Love setting a Fall table with pumpkins? Looking for a quick DIY project or gift? Come make a hand-sewn pumpkin to keep or gift this Fall season! Make it simple or add leaves, ribbons, or berries. Skill level: beginner to intermediate. Materials you will need to bring: 1 Fat Quarter or 1/3 yards cotton fabric, thread & needle, ribbon or other embellishment as desired. A materials fee of $5 (for polyfiber fill) is due the evening of workshop.

This six week class uses the skills and exercises of Improvisational Theater to develop a deeper sense of connection to self and others through the art of embodied play. Relaxing into the entry point of tuning into our creative selves, we will expand into collaborative performance for each other by sharing our imaginations together. This will include exploring character creation, storytelling and intuitive movement along with just getting to know each other and healing ourselves through shared laughter and emotional release. Elise Voigt is an actor and theater educator with over 20 years of experience and loves sharing her skills and knowledge with adults and children as a journey of self-discovery and self-renewal. No experience necessary! Come out and Play!

This course covers basic genealogy concepts for researching and documenting one's ancestors. Topics include: general ideas to get started, where and how to find key genealogy records, paper and digital organization strategies, using online databases and resources, and where to go in the community to research family history. One class meeting will include a field trip to a research site. Although this is a course on genealogy fundamentals, it has a special focus on the research areas of Maine and French Canada. It is recommended that students have a gmail account as most handouts will be shared virtually via Google Docs. The preferred device for this course is a laptop rather than a tablet.

Our community book club is back! Come and have a lively discussion as we share our thoughts on these books! *NOTE: Each session below is one-night.

OCT Session: Come join us for our first meeting in October! The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller to get us in the spooky mood for the season. About a woman named Alicia Berenson, a painter who murders her husband, Gabriel, then never speaks another word. Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist is obsessed with her case, becomes her therapist to uncover her motive, only for the narrative to reveal that the storylines are not occurring simultaneously, leading to a shocking twist regarding their connection.

NOV Session: We are going to put a spin on November's book selection. For November you will be challenged to read a book of your choice in a genre that you have never/very rarely read. Let's have a thoughtful conversation on the book and genre you chose and why. Was this an eye opener for you? Will you read more books of that genre in the future? Come and let us know! Speaking of the future, The Merrymeeting Adult Ed Center will be putting its Spring/Summer catalog together soon! We will take some time during this meeting to discuss the future of our club, anything you would like to add/subtract? We will also choose future selections and possible locations. Please bring with you at least 2 book titles and a small summary that you would like the club to discuss and we will vote on the top titles!

DEC Session: Home for the holidays? Not so much for the characters in our December book pick! We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer is about a queer couple, Charlie and Eve, who buy a house to flip, only for their lives to unravel after they let a family of former residents tour the home, leading to supernatural events, disappearances, and a breakdown of reality. Originally a viral short story on Reddit. Would you have let the former family in? Let's talk about what you would have done! 

JAN Session: Happy New Year! Lets start the new year off with a great read from Fredrik Backman, the author of the bestselling book "A Man Called Ove." My Friends by Fredrick Backman is about the enduring power of friendship, art, and human connection. Follow an aspiring artist named Louisa as she uncovers the story behind a famous painting of four teenagers from a transformative summer 25 years prior, weaving together past and present narratives of trauma, hope, and healing. Come join us for a great conversation! 

FEB Session: [Wayward] - Unruly, unpredictable or difficult to control. This month we will be reading a book with that very title! Weyward by Emilia Hart is a debut novel that weaves together the stories of three women from different centuries—Altha (1619), Violet (1942), and Kate (present day)—who are connected by a shared legacy of female power, intuition, and a deep bond with nature, often labeled as witchcraft. The book explores themes of resilience, and the struggle of each woman as she confronts abuse and societal constraints, finding strength in their "weyward" spirit and connection to the natural world. Let's talk about the lives of these 3 women and what they taught us. 

MAR Session: We’d love to have you join us for a book to movie discussion. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel following Ryland Grace, a junior high science teacher turned astronaut who wakes up with amnesia on a spaceship. He discovers he is on a desperate, one-way mission to save Earth from a solar-dimming microorganism. Was the book or movie better? Let's find out together! 

Make a unique pumpkin for your home decor! Bring three or more of your favorite napkins or choose from those provided.

$15 materials fee

This workshop is designed to loosen and stretch the hip joint so that movement in that area is easier and less tense. We will combine some restorative yoga poses with some that will increase flexibility and strengthen the body (especially the hip joints). Much of what we cover can be done at home after the workshop so you can continue opening the hips and leg muscles on your own.

All equipment will be provided for you. Information learned through yoga classes and workshops should not be considered a substitute for medical advice. 

This course is open to anyone and is designed to increase your knowledge of music and its composition. The course will focus on the fundamentals of music: rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, texture, and form. Students will take that musical knowledge and learn how to compose music in various styles, including but not limited to hip-hop, trap, R&B, Pop, folk, rock, or EDM. Students will learn the basics of recording, mixing, editing, sampling, composing, and producing music in any style they choose. The course will use SoundTrap as the recording software, and students will create high-quality electronic compositions using various tools and techniques. No specific prior training is required.

No class: 10/29, 11/5

Minimum: 6   |   Maximum: 20

Authentic Belly Dance, or raks sharqi, is an ancient form of dance. Raks sharqi means “dance of the east” in Arabic. Belly dance celebrates every body type and every stage of life. The dance is proud and powerful and soft and sinewy with elegant and isolating movements emanating from the core. It’s the Pilates of dance. And so much fun! This is a great refresher class for experienced dancers and suitable for dancers new to belly dance. Please wear comfortable clothing, similar to what you might wear to a yoga class that will allow for free movement and the ability to see your movement. Hip scarves make it even more fun. You can dance barefoot or in a pair of comfortable dance shoes in the studio. Zills (finger cymbals) will be used in class. Check in with the instructor before you purchase any. As an added bonus, you will also have access to a video library with instruction, drills, and ongoing choreography during the length of the session. *This class meets on the following Thursdays: 9/3, 9/17, 10/1, 10/15, 10/29, 11/12, 12/3, 12/17 (8 sessions total).