If you are wondering where you can enjoy your favourite pastime and meet new people, tune in to RT’s guide to the best places to fire up your creative spirit.

As the days get shorter and colder in Moscow, life here can get tough. Autumn triggers melancholy in many Muscovites. If you want to beat those seasonal blues, it is time to get your act together – by taking an acting class, for example.

­Acting out autumn blues

The Queen’s English Theatre studio welcomed its first students only this year, but has already gained quite a following. Professional actors from the UK teach the nuances of English drama no matter the age.

The studio was created by the people behind Moscow’s first Anglo-Russian theatre. After a bit of practice, you can take to the stage as well.

“We are doing a project at the moment, which is an International Youth Exchange program, which is going to involve about 2,000 children and young people,” Martin Cooke, artistic director of the Queen's English Theatre Studio, told RT. “So we’re looking for children from the English-speaking community to participate in this project.”

After all, it is simply a great way to practice your public-speaking skills or get vocal training.

Do not forget to sign up in advance. You will have to pay 3,000 rubles – a thousand more – if you do not pay for class a month in advance.

­In brighter colors

If you are looking for a more hands-on experience, there is another way to brighten up your life.

It is always busy in this painting studio on Petrovka Street. Its owner Davina, is an award-winning artist from London. She has turned her apartment into a gallery, where not only can one observe modern art, but also create it.

The price for a lesson starts at 750 rubles and includes life drawing, sculpture and even fashion. You can let your creativity go wild on Wednesdays, Fridays or Mondays. Saturday mornings are reserved for kids.

“I’ll read the story and then we’ll take something from it – maybe the technique or a character and then we’ll use it to create a painting or a picture,” Davina Garrido de Miguel, artist from Petrovka Art Studio, told RT. “I try to make it as varied as possible. We’ll do collaging, playdough, all sorts of things.”

Adults will like the idea of individual art projects, especially if there is something in particular that they wish to create.

The place where first-time students will feel comfortable is a newly-opened studio near Sokol metro. Classes there are held twice a week and are perfect for those who want to cover the basics.

“I do very simple lessons – how to draw and how to paint,” artist John Harrison told RT. “I’m not the right person to teach people to be conceptual post-modernist painters. That’s for them to decide themselves, but only after they’ve got the skills.”

­Anti-stress shopping

While you might not need to spend money on art classes to get crafty, what you will have to invest in is your supplies.

Gorod Hobby, or Hobby City, is a 10-minute walk from Cherkizovskaya metro station. It boasts a variety of goodies for avid craftsmen and collectors. While you are picking, send your better half to explore a selection of scrapbooking, felting or cake-decorating supplies.

With some 80 crafts shops under one roof, this place is a real Aladdin’s Cave. You will find things that you would normally have to hunt for high and low and in addition to that – lots of exciting ideas.

Some stores hold regular workshops, where knowledge of Russian is not essential at all. Come by if you have some time and good luck exploring your creativity.