Specialist Skills Awards

These courses present a progression from the basics of calligraphy and related arts, offering intensive, good quality tuition in specialist subject areas.  They give high-level learning opportunities and may be used to inform your work for the CLAS Diplomas, should that be an end goal.

Specialist Skills Awards subjects:

• Majuscules Medley
• Uncial
• Italic
• Copperplate
• Design I and Design II
• Colour & Texture
• Traditional Skills
• Gilding
• Heraldry
• Alternative Tools
• Teaching Calligraphy

SSA courses are now offered in three formats, either 1. wholly in person and at any location in the country, or 2. wholly on-line or 3. a hybrid of both in-person and on-line.

If the course is to be fully in-person, a Regional group is responsible for setting it up and if you are interested in attending a Specialist Skills Award course, in the first instance please contact the workshop organiser of a local group you are prepared to travel to.  If there is sufficient interest to run a course at that group, they will liaise with the CLAS Specialist Skills Awards administrator. 

See our list of Regional Affiliated Groups to find one closest to you.

The purpose of offering the SSA in on-line formats is to make them more accessible and to encourage CLAS members, who may not have access to a Regional Group, to contact the SSA administrator directly for advice about setting up one of these courses. 

For more information or to register your interest in organising a course, contact the Specialist Skills Awards Administrator: ladder@clas.co.uk

 All SSA tutors are Accredited by CLAS and / or are teaching Fellows. 

Each course generally spreads across one year, giving time for work to be created in between sessions.  Submission of work for Award assessment is optional, not compulsory.  If a candidate is successful in attaining the Award, a certificate will be presented at the following AGM.

Hybrid and fully online courses will include several regular feedback sessions so that participants will receive the necessary individual advice and guidance to progress efficiently.  They will be run via Zoom and include a digital noticeboard facility.

List of CLAS Specialist Skills Awards

CLAS Specialist Skills Awards – A Guide for the Course Organiser

To book and pay for your SSA course please go to the LiveOnline page