A summaryJoin us at Ipswich County Library for a variety of creative workshops this 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 and our brilliant artists, 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 address: Ipswich County Library, Northgate Street, Ipswich, IP1 3DE
28 July: Clay creations workshop
4 August: Video game workshop
11 August: Upcycled collage workshop
18 August: Printmaking workshop
29 August: Special effects make-up
Workshop details:
Mon 28 July 2025 09:45 - 15:30
Clay: Wordy Wrap Pot with Emma Jayne Robertson
Join ceramic artist, Emma Jayne Robertson, to make a wrap pot from clay covered in all sorts of textured prints.
You can include words, phrases and imagery inspired by your favourite story.
We will start by drawing out ideas and develop these into a final design. Then we will create!
You will roll out your clay and then spend time exploring all the fabrics, stamps, buttons, shells and more from Emma’s texture box. She will then show you how to wrap it around a former and add a base to make it into a pot/vase.
Each participant will get to choose one colour for their pot/vase before they leave. This will be applied by The EJaRt Creative Team and wiped back to highlight the patterns on the surface before it has its final firing. The inside of the pot will be glazed and the outside left natural.
Items will be delivered back to the library for you to collect, after being glazed and fired.
Please Note: Delivery can take 4-6 weeks as your pot will need to dry out thoroughly and be fired twice in the kiln.
Please bring an apron or old shirt to protect your clothes. (We do have some disposable aprons if anyone forgets them on the day).
Monday 4 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.
Monday 11 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Upcycled Collage and Decoupage with Clare Sams
Join textiles artist Clare Sams for this creative workshop for 10-16 year olds at your local library. Learn how to make recycled art using magazines, comics and varnish. In this workshop you will learn how to customise objects with recycled comics and magazines to make fun and personalised creations. Decoupage is a traditional craft, used to upcycle objects for the home with colours, pictures, and patterns by using scrap paper and varnish. In the session you can try out the art of collage using paper glue, magazines, and card to get familiar with the techniques. Next you will make a customised keychain charm using decoupage glue and lettering. Moving onto a larger project after lunch, you can use your new decoupage skills to customise your own project, including wooden boxes, coasters, and canvases. What will you create?
Monday 18 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
Printmaking with Lily Hammond
Exploring Adinkra – A West African-Inspired Print & Illustration Journey
Join artist Lily from Uwu Studio for an experimental and joyful print and illustration workshop inspired by the powerful visual language of Adinkra symbols and her recent journey to Nigeria. This creative session celebrates the bold colours, rhythmic patterns, and meaningful symbols of West Africa through hands-on making and playful exploration.
What are Adinkra symbols?
Adinkra symbols originate from the Akan people of Ghana and represent ideas, values, and philosophical concepts. Traditionally used in textiles, ceramics, and architecture, these visual motifs express everything from wisdom and unity to courage and transformation.
In this workshop, we will delve into the beauty and meaning behind these symbols, using them as inspiration to design our own unique artworks. We’ll explore vibrant colour palettes, create our own block prints using foam and card, and experiment with wax-resist techniques—a traditional method still widely practised across Nigeria as well as illustrative techniques and experimentation.
You'll leave the session having learned new techniques and created a bold collection of African-inspired prints and illustrations to take home.
Friday 29 August 2025 09:45- 15:30
SFX Make Up with Lorna-Jane Garside
Join arts practitioner Lorna-Jane Garside for this creative workshop for 10-16 year olds at your local library. Learn how to create your own cuts, bruises and gory special effects makeup looks! Participants will learn how to create the gory looks they've seen on stage and screen. You'll be making your own stage blood, creating latex prosthetics, and learning how to apply cuts and bruises. We'll build the weirdest and most creative story we can think of and design the special effects to go along with it!
