Young Edge | Workshops over weekends: why Pune’s Gen Z pays to unwind offline

This shift reflects a broader change in how Gen Z approaches leisure. Rather than passive hangouts, there is a growing preference for structured yet low-pressure activities that offer both engagement and social interaction. Workshops, by design, provide that balance: a guided activity without the pressure of performance.

On any given weekend, listings across social media platforms and event-based apps indicate that at least 20–30 workshops are available across the city, catering to a wide range of interests. The price point typically ranges between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, depending on the complexity of the activity. While sessions such as painting and pottery are usually priced between Rs 500 and Rs 700, more specialised workshops—for instance, resin art, mixology or sushi-making classes—can cost anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 and above.

A sense of fulfilment

For many, the allure is also deeply social. At community-led spaces like Kala and Kin, which host women-focused workshops at least twice a month (hosting around 20-25 people per session and resulting in a large community), the emphasis is as much on connection as it is on the activity itself.

“People don’t always have the time or the ability to plan meet-ups. Here, they just have to show up,” said founder Jayashree Ubare, adding that the sessions often evolve into informal social spaces rather than rigid classes.

Participants echo this sentiment. “You do learn something, but more than that, it’s the feeling of making something yourself,” said Aditi Soni, a psychology student, reflecting on her experience of attending a lip-gloss making workshop “It gives you a sense of fulfilment. It’s not mentally exhausting, it’s something you enjoy doing.”

The rise of such spaces also points to a growing need to disconnect from digital life. With much of work, education, and socialising now mediated through screens, offline interaction is increasingly being sought out as a form of relief.

Ashita Jain, another attendee, said these workshops offer a rare opportunity to step away from that cycle. “A lot of what we do is online. This is one of the few ways to meet people in person and actually spend time without being on your phone,” she said, stating that one of the best such activities was a beginner-friendly pickleball workshop.

Experience rather than expertise

Platforms and organisers are responding to this demand by expanding the range of activities on offer from creative arts to sports-based sessions like beginner pickleball, often marketed through apps like District and social media. The format remains consistent: accessible, beginner-friendly, and centred on experience rather than expertise.

What stands out is the willingness of young people to pay for these experiences, not necessarily for the skill, but for what the space offers: a break, a sense of community, and a tangible outcome in the form of something they have created.

In that sense, these workshops are less about the activity itself and more about what they enable—a pause from routine and a return to slower and more intentional ways of spending time.

Tanushka Rathore is an intern with The Indian Express, Pune.