Name: January Weekender
Start: 2026-01-23T17:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-01-25T17:00:00+00:00
Location: John Lowther Scout Centre

Our Weekenders are residentials (day tickets also available) for young people aged 11-18 who thrive on ideas, creativity and intellectual challenge. Over a weekend, participants choose from workshops spanning politics, philosophy, creative writing, art, drama and more — all designed to stretch minds and spark new passions. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and many young people find it's a rare space where their particular way of thinking is understood and celebrated.
Some of the options to pick from in January are -
You, Me, and GPT: The Ethics of Using AI
AI is everywhere now — in our homework, our homes, our friendships, our creativity, and our futures. But what happens when the tools we use can also think, write, draw, and decide? In You, Me, and GPT, we’ll explore what it means to live well in a world where intelligent systems collaborate, compete, and occasionally collide with human goals.
D&D Monster Laboratory
Pore over Monster Manuals for inspiration before crafting your very own diabolical monster or colourful NPC (non-player character) to throw into a short session of Dungeons and Dragons. You’ll create your creature’s/character’s stats, actions, and lore, before letting them loose as a Dungeon Master against other players for either a deadly combat encounter, or potentially an intriguing social encounter. Will you go easy on the heroes with an adorable critter for them to befriend and help? Or will you unleash a cosmic horror that threatens to tear apart reality itself?!
Pictures and Protest
⁠An Art session exploring the power of an image. The truth, the justice, the comedy and the absurdity! If you are passionate about a cause, Art can get the word out,
Smashing the Glass Ceiling
Women are still less likely than men to rise to the top in the media, science, or the professions. They live longer than men do but earn less and own less. Why? Are men and women just different? Or is there something else going on?
Is That Your Final Question?
Ever watched a game show and thought, I could design a better one? Step behind the studio lights and become the creator, producer and host of a brand-new quiz or game show of your own making.
Improvising with Genre
Fantasy! Sci-fi! Western! Learn to improvise scenes in a variety of different genres and styles, from spoof documentaries to superheroes and even Shakespeare. Practising with established patterns and tropes in fiction is the theatrical improviser’s equivalent of practising musical scales and chords, familiarising ourselves with the various dramatic notes in all the different keys we can play in. This is the perfect workshop for beginner and experienced improvisers alike.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury
What really happens inside a courtroom when a life-changing decision hangs in the balance? You’ll step into the heart of a real criminal trial and test whether you would have reached the same conclusion as the original jury.
The Sonic Typewriter
Ever wondered how a Doctor Who episode comes to life? In The Sonic Typewriter, you’ll step into the writer’s room of the Whoniverse and craft an adventure of your own.