Top Venice Classes & Workshops

Take a course on mask making from a master artisan in Venice, and learn about the history of this ancient tradition. You can choose from a production class or a decoration class, or you can even take both. In the production class, learn how to make your own papier-mâché mask, and in the decoration class, you can paint or use materials to decorate your mask. No matter which option you choose, you get to bring home your creation—just in time for Carnival.

Take a break from the usual sightseeing and snapping photos in Venice with this special experience that allows you to be an artist for the day. A local Venetian artist takes you to find the ideal corner of the city to paint, where you can create your own artwork with watercolors.

Learn the secrets of glassblowing during this activity in Venice. On the island of Murano, visit the Glass Factory Showroom near St Mark's Square to see examples of this highly specialized glass art, beloved by collectors the world over. Learn about this technique's origins in the Roman Empire from you guide, then watch a glassblowing demonstration by a Master Artisan. Walk away with a small Murano glass souvenir.

Get hands-on experience with one-to-one guidance during a private glassmaking lesson. Discover the secrets of Murano glassmaking techniques from one of the most renowned craftsmen of Venice. The 90-minute workshop includes all materials—including your own marvelous glass artwork to take home—plus a 10 percent discount on glassworks from the artist.

Venetian masks have a long and storied history: during the republic’s heyday, they were used to conceal the identities of residents who engaged in decadent activities. In their masks, peasants and noblemen were equal. Make your own Venetian mask (yours to keep), adorned with sequins, ribbons, and other fineries, under the tutelage of a local artist. All materials are provided.

For this private mask-decorating workshop in Venice, arrive at a traditional atelier, and get a blank sand-colored mask that’s ready for your artist eye. Use feathers, sequins, and other materials to make a masterpiece. Your guide will share facts about the history of mask making and can also show you some great techniques to use. Afterward, you’ll get to bring home your decorated mask.

Fallani Venezia is a craft laboratory of artistic serigraphy, active since 1968 in the heart of the city of Venice. Print high quality editions, making available their technical expertise and sensitivity, managing to interpret and translate into graphics the different expressive languages of painters, sculptors, photographers, illustrators, street artists, graphic designers and designers. Gianpaolo Fallani inherits the passion for screen-printing from his father Fiorenzo, who has collaborated with over 200 artists from all over the world and for whom he has made more than 1000 editions. Commission-based printing continues, also offering workshops and residences of various levels that invite the artist to learn about and experience the versatility and potential of this printing technique. In 2018 Gianpaolo received the recognition of MAM Maestro d'Arte and Mestiere and participated in Doppia Firma and Homo Faber.

Live the experience … turn yourself into a “mascarer” and create your own mask! Our workshop will allow you to take home your own creation. The charm of the paper to cut and shape inside the ancient stone molds. The expert craftsman who guides you and helps you to turn simple pieces of paper into a mask. Enjoy the magic of handmade creation. We will teach you to decorate your mask using the techniques and materials we use too. Your base of true paper mache will become your masterpiece. You will use fabric, colors, svarowski crystals, gold leaf, feathers. … Two hours of pure magic to give you the satisfaction to say…”I’ve made it !!! The Creation of the mask wiull be done in two days. In the first one you will create your mask in two hours of time. The next day you will decorate it in others two hours of time!

Get prepared for a trip to Venice ahead of time or just soak in the city’s history during this live, virtual experience led by a Venice local. Your guide teaches you about the past and present of Venice as you hear about what it’s like to live in the City of Canals. Plus, since this experience runs in real time, you can interact with your guide just like you would if you were to meet in person.

Get ready to discover the Murano island, witnessing artistry in action in its glass factories, experiencing the lampwork tradition by creating your own Venetian bead and visiting the Byzantine-style 12th century mosaics of its churches. You will have a personal glass lampwork workshop, in which you will create your own Venetian bead, keeping alive a 17th century artistic practice. We will visit the oldest glass factory in the world active since 1295 and see how tradition is combined with contemporary design and creativity. We will stroll around Murano, discovering some hidden gems like its churches and walking through off-the-beaten paths.

Visit the must-see Murano glass factory during this tour in Venice. With a guide providing insightful commentary, you'll learn all about the glassblowing process. Watch a demonstration of the art itself by a master craftsman, then hit the gift shop for some discounted souvenirs.

Amazing experience with Piero Dri, one of the few artisans that still creates the famous gondola’s Forcola: a type of rowlock used by the gondolier to move the special boat along the waterways and the Canal Grande. Each fórcola is a unique piece since it is specifically designed for its personal gondolier according to his height and rowing needs. Meet Piero in his workshop in the heart of Venice (5 minutes from Rialto Bridge) and starts the lesson where he’ll show all the procedure to create this magic item: from the beginning to the end. During the experience he will narrate history, secrets and legends of gondolas and the Venetian gondoliers! In front of your eyes the master artisan creates this unique Venetian artwork that has the actual shape after centuries of experimentation A unique experience to live Venice as a local discovering the legendary art of making a Forcola.

Meet a local mask artisan in Venice. Enter his atelier and learn all about this traditional Venetian craft. He will teach you how to create your own original maks.

The ABC course is equally suitable for all ages. Thanks to the various decorative techniques available, children can independently participate from 4 years upwards. Adults can experiment with different types of professional decorations.

The ancient art of engraving, which had its greatest splendor and diffusion in Venice, will have no more secrets! For those who want a unique experience in the ancient world of craftsmanship, I organize individual courses (one or at most two people) to explain and put into practice the basic techniques of engraving. Participants will thus have the opportunity to create a real art print made by them (on their original idea or drawing) and take it home. An experience that they will certainly not forget - in fact, they can hang it in their home! The course includes etching with the drypoint technique on Plexiglas or drypoint on zinc. I will follow you in the choice of subjects, in the preparation of the drawings and during all the processing phases, from the initial study to the processing of the plate up to the final prints. Reservations are accepted by people from the same family or relatives

Kids will love learning about the mysteries of Venice's Carnevale, while creating a wonderful souvenir! Our activity is set in the Giardini area of Venice, a fun off-the-beaten path location for kids to run around and explore Venice at their own level.

Designed to delight children and adults alike, this private 2-hour mask-painting workshop offers insight into an important Venetian craft. Under the guidance of a resident artist, you’ll choose a mask from more than 50 different styles and decorate it according to different techniques. While you work, your guide tells stories of traditional masks and their function in society. A minimum of four people are required for this activity.

As a visitor to an unfamiliar city, it can be difficult to get close to local culture. This tour offers the rare opportunity to do exactly that by having a cooking lesson from a professional chef in her Venetian home .

Arianna is one of the few remaining Venetian artisans who still prints like in the 15th century. If you plan to visit Venice you cannot miss the opportunity to travel through time and return to the age of the "Serenissima". You can meet Arianna at her art studio, an antique-style printing house in Fondamenta dei Ormesini in the Cannaregio district and attend an entire press session with her: you will be surprised by the atmosphere, the colors, the scents, the gestures , from the work behind a single print. The entire work behind an art print will be shown: starting from the initial drawing, the various processing steps will be explained to obtain a chalcographic engraving, until the actual print is under your eyes.

Come on in and get a taste of the ancient art of glassblowing. This sample class is the best way to enjoy the excitement of playing with melted glass while making your very own souvenir. You will learn how to gather glass from the furnace, and then control and shape it. You will realize that crafting autentic Murano glass is not easy task and that’s why it does not come cheap. Furthermore, with your own trophy in your hand, you will have the proof that each piece is unique, meaning that small imperfections are an integral part of the value of the object. Finally, if your own production is not enough for you, you will have a huge amount of woderful items of display to choose among!

cooking class with an expert in the history of Venice, in an informal and fun environment where you can cook and have dinner together

If you’ve always wanted to learn to make specialty desserts, there’s no better time to learn than now. Take this Withlocals tiramisu virtual cooking class live from Venice, and participate in an interactive option that’s far more fun than reading out of a cookbook. A couple from Venice will show you step by step how to make this traditional coffee-flavored Italian dessert right from your own kitchen.

–Create your papier mache mask with a professional. - Take out your mask and refine the details. - Choose one of the many decoration techniques available. - Decorate your mask in a traditional way or personalize it with feathers, rhinestones and other materials. - Your mask is finished and you can take it away immediately.

An engaging on-line class where you can talk and interact with the artist. Giorgio, the mask master, will help to create your carnival mask directly at your home! Enjoy the amazing online lesson with Giorgio that make a 1-hour class explaining history and secrets of the Venetian Carnival Mask and their use in the past. After the short introduction, you will start to paint your mask following the instructions of the master in order to create a unique mask personalized in according to your wishes. It’s a lesson where you can talk and discuss with the mask masters as you were in their workshop in Venice! If you want to receive two white masks to paint during the class, please write us and we will send you in 7 days for € 25.