7 new hobbies to take up in Dubai

Residential Interior Design
If you need some inspiration on redecorating or fancy turning a hobby into something more professional, Full Circle offers a range of options. The interior design course is designed for adults ready to flex their emulsion and scatter-cushion skills and is structured around real rooms to give you a stronger foundation.
Where: Full Circle Design, The Arts Centre, DUCTAC
When: Every Saturday, September 17 until October 15, 9.25am-1pm
Contact: +971 52 422 1670

Cooking Classes
Want to perfect pastry? Craft better casseroles? ICCA offers accredited amateur programs in culinary techniques that can lead to a qualification, or one-off “lifestyle classes” such as menu planning. You can learn how to make artisan pizza, a fancy icing swan or even tackle gelato. They also have celebrity chef training if that’s your aim.
Where: International Centre for Culinary Arts, Knowledge Village
When: Weekly classes
Contact: +9714 457 8811

The Jam Jar Dubai
You can book the studio here and spend a delightful afternoon sploshing paint on a canvas with friends and family, or look out for their evening workshops. We believe watercolour is up next.
Where: Unit H74, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
When: Check listings
Contact: +9714 341 7303

Festival of Literature Book Club
Festival reading groups have been happening on the regular since, well, the last festival. The next one will discuss Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance. It looks into the extraordinary life of and times of Silicon Valley’s most audacious entrepreneur and is written by veteran technology journalist Ashlee Vance. If you don’t have time to speed read this one, you can hold out for more book clubs once the 2017 Festival authors are revealed.
Where: World Trade Club, Dubai World Trade Centre Tower,
When: September 21, 7:30-9pm
Contact: +9714 355 9844

Try Dive
You can count this as your PE lesson. If you’ve been thinking about learning how to scuba dive, this is a great little class to take your first breaths underwater in the safety of a swimming pool. Al Boom Diving was established in the UAE in 1995, so they know the waters here. Take the plunge this weekend.
Where: Al Boom Diving, Al Wasl Road Dive Center Dubai
When: Daily at 11am
Contact: +9714 342 2993

We Love Art
More painting, but you have a choice here – take it seriously and sign up to a beginner’s painting class on a Saturday morning (September 17 and 24) or just go with the flow and book onto a fun night of music, chatter and brush strokes with We Love Art’s Paint and Grape night (September 20,  7.30pm). Expect three hours, two glasses and one master piece to recreate. This time it will be Andy Warhol’s Turquoise Marilyn Monroe.
Where: Media One Hotel
When: September 20, 7.30pm-10.30pm
Contact: +971 56 769 1995