into something beautiful. My brother and his wife had ivy leaves and lights draped across the viewing gallery, giving the wedding an old fashioned Pagan feeling, which inside an old church was truly unique. The events people from Fabrica were really well organised and truly interested and concerned in the look and feel of the wedding, which thankfully went incredibly well, due in large part to the atmosphere created by the beauty of the venue itself.

Established thirteen years ago, Fabrica are a visual arts organisation that support and promote…read morecontemporary artists. Their home on Duke Street is an incredible Regency church with high ceilings and ornate windows. The main space is used as a gallery with free regular installations and exhibitions whilst the smaller spaces on the ground and first floor are used for meetings, one to one mentoring with staff and workshops. Painters, sculptors and visual artists should note they have a terrific Artist Resource Library where you can find upto date lists of national and international galleries, information about available grants and arts funding and lots of current art magazines and quarterlies. The art itself is also pretty inspiring. I saw the Amish Kapoor installation as part of the Brighton Festival earlier this year and was both freaked out and blown away. Which is probably how he'd want people to feel given the subject matter and scale of the work!

It's all right there in the name...the Painting Pottery Café is a café where you can paint…read morepots...and bowls, plates, vases etc. You pay a studio fee of £5 (which includes the cost of glazing) and then another fee for the pottery, depending what you choose, and then you get to work! It's a really fun thing to do, whether you're artistically talented or not, though it is worth thinking about your design, as it's kind of a bonus if you like your work and want to use it at the end! I made the mistake of sort of improvising as I went, which resulted in a mug covered in animals and flowers, which looked more like the handiwork of a five year old! But that's what's so nice about the whole experience in a way- you can exercise your inner-child in a legitimate fashion! This shop is purely about fun and having a go at something you might never have done before. I hadn't created anything in this way since school, and it was a really satisfying experience, even if it did confirm my appalling drawing technique! The Painting Pottery Café is of course a really fun place to bring kids- it's a great way to get creative and messy without ruining the living room! They have a party room, and will run children's' and adults' parties. As well as painting a mug for yourself, you can create a commemorative piece for an occasion (birthdays, anniversaries etc.) and you can even have your baby's hand or footprints cast!

I'll be honest,. I was dragged here very reluctanctly by a group of friends, who insisted that I…read morewould enjoy it. 'But I won't' I said 'I hated stuff like this at school and I hate it now' 'Don't be boring' they told me. Hmm, ok. Boring's not a word I like to associate with myself - so due to my vanity I got persuaded. And, was really pleasantly surprised. You really don't need to be an artist to enjoy it (I'm certainly not). You can just paint pots here, but we chose to make them too (messy but lots of giggly fun). They will then fire them for you and keep them until a later date when you come back to paint.

I had a very disappointing experience as a PhD student for several years here. We were part of a…read morepractice-based research doctorate programme that was abandoned by the university after the professor who had began the programme abruptly resigned. I eventually left the programme after wasting large amounts of time and money.

Having studyed here to make stained glass I can recommend this venue. It is a fun place where all…read morecan find something one might like to do. There is dance,music,arts,health,yoga and weekend events. This is the place to learn to draw. Theres life drawing or acrylic painting. And for the budding photographer there is creative photography. Feel the need to change? What about life coaching? Or just Indian head massaging to Thai massage! Give it a try. http://www.evolutionarts.org.uk

Evolution offer a range of classes in yoga, art, dance, meditation and various other artistic and…read more'self improvement' areas. There are a wide range of evening courses and weekend workshops, with prices hovering around the £80 mark for a ten week course - roughly equivalent to council run adult ed courses. I came however, for the drop in yoga session. Quite apprehensive, having never done yoga before, I crept up the stairs to an airy and comfortable room, with a friendly, welcoming teacher. Despite my lack of experience, I never felt out of place. I'd certainly be interested in trying some of the other courses here.

I LOVED the Brighton Museum. I was beyond pleasantly surprised…read more The museum is in a lovely building right beside the Royal Pavilion, so there is no reason why you cannot pay it a visit. The collections were rather hodgepodge, and sometimes it was difficult to figure out the connecting theme of what I was looking at, but everything was interesting - from the little alcove about Ancient Egypt to the Main Hall to the exhibits on Clothing as well as Modern Art (and I don't even care for modern art.) This museum also had a quality that escapes most others - it was great for both adults and children. I can easily say that, of all the sights I saw during my day in Brighton, this was definitely my favourite.

I always enjoy a visit to a museum, what's not to love about learning for free?…read moreSet in the heart of Brighton's Royal Pavillion gardens, you can really feel the culture when you visit the area. If you're stuck for ideas on what to do in Brighton when the weather is less than ideal, you could do much worse than making the trip here. Although small, the museum houses some interesting collections. My personal highlights are the Egyptology section and the history of Brighton room. Seeing the old photos of the west pier in all its glory and how the Pavillion looked over the years is fascinating.

I was given a sewing machine a couple of years ago and it sat gathering dust as was too scared to…read moreuse it! A friend mentioned loving these classes so I took my machine along to their 3 week Learn to Use a Sewing Machine course. It's been really great - I actually feel I can sit down at home and make some little things or take up my trousers. Definitely going back for more soon! Got my eye on the Dungarees workshop. Really nice atmosphere and cute space and our teacher Kate was super friendly and knowledgeable

Sew in Brighton is great. I discovered this place due to a Social Living deal. I'd considered…read morelearning to sew for sometime then this came up. It's in Hove just off Church Road and easily accessible by buses (by the big Tesco). It's in a small studio on the 3rd floor. Classes are 7-9 people. So not too big which is great. I came here for a basic sewing course which was 3 hrs long. In that time we learnt to make a tote bag which we all got to keep. The class was full of a complete mix of people. Many people who had no sewing experience, some who hadn't done any sewing for about 20 years (like me), and some who hoped to get particular skills from the course like they wanted to make curtains or children's clothes. The teacher was really enthusiastic and helpful. She put you at ease straightaway. We all picked our choice of material and off we went. She ran through threading a machine, cutting your material using a pattern, pinning the material, and a few different stitches on the machine. Soon my school textiles days came flooding back to me, but more than that. I learnt a lot more, like what all the dials do on the sewing machine. What stitch you might use for different projects. Loads of helpful tips. We were able to ask the teacher extra advice on other projects we were interested in too. The pace of the course was good. We all did so well we had time to do some extra details to our bag. By the end we all went home with a really cool bag we'd made, and I went home with a renewed confidence I could use a sewing machine on my own and actually make something. I have since bought a machine and off I go into the world of sewing! The great thing is if I need some extra help Sew in Brighton offer loads of courses. Ones to do particular projects such as make a cushion, make clothes, etc. or a general sewing session where you can go along and take whatever you are working on and get help. It felt like a very inspiring, exciting community that are very pleased to pass on their enthusiasm to other wannabe sewers. My 3 hr beginners class is normally £55. Though keep your eyes peeled for vouchers and offers on their website. This price included refreshments, and all the material for your bag. I highly recommend here for anyone looking to trying out sewing and gain some confidence. Then if you enjoy it, go back and try out more classes to build up your skills.