:Zoom art workshops
Art pack design
Workshop design and delivery
Collaborative art piece from the workshops on display at Whitworth Art Gallery
A few months ago I ran in partnership with Home Mcr and Cheetham Hill Youth Club. The workshops were aimed at 12-17 year olds and I had great fun putting together art packs for them so we could create collages - talk about sticking together!
The workshops were wonderful! The stand out element was how the entire household got involved and not just the young person from the youth club.
It’s particularly great as early last year I decided to make collage a focus of my practice - these workshops have demonstrated to me how collage is accessible and engaging for all ages. It has been hugely intergenerational which I am very pleased about.
I was initially very resistant to the idea of the virtual workshop space at the beginning of lockdown. I believed that working exclusively over Zoom would damage connectivity and the sense of community. Luckily, I had the opportunity to work with a very open minded commissioner and the support of funding from the Arts Council to explore my practice. With this help, I decided to push the boundaries of what could be done in the virtual space and made it my mission to try and make the sessions as warm, welcoming and connected as an in person workshop can be.
Part of this was designing and creating the art packs which I thoroughly enjoyed. It brought a real tactile element to the workshops and strengthened my connection with the participants. It’s even inspired me to develop some Eventbrite community workshops where people can take some time for themselves, unwind and be creative – watch this space!
Check out the pieces on display at the Whitworth Art Gallery from June.