Bury St Eds Library Blank Page Project

Join us at Bury St Edmunds Library for a variety of creative workshops throughout the summer holidays for 10-16 year olds! Workshops are 9:45am - 3:30pm and include lunch, drinks and snacks. Free places are available for those eligible for benefit related free school meals. Unsure if you’re eligible? For guidance visit www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals. For more information on each workshop, please visit our website: suffolkcommunitylibraries.co.uk/blank-page If your booking is made within 72 hours of the workshop, we may not be able to accommodate specific dietary requirements. Please get in touch with the library location for the workshop to discuss options. Library: Bury St Edmunds Library, Sergeants Walk, St Andrews Street North, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1TZ 20 July- Charlie Law- Songwriting 21 July- Ian Dance- Digital Graffiti with VR headsets 27 July- Gillian Allard- Tats and Tees 28 July- Henry Driver- Nature game artwork workshop 3 August- Wendy Finbow- Found Poetry 4 August- Aga Serugo Lugo- Songwriting 10 August- Nicola Warner- Trainer Design in Zentangles 11 August- Jodi Peck- Wire Work Jewellery Making 20 July- Charlie Law Participants will explore the library, gathering books which they will mine for lyrical ideas. Participants will pick their favourite words and collate them using the William Burroughs Cut Up Method (used by David Bowie). Together with Charlie they will create a song and perform and record it at the end of the day. The workshop will be fun and interactive, encouraging participants to step out of their comfort zone, and walk away with new skills and connections. Disclaimer: No books will be harmed in the making of this song! Charlie Law is a singer-songwriter from Suffolk who sings about his adventures on campervans and canal boats, loss and family. He has been a featured artist on BBC Introducing and performed at Frank Turner's Lost Evenings at The Roundhouse in Camden. Charlie is also an established community musician having trained with Spitalfields Music and writes songs with people suffering with dementia and within the criminal justice system. 21 July- Ian Dance- ID Creative Ian delivers creative workshops using Virtual Reality headsets and software called ‘Kingspray.’ This virtual reality application allows participants to develop spray-can-based street art painting skills, as well as practice creating their own styles and images in a virtual space. These sessions allow participants to explore themes, creative markmaking, build confidence and self-esteem with the use of Virtual Reality as a creative medium. Each Participant will develop the skills to use state-of-the-art Virtual Reality technology to create digital artworks, both in their own virtual space and also within group sessions helping aid individual creativity and social inclusion skills. Ian's work includes delivering Virtual Reality based creative workshops that introduce communities to new creative technologies and possibilities. At the heart of his practice is a belief that creativity is a force for good, open to everyone, capable of building confidence, and providing platforms where individuals can thrive. 27 July- Gillian Allard TATS & TEES Photographer Gillian Allard will be running a new workshop at Bury St Edmunds library with Emily, Millie and Albert to help you along. It is called 'Tats & Tees'. You will use an iPad to photograph some things from nature, characters from books and screen shot favourite illustrations and even yourself! These will be taken into an image manipulation app for you to create your own dynamic and colourful designs. With help you will transfer one design onto a new black T-shirt and create a page of personal and unique tattoos. In the afternoon, you can photograph yourself against a colourful backdrops. You will be able to wear your artwork home or take with you at the end of the session. Promises to be busy and fun! : ) Gillian Allard (she/her) is a photographic artist based in Suffolk. She has been a freelance photographer since the 90s and specialises in documentary photography. Gillian has been commissioned for a number of projects including photographing Sir Paul McCartney at his recording studio. 28 July- Henry Driver Create artwork for a game inspired by the Brecks’ landscape! Create artwork for a nature inspired video game by drawing, colouring in, and cutting paper! We will create artwork and collages of trees, animals, birds, fish, insects, plants and habitats all inspired by the local landscape of the Brecks! Get a taste of how artwork is created for video games. Some of the creations might then be put into our upcoming Brecks Landscape video game! This workshop is run by local professional artist and game developer Henry Driver who has had games published by BBC Arts and Future Friends Games, and exhibited in galleries across the world including Tate Britain and Tate Liverpool. 3 August- Wendy Finbow Create poetry from the unexpected. Our 'Found Poetry' workshop invites you to transform existing text into striking poems and visual art. Through playful experimentation and creative discovery, you'll learn basic techniques for finding meaning, rhythm and the story hidden within the page using both black-out and collage 'Found Poetry'. Wendy Finbow is a creative person with a passion for 'Found Poetry', transforming everyday words and phrases into thoughtful and imaginative works. She has worked for Suffolk Libraries for over ten years. As part of her job Wendy uses her artistic skills to design engaging displays and develop creative craft ideas for children. 4 August- Aga Serugo Lugo Where do good ideas come from? Start with a word, a picture a doodle, a tune stuck in your head. This workshop is designed to unlock your musical creativity and tap into the inspirations you already have. We’ll cover lyric-making, coming up with tunes and structuring your song, giving you the toolkit for an unforgettable musical experience. Whether you’ve written a thousand songs in a special notebook, or you’ve never written a song in your life. This course is for you! Aga Serugo lugo is a clarinetist, vocalist, composer and workshop leader. Aga’s workshop focus on narrative-based community music making. Aga’s an associate artist with Streetwise Opera, Prime Theatre, Citizens of the World choir and Mind and Soul choir. Aga’s worked extensively with other organisations: ENO, Britten-Pears arts, Royal academy of music, Trinity-Laban and Southbank Centre. 10 August- Nicola Warner DESIGNER TRAINERS IN ‘ZENTANGLE' STYLE Get creative. Switch off. Design something uniquely yours. Love trainers? Love drawing? Or just fancy trying something different? Join us for a creative workshop where you’ll design your own pair of dream trainers using the relaxing and imaginative Zentangle style. Think patterns, shapes, stars, words, stripes, doodles, colour — there are no rules and no right or wrong ideas. This is your chance to slow down, be creative, and let your imagination take over while designing trainers that reflect your style and personality. You’ll experiment with pens, pencils, brush pens and watercolours to create detailed designs in a calm, mindful way — no art experience needed. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with two original A4 trainer designs to take home, keep, or even frame. No pressure. No experience needed. Just creativity. Drawing much of her inspiration from the ever-changing East Anglian coastline, Nicola Warner is an eclectic artist whose work seeks to capture the essence and spirit of her subjects. Rooted in a deep connection to the natural world, her practice responds to the shifting movement of sea and sky, botanicals, and the quiet traces of history and heritage woven through the landscape. Working with paint and brush, alongside the expressive and often unpredictable process of cyanotype, Nicola distils the character of a plant, tree, shoreline, or place into evocative forms. Through an experimental mixed-media approach, she creates richly layered artworks imbued with texture, depth, and a compelling sense of movement and atmosphere. Alongside solo exhibitions, Nicola produces original artworks, prints, and fabric designs, while also sharing her creative process through private classes and workshops. 11 August- Jodi Peck Discover the art of wire work jewellery making in this hands on workshop designed for young creatives aged 10–16. Participants will explore a variety of tools and techniques, learning core wire wrapping skills alongside methods for shaping, hammering, and forming metal. They’ll then design and create their own bespoke piece using eco friendly metals and repurposed beads and stones. Guided step by step in a supportive, inclusive environment, everyone will leave with new skills, increased confidence, and a unique piece of jewellery to take home. Jodi Peck is a jewellery maker with over 25 years’ experience, with a background in silversmithing, working primarily with eco silver, copper, brass, and repurposed materials. Her practice centres on eco conscious design, often incorporating salvaged beads and semi precious stones to promote creative reuse.