We regularly organise intensive British Sign Language (BSL) Level 1 & BSL Level 2 Courses led by the brilliant tutor John Mancini for artists, creatives, producers and staff working at cultural organisations. 

These courses take place over one or two full weeks. Whether you find it tricky to commit to regular evening classes, or prefer the immersive experience of an intensive course, the full-time learning structure is a great alternative to standard BSL course structures. You’ll also be learning alongside industry peers, and will even have the chance to learn industry-specific vocabulary!

At the end of each course there is the option to take a nationally-recognised qualification from the exam board Signature.​

SPECIAL OFFER: COURSE AND A SHOW

Book for one of our BSL Courses before 14th July and get an EXCLUSIVE 20% discount code for Last Rites at Bristol Old Vic!

Last Rites is a Deaf-led story told through sign language and physical theatre. It’s coming to Bristol Old Vic from 15 - 19 July 2025, and this discount code is ONLY for BSL course bookers!

When you book, we’ll send you an email to confirm your course booking and we’ll include your discount code.

UPCOMING COURSES

BSL LEVEL 1: ONE WEEK

Monday 6th - Friday 10th October 2025

09:30 - 16:30

Watershed, 1 Canon’s Reach, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TX

Cost: £270pp, plus an optional £124 assessment fee

This course is suitable for complete beginners. The assessment at the end of the course is not compulsory, but we recommend it if you wish to continue learning BSL as it is a requirement for many Level 2 courses. It’s also a fantastic qualification to hold!

To book, please complete the form below. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis - we recommend booking as soon as possible as these courses are very popular.

BSL LEVEL 2: TWO WEEKS

(A course split across two months, plus independent learning)

Monday 19th - Friday 23rd January AND Monday 9th - Friday 13th March 2026

09:30 - 16:30

Watershed, 1 Canon’s Reach, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TX

Cost: £395pp, plus an optional £184 assessment fee

Please note that in addition to the taught weeks of the course, you will need to do some independent learning and practicing (approx. 50 hours total). It will be necessary to complete at least some of this independent learning between the two weeks of the course in order to get the most out of the second week of the course.

This course is not suitable for complete beginners. You must either:

• Hold a recognised BSL Level 1 qualification

  OR

• Complete a short pre-enrolment assessment with tutor John via Zoom, to ensure that your level of BSL is sufficient for this course

If you are not sure about your eligibility for this course, please email us at artists@ad-infinitum.org.

The assessment at the end of the course is not compulsory, but we recommend it if you wish to continue learning BSL as it is a requirement for many Level 3 and above courses. It’s also a fantastic qualification to hold!

To book, please complete the form below. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis - we recommend booking as soon as possible as these courses are very popular.

ACCESS

Ad Infinitum and Watershed are committed to making our courses accessible to participants with a range of lived experiences, including participants with additional needs. This might include booking BSL interpreters, sending course information in advance, offering a quiet space, or something else. If you have an access need, please include this in your booking form or get in touch to chat with us about how we can make the course accessible to you.

The course venue is an accessible space. You can find out more about Watershed and access here.

Some feedback from previous BSL courses led by John that we have run:

“I really can't find any fault with the BSL L1 course;  it was tremendous. The lessons were incredibly intensive and immersive,  but also very manageably paced (with regular breaks, which were  essential!) and crucially it was a lot of fun. The teaching from John was simply superb”

“I thought the course was totally great! Really helpful to learn a related skill but with a bunch of theatre peeps!”

“There's very limited availability of intensive courses like this, and with my irregular work patterns it's hard to commit to an entire term of evening classes, so I really appreciate Ad Infinitum putting it on”

CANCELLATION POLICY

If you need to cancel for any reason, we will do our best to fill your place and offer you a full refund, minus the assessment fee which cannot be refunded. If we can’t fill your place, our terms are as follows:

BSL LEVEL 1

• Up to 5 weeks in advance: 100% refund (minus assessment fee)

• Up to 3 weeks in advance: 50% refund (minus assessment fee)

• Up to 2 weeks in advance: 30% refund (minus assessment fee)

• Less than 2 weeks in advance: no refund

BSL LEVEL 2

• Up to 7 weeks in advance: 100% refund (minus assessment fee)

• Up to 4 weeks in advance: 30% refund (minus assessment fee)

• Less than 4 weeks in advance: no refund

These cancellation terms are in place so that we can cover course costs (which must still be paid regardless of cancellations) and so that we can try to fill any cancelled places in good time. Where possible, we’ll always try to minimise the cost to you if you need to cancel, but please be aware that by booking on to a course you are accepting these booking terms.

Ad Infinitum is committed to offering affordable, high-quality artist development opportunities in Bristol, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these terms so that we can continue to do this in the future.