Pick up skills in lifelong learning week

Starting your own business or learning how to send a text message are among some 430 subjects covered in Cork’s lifelong learning festival all next week.

Shopping centres, libraries, museums, sports clubs and dance studios are just some of the venues hosting classes, exhibitions and other events for the ninth Cork Lifelong Learning Festival.

The Bishopstown Senior Social Centre has a number of events, as part of their ongoing series of classes to enable older people use modern technology.

“We started teaching computers here nine years ago, and there wasn’t much interest until we started advertising it as ‘Computers for the Petrified’. Now we’re coaching up to 60 people a week,” said Roger Coughlan, a co-ordinator of the centre at Wilton Park House.

“They’re not looking for qualifications, they just want to be more included in society because, without being able to use a computer, you’re out in the cold.

A taster of their courses, including an introduction to texting and using mobile phones, are on offer as part of the festival.

The week of events include guided tours of the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, an introduction to yoga, Spanish language classes, chair aerobics, conversational Irish, swing dancing, relaxing with tai chi, documentary screenings and pilates classes.

“The festival promotes and celebrates learning of all kinds and for all ages, and includes both formal and informal learning, crafts, IT, the arts, languages, sports and a lot more,” said festival co-ordinator Tina Neylon.

“Its aims are twofold: to celebrate those already involved in learning and to encourage others to think about taking up a new skill.”

* Details of events and activities are in the free programme available at City Hall, libraries and other community venues. Find out more online at corkcity.ie/learningfestival and facebook.com/corklifelonglearningfestival.