Masterclasses in creative development
Not every course is built for every learner
Assistingourtroops brings together people who are serious about developing their creative practice — through direct instruction from professionals who have done the work themselves.
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What stays with you after the course ends
Skills you can demonstrate matter more than certificates you can frame.
Most creative learning fades because it stays abstract. The techniques taught here are practical enough to use in your own work the following week — whether that means a different approach to composition, a sharper editorial eye, or a new way of structuring a creative brief.
The instructors are working professionals. What they teach reflects what actually functions in a professional context, not a curated version of it.
The shape of the experience
It does not feel like a lecture series. It feels more like watching someone who is genuinely good at something explain exactly how they do it.
Demonstration before instruction
Each session opens with the instructor working through a real example — not a simplified one. You see the decisions being made, including the ones that get revised. The explanation follows the doing, not the other way around.
Feedback that is specific
Critique sessions focus on the actual work you submit — not general encouragement. The goal is to identify one or two things that, if changed, would meaningfully shift the quality.
Pace that respects your time
Sessions are structured around depth, not coverage. Moving through fewer ideas more carefully tends to produce better outcomes than surveying a broad topic quickly.
Materials you can return to
Recorded sessions, annotated examples and reference materials are available after each module. The learning does not have to happen all at once.
Who this is genuinely for
The format suits people who already have some creative practice and want to develop it with more intention. It is less suited to complete beginners looking for a first introduction.
Tends to work well for
Less suited to
If you are uncertain whether it fits, the contact page is the right place to ask.
Two people, two different starting points
What the experience actually looked like for people who came in with different backgrounds and expectations.
Orla Fennelly
Textile artist, Galway
"I had been making work for about four years but I kept hitting the same wall — technically fine, but somehow flat. The feedback I got in the third session was uncomfortable to hear. It was also the most useful thing anyone had said to me about my work."
The discomfort was the point. That session changed how she approached every piece after it.
Tadgh Ó Briain
Graphic designer, Cork
"I came in thinking I would pick up a few new techniques. What I did not expect was being asked to explain my decisions out loud. That process — having to articulate why — turned out to be where most of the learning happened for me."
He described the articulation exercise as harder than any technical task in the programme.
The conditions that make this work
This is worth stating plainly: the format does not compensate for low engagement. It is designed for people who show up prepared and stay with the difficulty when it arrives.
The people around you matter too
Cohorts are kept deliberately small. The goal is that every participant knows who else is in the room — and what they are working on.
A professional peer group, not an audience
Participants come from different disciplines — design, writing, visual art, craft — but they share a similar relationship to their work. That overlap creates conversations that are genuinely useful rather than politely supportive.
Cohorts of 8–12 — small enough that no one disappears into the background
Cross-discipline intake — different fields, similar standards of care for the work
Access from anywhere in Ireland — the platform is built for remote participation without compromise
Ongoing access after completion — the cohort connection does not close when the programme ends