A summaryJoin 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 a free 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
29 July: Character creation workshop
31 July: Eco printmaking workshop
5 August: Coding with Scratch workshop
7 August: Cyanotype design workshop
12 August: Songwriting workshop
14 August: Character creation workshop
19 August: Video game creation workshop
21 August: Comic book illustration workshop
Workshop Details:
Tuesday 29 July 2025 09:45- 15:30
Create A Character with Eloise Cookson
Join digital artist Eloise Cookson for this creative workshop for 10-16 year olds at your local library. Learn how to design your own original characters and bring them to life!
Whether this is the first time creating your own character or you already have existing characters, this workshop will support and level up your character designing skills! Eloise will first introduce some character design principles she uses in her own process with examples from animated media and comics. Throughout the day with different character designing activities, taking inspiration from objects, nature, as well as their own passions and interests, participants will explore how to practically incorporate these concepts when creating their original characters.
By the end of the workshop, participants will go home with their character concepts & illustrations for the day, having created their characters and an idea for the world and story they live in.
Thursday 31 July 2025 09:45- 15:30
Eco printmaking workshop with Holly Schofield
Join artist and designer Holly Scholfield for this creative workshop for 10-16 year olds at your local library. Design and make your own beautiful dry point etching using environmentally friendly materials. This workshop will be a busy day of drawing, designing, and printing! Using recycled Tetrapak, we will explore the traditional printing technique of dry point. You will be guided through the whole process from start to finish, using etching tools, inks and a printing press. Participants will get to go home with their own unique prints.
Tuesday 5 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Coding with Scratch with Phil Willis
Join software developer and robot creator Phil Willis for this free creative workshop for 10-16 year olds at Great Cornard Library, as part of The Blank Page Project! Learn how to use coding software to create your own computer game.
This workshop will guide you through the creation of your very own computer game. You will be introduced to programming concepts such as scratch and raspberry pi to design and create a computer game for you to play and share with your friends. No computing experience necessary, only a desire to learn.
Thursday 7 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Cyanotype Workshop with Eleanor Rodwell
A full-day session exploring mark-making and the alternative photography process of cyanotypes (first used in the 1800s to document botanical samples). In the morning, the group will focus on using still life and quick exercises to make experimental drawings. Eleanor Rodwell will then guide participants through using these drawings, found objects and collaged photographs to create finalised designs. Finally, in the afternoon we’ll use photo-sensitive paper and sunlight to expose our designs, producing deep-blue detailed prints.
Tuesday 12 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Songwriting and Album Art Creation with Ben Brown and Catalina Carvajal
Join musician Ben Brown and visual artist Catalina Carvajal for this free creative workshop for 10-16 year olds! Explore your innate creativity to spontaneously create exciting and unique works or audio and visual art. Participants will go on a creative journey, writing and recording a song with Ben and creating the cover art with Catalina. In this workshop we will explore song writing; rhythm, rhyming and harmony as well as visual arts. Together we will write a song by brainstorming ideas and using a variety of creative techniques and games. - Once created, we will then record the song in the space! We will also cocreate a piece of cover art to accompany the track. The completed tracks will be uploaded to Bandcamp as part of the Blank Page EP which will be downloadable for free (individual participants will not be named).
Thursday 14 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Create a Character with Sian Burford-Thomas
Jump into action this Summer and create a character with a difference! Our blank canvas character’s identity will be revealed only by you… Join us to bring them to life through designing their look, who they are on the inside…and figure out just how they will make a difference to the world around us.
We’ll be working together to create our brand new character, using a blank mannequin and YOUR ideas. We’ll be looking at visual elements such as clothing, creating performance to bring their traits and passions to life, as well as recorded voice work to capture their character for all to hear. Accessible and fun theatrical exercises and techniques will help participants to develop their ideas. Our finished character will remain on display at the library for all to see at the end of the day.
Tuesday 19 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Level Up – Create Your Own Game World with Evie Capon
Gaming and storytelling workshop – A full day of imagination, sound design, voice work and visual storytelling as participants design and bring to life their own original video game concept.
This workshop will explore how to build a game world from scratch, including developing characters, designing quests, and recording sound effects and voiceovers for in-game action and cutscenes. Participants will learn how to plan their game’s narrative, storyboard key scenes, and will have the option to record their own trailer or “live playthrough” using voice acting, effects, and creative visuals.
Using iPads and accessible creative software, the group will be guided to build their own world. By the end of the workshop, participants will go home with a mini game concept, complete with characters, sound, and a short video or audio demo to share.
RISKS:
E-safety guidance with the use of iPads.
Please note: Content created may be shared online or with participants after the session. Consent will be requested where necessary.
Thursday 21 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Comic Book Illustration with Joel Millerchip
Join illustrator and artist Joel Millerchip to create an 8 page comic zine that’s tell your own unique story. This will be drawing heavy day with mixture of pens pencils and collage materials for you to create a mixed media narrative. Learn to create fabulous characters and play with sequential imagery .
Joel Millerchip is an image maker in Suffolk with a second city heritage. Proud pen smith, ADHD thinker, creator visuals & workshops, and part of the education team at West Suffolk College. Joel works with bold, impactful illustrative styles that work perfectly in print.
