TUCKED off Brighton’s busy Western Road is a terraced building which has been changing lives for the past 20 years.

Back in September 1992 Indrabodhi Shann opened Evolution Arts And Natural Health for its first autumn term, offering a range of courses across three rooms: a dance studio, art room and therapy centre.

Now, two decades on, Evolution offers more than 70 courses in eight venues across the city, ranging from autobiography writing to spinal stretching, clutter clearing to improvised comedy.

Shann ran the centre personally for the first 13 years before taking on the role of chairman of the trustees. More than 20 years ago he was working in a temporary Christmas shop below the building when he got a chance to look at the floors above and came up with the concept.

Transforming the space above Western Road’s current Evolution shop took up to two years of planning, with Shann doing much of the building work himself.

When the centre opened its doors it seemed to take off straight away.

“It was difficult being tucked away – we didn’t have that presence on the street,” he says, adding that the shop from which the centre took its name helped them out.

“They used to let us put out a little board and have a display space in the shop. They were happy to let us use their name – I had originally wanted to call it something like Mandala Arts (mandala means a sacred circle) – but Evolution fitted. It was about evolving and growing.

“When you get feedback that doing a course at Evolution changed somebody’s life it is special. “Often people taking courses were struggling with their personal life and found they connected with their creative and artistic side through doing a course.”

The centre is a charity devoted to developing the arts and alternative forms of natural health, so the courses have to reflect that mission.

The tutors include professional dancers, artists, writers and musicians, as well as fully trained teachers, many of whom have worked with Evolution for several years.

“One teacher approached us to teach Gypsy dance,” remembers Shann. “We weren’t quite sure whether it would work – it seemed a little obscure – but we’d had a lot of enquiries about running a Bollywood class, so we put her through a training course for that in London.”

Kat Hamilton, who had spent six years as a professional dancer, still teaches the course at Evolution nine years on. Over the years different classes have proved popular, with Evolution keeping up with what users at the centre want.

“Primarily we are proactive in looking for courses and tutors who can provide those courses,” says Tessa Chisholm, the current general manager at the centre.

“Two and a half years ago people couldn’t get enough dance – partly because of Strictly Come Dancing which had a huge impact. Now writing seems to have taken off. We offer a variety of writing courses.”

It didn’t stop the centre from occasionally offering classes that might not be so popular.

“We did a Renaissance drawing course,” remembers Shann. “It used pen and ink and the same vellum used by Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelangelo. Only four or five people took the course but we provided that opportunity for their interest to develop.”

The centre’s limitations add something to its charm. Because of the small space in its art room it can only offer some courses for a maximum of 12 people – meaning everyone gets close tuition.

Elsewhere in the larger studio space they offer minimum size classes, so yoga practitioners, singers and dancers don’t feel so exposed.

“It makes it more personal,” says Shann. “It’s a great place for forming friendships. It’s important to provide that social situation for people to meet.”

Next Sunday, September 2, the centre is offering half-hour taster courses covering the range of activities on offer. And anyone who signs up for a course on the day will get the concessionary rate.

“Hopefully we offer something different from other organisations in the city,” says Chisholm.

“It isn’t CV or skills and qualifications led. It’s about enhancing the quality of your own life.”

As for the future, Shann, who still pays regular visits to the centre, has a few ideas planned.

“We are going through the recession at the moment so it’s not time to take any risks,” he says. “But when the more expansive times come we would like to expand into a custom-built premises – it would be nice to have a café and perhaps not so many stairs!”