Workshop
Creative Play: Explore, Express, Grow - A Mindful Creativity Workshop Programme.
DATE
Thu 17 Oct - Sat 23 Nov 2024
VENUE
St George’s Arts Centre
SELECT SHOWING
Join artist Mud for an exciting series of 6 workshops where you will practice
self-expression, play and experiment, and have fun in a creative, non-judgmental, and
empowering environment.
These workshops are not about artistic skills or innate
talent: but about playing with art in fun and interesting ways.
In these workshops you will make masks, create postcards to your future selves, paint
to a selection of music, and more.
We will begin each session with a ‘Freeing the Mind’ warm-up exercise that will
influence and inspire our final piece in some way.
These often unusual activities are
designed to encourage you to loosen up by unleashing your inner creativity.
The sessions themselves will be light-hearted; in a laid back environment where
everyone is welcome to engage and experiment with art, express their ideas, and
connect with others.
We will be supportive and mindful of ourselves and others.
In these workshops there is no right or wrong way of creating.
Everything is open to
interpretation and we value imperfection for what it is:
“Imperfection inspires invention, imagination, creativity. It stimulates. The more I
feel imperfect, the more I feel alive.”
― Jhumpa Lahiri
Dates and Projects: Six Weeks - Six Projects. Please book each session separately.
Suitable for 18yrs +
10th October - Postcards To The Future (Blind Contour Drawing)
Session 1:
In this session, we'll explore the power of unsent messages through the creation of
deeply personal postcards to our future selves.
We'll begin with a warm welcome and
an introduction to the project, followed by a 'Freeing the Mind' activity: Blind Contour
Drawing, where you'll draw without looking at your paper to loosen up your creative
flow.
After a brief break, you'll dive into crafting your postcards using collage
materials, expressing thoughts and feelings that will never be sent. The session will
conclude with a reflection and group discussion on the experience.
17th October - Painting to Music (Sensory Bag Drawing)
Session 2:
This workshop invites you to explore the connection between sound and visual art by
painting along to music.
We'll start with a brief introduction and a 'Freeing the Mind'
activity: ‘Sensory Bag’ Drawing, where you'll use your senses to guide your artwork.
After a short break, you'll create your paintings, letting the rhythm and mood of the
music influence your brushstrokes.
We'll wrap up with a reflection and discussion on
how the music impacted your creative process.
Please Bring: music player and headphones
24th October - The Heart vs. The Head (Emotional Mask-Making)
Session 3:
In this session, we’ll delve into the creative tension between emotion and logic by
exploring "The Heart vs. The Head."
After a welcome and introduction, we'll begin
with a 'Freeing the Mind' activity: Emotional Mark-Making, where you’ll use your
feelings to drive your marks on the paper.
Following a break, you'll create artworks
that reflect the interplay between your heart and mind.
The session will close with a
group reflection and discussion on the balance between emotion and reason in your
work.
31st October - BREAK
7th November - Colours of Memory (Exquisite Corpse)
Session 4:
For this session we will be playing with colour to recreate the feel of a treasured
memory.
After our welcome and introduction to the workshop we will start with a
‘Freeing the Mind’ activity; ‘Exquisite Corpse’, which is a collaborative game that
requires no special skills.
Next we will have a short break and then move on to the
main activity, Colours of Memory, where we will create small concertina booklets
filled with swirling swatches of colours that represent a favourite memory.
14th November - Mask Making (Entopic Graphomania)
Session 5:
Explore identity and self-expression by crafting masks in this session.
We'll begin with
an introduction and a 'Freeing the Mind' activity: Entopic Graphomania, where you’ll
connect random dots on a page to create unexpected forms.
Following a short break,
you’ll create your masks, allowing your imagination to guide the design.
We’ll finish
with a reflection and discussion on how the masks represent different facets of
identity.
23rd November - Drawing Huge (Continuous Line Drawing)
Session 6:
In this final session, you’ll experience the freedom of creating large-scale drawings.
After a welcome and introduction, we'll engage in a 'Freeing the Mind' activity:
Continuous Line Drawing, where you’ll create continuous line drawings to break free
from creative constraints.
Following a break, you’ll work on collaborative and
expansive artworks, playing with scale and form.
We’ll conclude the session with a
reflection and group discussion on the experience of working on such a large scale
Bring: found objects and materials to draw with: leaves, twigs, trash etc.