Workshops and classes in Oakland — 11 upcoming

Hell and the Imagination: Reading Dante’s Inferno

Culture & Humanities Workshop / PracticeBookshop

Sat, Oct 24 ·11:00 am ·Clio’s Books ·Oakland ·$10

A four-week seminar exploring Dante's *Inferno* as both a masterwork of Western literature and a profound meditation on human striving and justice that resonates in our own historical moment. Led by Timothy Hampton, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley, the course will read the poem slowly, unpacking its mysteries, medieval philosophical context, and enduring relevance. Open discussion follows each session. Meets Thursdays, October 10, 17, 24, 31, 11 am–1 pm.

via Clio's Books ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Stagebridge Presents: Tell Your Story!

Community & Practice Workshop / PracticeLibrary

Tue, Oct 27 ·6:00 pm ·Oakland Public Library — Montclair Branch ·Oakland

A 3-part prompt-based storytelling workshop for adults and older adults led by Stagebridge, the nation's oldest performing arts organization for seniors. Participants can join a single session, multiple classes, or the entire series. Registration required by calling Montclair Branch at (510) 482-7810.

via Oakland Public Library ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Hands-On Matcha Workshop

Community & PracticeCulture & Humanities Workshop / Practice

Sun, Nov 1 ·10:30 am ·Local Economy ·Oakland ·$50

Learn the principles and practice of Japanese tea ceremony in an immersive 75-minute workshop led by Harue Imaizumi, a certified Omotesenke tea instructor based in Berkeley. The session covers matcha and Japanese tea culture, wellness benefits, ceremony etiquette, and hands-on whisking technique. You'll prepare and enjoy your own bowl of matcha with traditional Japanese sweets, then receive practical guidance on brewing matcha at home from water temperature to storage. Tea sourced from ochamode, founded by Mayuka Inaba, featuring organic matcha from Shizuoka, Japan. Q&A with instructor and founder included.

via Local Economy ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Hands-On Seed Processing with Farmer Sama

Community & Practice Workshop / Practice

Sat, Nov 7 ·10:30 am ·Local Economy ·Oakland ·$10

Learn traditional seed-cleaning techniques—threshing and winnowing—with Farmer Sama of Reyhan Herb Farm, a small-scale Bay Area grower of heritage crops from the SWANA region. This hands-on workshop transforms the end-of-season seed harvest into dry, shelf-stable seed lots ready for storage and sharing. Participants will engage in practices unchanged since agriculture's origins while entering a flow state of meditative, connective work. The event celebrates ancestral foodways, ecological knowledge, and the relaxation found in working with your hands alongside others.

via Local Economy ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
How to Get Home in the Dark — Emilie Lygren & Poets

Culture & Humanities Book TalkWorkshop / Practice

Sun, Nov 8 ·3:00 pm ·Local Economy ·Oakland ·$10

A reading and generative workshop celebrating Emilie Lygren's anthology *How to Get Home in the Dark: Poems on Mental Health and Healing*. Lygren reads alongside poets Alegria Barclay, Zeina Hashem Beck, Melissa Fowlks, and Antwan Linton Penn, followed by a brief panel discussion. Attendees then write their own pieces in conversation with the anthology—paper, pens, and journal space provided. A space for poetry, reflection, and shared creative practice around healing and mental health.

via Local Economy ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Stagebridge Presents: Tell Your Story!

Community & Practice Workshop / PracticeLibrary

Tue, Nov 10 ·6:00 pm ·Oakland Public Library — Montclair Branch ·Oakland

A three-part prompt-based storytelling workshop series designed for older adults, led by Stagebridge, the nation's oldest performing arts organization for seniors. No storytelling experience necessary. Participants can join single sessions or the full series. Sessions are October 27th, November 10th, and November 24th. Registration encouraged but not required; walk-ins welcome.

via Oakland Public Library ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Writing the Body in Memoir: How to Work with What Our Bodies Know

Culture & Humanities Workshop / PracticeBook Talk

Thu, Nov 12 ·6:00 pm ·Local Economy ·Oakland ·$25

A writing workshop on embodying memoir, led by Savala Nolan, author of *Good Woman: A Reckoning* and *Don't Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body*. Nolan explores how writers draw from and contend with the body to craft honest, fresh memoir — what our bodies can tell us that minds cannot, how to work with embodiment when we live in a society hostile to our bodies, and concrete approaches to honest representation. The session includes examples of embodied writing from celebrated authors and a skills-building exercise. Bring pen, notebook, or laptop.

via Local Economy ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
The Art of Bay Area Boxing

Community & PracticeCulture & Humanities Lecture / ForumWorkshop / Practice

Sat, Nov 21 ·1:00 pm ·Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts ·Oakland ·$20

An evening exploring Oakland's boxing legacy and the next generation keeping the sport alive in the Bay Area. The program combines conversation and history with a hands-on boxing workshop led by community practitioners. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes; the workshop welcomes complete beginners of all ages and bodies, requiring no prior experience or equipment.

via KQED ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Autumnal Pot Pourri Making

Community & Practice Workshop / Practice Free

Sat, Nov 21 ·2:00 pm ·Freedom Community Clinic ·Oakland

Make a warming and fragrant pot pourri while sipping apple cider and gathering in community to reflect on intentions for the end of the year. Led by Talyce Ketura, a queer, mixed Afro-Caribbean herbalist, writer, and founder of Àtúnbí Wellness, who brings nearly a decade of experience in herbal medicine and reproductive justice rooted in Black feminist praxis. Part of Freedom Community Clinic's Herbalist-in-Residence program, which offers bi-weekly hands-on workshops in herbal craft and medicine-making.

via Freedom Community Clinic ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
Bridge of 봇 (Placenta) – A Ritual for Belonging

Culture & HumanitiesCommunity & Practice Lecture / ForumWorkshop / Practice

Sat, Nov 21 ·2:00 pm ·EastSide Arts Alliance ·Oakland

A multi-day ritual event combining storytelling, music, and visual altars exploring belonging and diaspora. Presented by EastSide Arts Alliance, Puri Arts, Asian Refugees United, and the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, featuring artist Dohee Lee and musician Adria Otte. The program includes 'Calling the Spirit,' a musical offering (Friday, Nov. 20, 7pm), and two sessions of 'Storytelling and Ritual' (Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21-22, 2pm) immersed in altars and offerings.

via EastSide Arts Alliance ↗ Event link ↗ Edit
BAFS: Piracy 101

Community & Practice Workshop / Practice

Sun, Nov 22 ·11:00 am ·Tamarack ·Oakland

A hands-on workshop on piracy basics, hosted at Tamarack, a community space, café, and lending library focused on critical theory, social movements, and local history.

via Tamarack ↗ Event link ↗ Edit