The Latest Way To Learn From The Experts, Courtesy Of The BBC

The Concept

Just like Masterclass or Create Academy, the newly launched Maestro service from the BBC covers a wide range of topics, with sessions hosted by some of the biggest names in their respective fields. Intended to help users excel at something they already love, or discover a whole new hobby, the courses offer hours of instructional and motivational video content crafted by their celebrity host, and are suitable for everyone from complete novices to amateur enthusiasts. You can also browse through the notes of each course to see exactly what it entails (the number of lessons range between 25 and 35, spanning 3.5 to 7 hours), before signing up for a one-time fee of £80. 

What’s On Offer Now

There are currently only four courses on offer, although there’s a string of future names due to launch their own virtual classes in the near future (more on that later). For now, students can take their pick from the following:

Writing Books For Children: David Walliams

Learn everything there is to know about writing for children from one of Britain’s best-loved and most successful children’s authors. Whether it’s researching your own childhood to find inspiration, learning how to develop compelling, funny characters or understanding structure, watch as Walliams leads you through the 25 stages towards compiling your first children’s novel. Want to know how to write a convincing villain or come up with a great title? The comedian is on hand to take you from A to Z.

Find out more here
 

Delicious Food Cooked Simply: Marco Pierre White

Spanning 35 lessons and 3.5 hours of content, budding foodies should sign up to this cookery course led by infamous bad-boy chef Marco Pierre White. Designed to help you turn the simplest of ingredients into impressive and delicious dishes, the first few lessons will cover White’s own illustrious career, full of behind-the-scenes intel for those keen to crack into the industry. From there, learn how to make simple showstoppers like langoustine cocktail, aubergine parmigiana and steak lyonnaise. 

Find out more here
 

Writing Drama For Television: Jed Mercurio

Hosted by the acclaimed screenwriter of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, this course will take you from first draft to final script. Spanning 28 lessons over 7.5 hours, watch as Mercurio explains how to forge a successful TV show – from the importance of the pilot episode to working with plots and subplots. Some lessons take less than 10 minutes to complete, while others nudge closer to the half-hour mark – either way, by the end, you’ll appreciate how to write compelling dialogue and develop exciting incidents like a pro. 

Find out more here
 

Song Writing: Gary Barlow

With 14 number one hits to his name, there’s not much Gary Barlow doesn’t know about writing a chart-topping song. Consider this your opportunity to hone your musical ear, by getting stuck into 29 different lessons which span everything from the early stages of song writing through to understanding chords and reaching your target audience. Again, there’s more than 3.5 hours of content on offer here, with some lesson times totalling just a few minutes for those who find themselves stretched for time.

Find out more here
 

What To Look Out For Next

If none of the current courses appeal, don’t worry, there are plenty more in the works, including acting with Helena Bonham Carter, learning more about wine with expert Jancis Robinson and crafting the foundations of good design direct from tailoring guru Ozwald Boateng. Finally, budding business owners will soon have the chance to learn what it takes to succeed from Dragons’ Den alum Peter Jones. We can’t wait.
 

Interested? Here’s How To Sign Up…

Keen to get in on the action? Every course costs £80 – regardless of number of lessons and hours of video content. Plus, there’s no subscription fee, so you’re not tied into future payments or commitments. 

If you know someone who would love to take a course, it’s also possible to buy someone access to the platform as a gift. Simply head to the ‘Gift Cards’ section of the website and select ‘Gift This Course’. Just be aware that gift courses are specific, so be confident you know what your recipient would be most interested in before purchasing. Recipients will then be sent a digital code which they can redeem at any time online.
 

For more information and to keep up to date with the latest info on courses and more, visit BBCMaestro.com