If your New Year’s Resolution is to take up a new hobby, learn a new skill, or simply get out and meet new friends, then The Market Place Theatre in Armagh is the place to look. With a range of wonderful workshops on offer, it’s never been easier to develop your skills.

Whether your style is gestural, meticulous or yet to be discovered, the ‘Take A Line For A Walk’ drawing workshops offer the opportunity to develop your skills, through a range of tools and techniques. Work from warm-up exercises to observational drawing, exploring light and shade, negative space and variations of scale. Please bring along a sketch book (preferably A2 size), or a role of heavy grade lining wall paper, a putty rubber, a range of pencils from 2B to 6B, and four or five objects that you would like to draw. These workshops take place on Wednesday mornings from 14^th January until 4^th February, 10am to 1pm each day, at a cost of £40 or £36 (concession).

A six week Salsa course aimed at those who would like to learn salsa dancing and other Latin American rhythms will take place on Thursday evenings from 15^th January until 19^th February. Expert dance tutor Deirdre Heagney will give a step-by-step guide through such dances as the Merengue, Cha Cha, Salsa and Bachata. Participation costs £25 for the 6 weeks. Finish the six weeks in style and join us after the final class in the theatre bar & bistro for a salsa social dance off, with the chance to win prizes and show off your new-found dance skills.

In the midst of economic turmoil, why not learn how to save your pennies and revamp your existing clothes instead of having to buy new ones. In the inspirational workshop, ‘Upcycle Your Spring|Summer Wardrobe’, you will learn how to remove and replace the sleeves of a top, use bleach and fabric paints to give an old top a new life, and how to give a plain top a designer touch by adding fabric, buttons and ribbons etc. You will need to bring old tops with you and also fabric or old garments that you can cut up to add to your upcycled top. If you have buttons and ribbons or other decorative materials bring them along too! This workshop takes place on Saturday 17^th January from 10am to 4pm. Participation costs £18 or £15 (concession).

‘Hone Your Writing Skills’ is a one day Creative Writing Course suitable for absolute beginners or the more experienced wishing to hone their skills in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The day will include hints and exercises and games to help you create characters, generate ideas for stories, and tips on how to recognise and eliminate overwriting. Tutor John McAllister is a novelist, poet and short story writer. His latest novel The Station Sergeant was made a book of the week by the New York Journal of Books. This workshop will take place on Saturday 24^th January from 10am to 4pm. Participation costs £16 or £14 (concession).

Tickets for all workshops can be booked on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.marketplacearmagh.com And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.