For 2025’s workshops, we will continue to offer payment plans if you wish to use that option! The first payment will be 1/3 of the workshop fee. This payment secures your place and is your deposit. The second payment will be due 3 months later and the final payment 3 months from then. The final payment must be made no later that 12 weeks before the workshop.

Unfortunately, the banks charge a 5% fee if you sign up for the workshop through the website. If you’d like to avoid the fee, we can offer you a bank transfer (both within the UK or Internationally) - just contact us.

From within the UK; you can drive, catch the train or get a bus.

From outside the UK; the main international airport is Manchester - only a 1 hour drive from Yorkshire. We would recommend using Skipton Airport Transfers.

They provide transfers to the following airports:

• Leeds and Bradford Airport – £40

• Manchester Airport – £90

• Heathrow Airport – £350

You can book your airport transfer by calling them at 01756 798811 or emailing them at info@skiptonairporttransfers.co.uk. Or you can make a booking enquiry on their website - www.skiptonairporttransfers.co.uk

You could also get the train. There is a train from Manchester Airport to Leeds, and then you would change to the Skipton line. If you are flying from Europe, check out prices into Leeds/Bradford Airport. It might be less expensive, and it only 45 minutes away. Again, we will help you will taxi transfers and such. Please let us know your flight number and date/time of arrival when you book so this is sorted in advance to your arrival.

Absolutely! Non-painting partners or spouses are welcome! Though they will not be able to join us during the teaching side of things, they are welcome to join us for all the evening events. We can recommend lots of day time activities such as good walks, golf courses, museums etc for them too - just ask!

I wanted to share a few quotes with you from one of our non-painting partners:

“Hi Symi, just a note to thank you how much I enjoyed the week. Your organisation was immaculate; Joe, Rosemary and Kaley were so friendly and as a non artist I felt fully welcomed into the group. It was a real delight and privilege to stay at the beautiful surroundings of Carr Head Hall. The chatter during the DIY breakfasts were a great way to start off the day and the evening social events allowed me to get to know something about the other artists”.

“My partner John was not signed into the workshop but he was very much included and made to feel extremely welcome. He is very good at entertaining himself and found several things to do in the area whilst I was at the workshop. He brought his bike and cycled through the Dales, visited Haworth and caught the train to Carlisle over the Ribble viaduct amongst other things. (He also enjoyed checking out the local pubs and visited Skipton castle and museum). At the end of each day he was welcomed into the HQ and enjoyed meals with us there as well , at Symi and Joe’s home and at the local Craven Arms. At no point did he feel uncomfortable or excluded from the students or otherwise. So if you are wondering if this would work with a non painting partner - Don’t hesitate!”

All your lunches are provided during the workshop itself. Please let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements well ahead of the workshop. We usually also offer a demonstration afternoon with all of our teachers. For 2025, this will usually be the day before the workshop starts. The meal is provided for during the demonstration event. There will also be an evening where Rosemary will cook for us all too. All other evenings we always go out as a group to different pubs or restaurants within the local area. Though this is not included (and not mandatory to attend!) the average cost for an evening meal will be around £15-£18. There are lots of great places to eat locally - we encourage all the students to join us in the evenings!

There are lots of great, local places to stay! We will make sure your stay is comfortable, do not worry. Upon sign up, we will help you with accommodation recommendations!

Yes! There's a train station in Skipton. You would probably go Skipton > Leeds > on to where you’re going. The train station is an 8 minute walk from the WIY HQ. A good and trust-worthy website to book your trains through is: www.thetrainline.com

We make sure that you will receive a full materials list before the workshop, so you can make sure you know what to bring with you! Of course with my links to Rosemary & Co - you can purchase your brushes at the workshop! We have a fully stocked Michael Harding Paint stand with all of his colours in the 40ml tubes too. We have gamsol for sale. If you’d like me to order various materials from the materials list for you to have here when you arrive, please let me know in plenty of notice. We also have paper towels and gloves. You will need to bring your own palette & panels.

Yes. There is a 20% tax charge (known in the UK as VAT). If you would like more information about this, please don’t hesitate to drop us a message.

I can inform you of the following website to find out more info: click here.

You must make any claim no later than 6 months after the end of the ‘prescribed year’ in which you incurred the VAT. The prescribed year is the 12 months from 1 July to 30 June of the following calendar year, so you must make your application no later than 31 December.

If you’re registered for business purposes in a country outside the UK, you can use the scheme to reclaim VAT paid in the UK. It is a condition of the scheme that your own country allows similar concessions to UK traders in respect of its own turnover taxes, but your application will only be refused on these grounds if your own country has a scheme for refunding these taxes, but refuses to allow UK traders to use it.

To get the VAT reclaim forms, click the following link here.

We can ship any of your paintings back home to you with pleasure. In fact, we have shipped paintings, paints and extra gifts that students have bought in the past - that’s easily done. We can work that out when you are here. Of course, there will be a charge for that, but we will only charge you what we are charged from the courier.

So, we have linseed oil, safflower oil, oleo gel, Oil brush cleaner, Acrylic Brush Cleaner, Varnish, Solvent, Paper towels, paints (ask us for specific paints if you need them), palette knives...

You can place an order and get it delivered directly to the workshop to save you travelling with them. These will need to be delivered to the Workshops in Yorkshire HQ (please ask before doing this so we can make sure we’re in!). We can then arrange for them to be shipped back to you from here when you leave (we would need to charge you for that, but only what we would be charged by the courier). If you do want to ship things ahead; please state your name and workshop so we can save them safely for you.

If you have paid through the payment plan, the first payment both secures your place and is your deposit.

Deposit is refundable (minus bank fees and 10% admin charge) for up to 30 days. After 30 days, £400 of the deposit is non-refundable. Within 3 months of the workshop itself, there is a no refund policy.

If you have paid for the workshop in full, you will be eligible for a full refund (minus bank fees and 10% admin charge) for up to 30 days. After 30 days, £300 is non-refundable.

Within 3 months of the workshop itself, there is a no refund policy.

If the workshop is cancelled for any reason, all payments will be refunded in full.

We understand these are uncertain times. Three months before your workshop we will assess if it is safe for the workshop to run. If the majority of the students (and of course the teacher) are able to travel safely, then the workshop will go ahead. If the workshop is postponed or cancelled then we will give you a full refund. We are happy to transfer this to future workshops.

If you are unable to travel to the UK due to the following Covid-19 related reasons; travel restrictions, quarantines/lockdowns, closures of borders, infection of you or a member of your household. If any of these reasons apply to you, we ask that you supply proof in relation to that proposed cancellation. Reasons such as being afraid of travel or being around large groups of people, the general fear of Covid-19, other commitments be they either work or personal, will not be considered as justifiable reasons for a refund. We trust you understand this upon signing up.

We will only run the workshops if it safe to do so, and as always, please contact us if you have any concerns or questions.

Yes! We recommend the following car hire services near us:

• Skipton Self Drive
  Website: www.skiptonselfdrive.co.uk

• Enterprise
  Website: www.enterprise.co.uk/en/car-hire-locations/uk/keighley-u820.html

Both companies offer reliable car hire services, and you can book directly through their websites.

When flying with your oil paints, we always recommend placing a notice in your luggage for the airport security personnel to read. This notice will inform them that you are carrying oil paints and that they are safe to transport.

In short, yes. The United Kingdom requires citizens of the United States and other countries to obtain an ETA before entering the UK for short stays of up to 6 months. Per the current government advice, applications can take up to 3 working days to be approved.

Applicants will need:

• The passport they intend on travelling with

• Access to their emails

• A method of payment (a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay); and will need to upload or take photos of the:

• Applicant’s passport

• Face of the person applying
  
  You can apply for an ETA here:

https://www.gov.uk/eta

Yes! We would recommend Skipton Airport Transfers. They provide transfers to the following airports:

• Leeds and Bradford Airport – £40

• Manchester Airport – £90

• Heathrow Airport – £350

You can book your airport transfer by calling them at 01756 798811 or emailing them at info@skiptonairporttransfers.co.uk. Or you can make a booking enquiry on their website - www.skiptonairporttransfers.co.uk