Get Creative

This Workshop explores how a writer can inject their own experience with imagination in order to create believable and memorable characters and effective settings that will help their writing (in whatever form - prose, poetry or script) jump off the page. Through a series of exercises and triggers, as well as looking at exemplar materials, participants will be encouraged to discover ways of making this happen. Suitable for absolute beginners and those who have written before.

This workshop is an introduction to "green" woodworking. You will learn about selecting suitable timber for making a shrink pot, then preparing the timber and hollowing the pot. The next step will be fitting the base and lid, continuing with the external texturing of the pot and carving the top and finial on the lid. The shrink pot will be finished with milk paint and natural wax. This workshop is suitable for beginners.

Learn, develop and embrace your skills of working with ink and watercolour with award-winning East Yorkshire artist Eleanor Tomlinson. Eleanor will be sharing a range or tips and techniques for drawing in pencil and ink fine liners before working with watercolour to create your own farm animal inspired original ink and watercolour artwork.

Eleanor’s ink and watercolour workshop day will be split into two parts. In the morning, you will explore techniques and methods for working with pencil, fine liners and watercolour through a range of short demonstrations and fun fast-paced activities. Eleanor will do short demonstrations piecing together the various activities before going through her secrets and methods for using watercolour and creating her signature splatters.

In the afternoon you will continue with your individual ink and watercolour pieces. Eleanor will come round individually to offer any help or advice on a 1:1 basis as each participant draws in pen and then paints in watercolour, working at their own pace. Participants will leave at the end of the day with an array of skills and knowledge, as well as their own piece of artwork.

Join us for a three-hour session of mostly self-guided figure drawing with professional art model The Arty Poser. There will be a variety of poses throughout the session to give you lots of different angles to experiment with and enhance your observation and drawing practice.

This session is open to both hobbyists and professional artists. The model will be nude, so this is not open to children, the minimum age is 18+.

Image: charcoal on toned paper by Jorge Goytizolo.

Katie Veall is a Lincolnshire based artist who is passionate about continuing the heritage craft of punch needle and teaching it to others. In this workshop you will learn how to use a punch needle and create a freestanding tree decoration bursting with texture and autumn colour. These make beautiful items of home décor, are great to gift to nature lovers or to make as Christmas decorations you will cherish year after year.

Suitable for beginners, the day will begin by introducing the basics of the punch needle craft with time for some practice and troubleshooting. You will then progress to make the foliage punch needle element of the tree before mounting it onto a dowel and wooden base to complete. Depending on how quickly you pick up the basic techniques, you may be able to produce more than one tree.

Do you have an old stool, chair or ottoman that needs some new life breathing into? Here you will learn how to upholster an item of your choice. Lesley will be on hand to help at every stage and will have a full range of upholstery tools and materials for you to use. All you will need to bring is a piece of furniture and the top fabric.

Create a striking, full size Stag’s Head in animal-friendly willow for your wall. These also look great with lights. This course is suitable for beginners.

Join Hannah Turlington for a day of learning how to print your own textiles. On the day you will learn how to create repeat pattern blocks which you will then use to hand print your own cloth napkins and table runner. You will learn about the different types of pattern repeats and then how to bring your designs to life. Hannah will be sharing the traditional ways in which she creates her own surface pattern designs so that you are able to do this yourself. The pattern blocks will be carved into lino and printed with block printing inks onto four cotton/linen napkins and a table runner.

This workshop is an introduction to "green" woodworking. You will learn about selecting suitable timber for making a shrink pot, then preparing the timber and hollowing the pot. The next step will be fitting the base and lid, continuing with the external texturing of the pot and carving the top and finial on the lid. The shrink pot will be finished with milk paint and natural wax. This workshop is suitable for beginners.

Spend a relaxing day weaving on a table and making your own scarf or snood. Each participant will have their own eight shaft table loom to use for the session. The loom will be threaded up ahead of the workshop, so you can enjoy weaving for a full day. There will be an opportunity to incorporate a range of techniques and weave structures as well as choosing the yarns that you use, from a range of colours, textures and fibres. Participants will learn all the skills needed through group demonstrations as well as one-to-one support throughout the day.

This workshop is suitable for beginners, and all equipment and materials are provided for use during the workshop. Participants are welcome to bring along additional yarn to use within their project if they wish but this is not essential as plenty of yarn will be available to use.

Learn various wire forming techniques and create a festive garland or series of decorations for your tree. The workshop is suitable for anyone and is a nice way to learn basic metalwork and jewellery making skills. Please note though, the technique is a little repetitive and wirework can be tiring on your hands, so do bare this in mind if you have any issues with hand strength.

In the morning we will explore basic techniques creating a winter scene, including stylised trees and snowmen. We will then go on to exploring different patterns using wires and beads to create a series of snowflakes in the afternoon.

You will get a selection of wires and instructions to take home with you, so you can make more at home. There will also be the option to buy large Snowflake kits on the day, which use the same techniques, but are too repetitive to do in one sitting.

Do you have an old stool, chair or ottoman that needs some new life breathing into? Here you will learn how to upholster an item of your choice. Lesley will be on hand to help at every stage and will have a full range of upholstery tools and materials for you to use. All you will need to bring is a piece of furniture and the top fabric.

Learn to make this very useful round basket with a handle, perfect for eggs or fruit. Using traditional techniques and a variety of willows this little basket is a great introduction to further willow work.

Jaqueline Warrington, a jeweller and silver smith of many years’ experience, will teach how to make a silver flower out of a circular piece of silver sheet using the jeweller’s piercing saw, pliers and needle files. You will then make a stalk from silver wire and solder the two together. Lastly, you will make a leaf by hammering and shaping the silver and soldering it onto the stalk. There you have your flower!

This watercolour workshop is suitable for all levels, from absolute beginners to anyone wanting to explore new techniques. With an emphasis on exploring watercolour in a playful and mindful way, there will be minimal drawing. You will start with an exploration of our colours and techniques then you will be guided step-by-step to create two atmospheric seascapes to take home with you. Using a limited but vibrant palette, you will explore some fun watercolour techniques (using cling film, spatter, wax resist and masking fluid to create textures) as well as practising more traditional washes and wet in wet painting.

Enjoy a relaxed morning weaving your own wall hanging inspired by the landscape surrounding The Ropewalk. You will use a simple frame loom to create your wall hanging whilst combining colour and texture within your work. There will be the opportunity to explore several different weaving techniques as well as having access to a wide range of different yarns, ribbons, trimmings and roving. You will not only take away your finished wall hanging, but you will also have the skills to begin weaving at home. This workshop is perfect for beginners and all equipment, and materials will be provided for use during the session.

Learn to make a circular and heart shaped willow garland in the morning, which you can decorate in the afternoon or make large and small stars. A day filled with a range of ideas for your seasonal decorations.

Do you have an old stool, small dining room/bedroom chair or ottoman that needs some new life breathing into? Here you will learn how to upholster an item of your choice. Lesley will be on hand to help at every stage and will have a full range of upholstery tools for you to use and materials to purchase. All you will need to bring is a piece of furniture and the top fabric.

Please note we advise you have previous upholstery experience as it can be difficult to complete a project in one day.

Jacqueline Warrington studied silversmithing as well as jewellery before setting up her own business. In this workshop you will use the chasing tools to create some surface pattern. In using these kind of tools you can achieve a more controlled texture than if using a hammer. This is flat chasing using a steel flat-plate rather than a pitch bowl.

You will then make some granules from tiny pieces of silver and solder them on to the design, thus bringing some highlights to the textured piece.

Each of you will have a piece of silver 4cm x 4cm which you can cut out the earrings and the pendant from. Jacqueline will bring some copper sheet that you can practice using the chasing tools on before you commit to your silver!

Join Sue Kershaw on this workshop and create a 22cm square garden/outdoor mosaic plaque using Sue’s designs or bring along your own design. There is an exciting wide choice of materials and colours to select from. Sue will explain how to cut tiles and what works best to create a dynamic mosaic with movement and flow.

Friendly, fun and informal.