ART WORKSHOPS
Participatory art workshops are a great way to explore alternative ways of communication.
Trained in the PhotoVoice ethical participatory method and principles, I facilitate structured and thematic creative photography workshops.
Art workshops can also cover practical lessons in photography and art history.
Catering to students and adults alike, my workshops are inclusive and neurodiverse-friendly. I am DBS checked and fully insured.
AMELIA YOUNG CREATIVES: PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
THE AMELIA SCOTT. 2026
I worked with The Amelia Scott to deliver this two-day workshop as part of the This Young Creatives project, which ran in parallel with the Life Through a Royal Lens exhibition at The Amelia Scott, Royal Tunbridge Wells, in February 2026.
The 10 participants who took part have their portraits displayed alongside the major exhibition at the gallery.
Based on creative portraiture, the participant-led workshop covered a brief history of portrait photography with attention to subjects, meaning and styles before we engaged in practical studio sessions, including lighting techniques, props and costume. We used the permanent and temporary exhibitions at The Amelia Scott for inspiration in the creative sessions.
Basic retouching, editing and critique formed part of the workshop, which gave the participants a real grounding in the more formal side of photography before choosing their finished pieces for public exhibition at the gallery.
This workshop was brilliant! Thank you! - participant
The Cove: Against The Tide
Hastings Contemporary. 2025
I worked with Hastings Contemporary to deliver workshops for The Cove, the specialist facility for students with Special Educational Needs at St Leonards Academy secondary school. This collaborative project gives 25 students aged 11-15 years the opportunity to work towards achieving their Arts Award. In addition to visiting the gallery, the students participate in workshops that culminate in a pop-up exhibition.
I delivered photography workshops, where I taught students with varying ranges of experience how to use compact cameras and studio lighting for still life. The structured workshops were based on the theme: what you would like people to know about you.
This involved teaching a little photography history for inspiration, looking at artists like Irving Penn. Supporting the studio lighting and camera techniques, we also looked at ways to select artworks for exhibition and the final installation process with gallery technicians. This helped shape the workshop to move from ideation to presentation, providing a holistic understanding of photography as a practice beyond the image.
Darkness to Dawn: Reclaiming Yourself After HG
Science Gallery London. 2025
This workshop was delivered as part of the supporting programme to the first major exhibition of The Hidden Mothers at Science Gallery London. Collaborating with Jemma Martin (The HG Midwife, Bumps & Bubbles CIC) a group of Hyperemesis Gravidarum survivors responded to a theme to produce their own set of photographs.
These deeply personal pictures were then discussed in a safe, supportive environment before being assembled in a collaborative artwork displayed during the public exhibition.
Often lasting three to six months, Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is particularly traumatic for sufferers during the most vulnerable time of motherhood. The constant nausea and vomiting, severe dehydration, with potential hospitalisation, result in long-term psychological effects that can lead to suicidal ideation and prevent future pregnancy.
This participant-led creative photography workshop introduced participants who have suffered from HG in pregnancy to the art of visual storytelling through contemporary photography.
The participants were asked to create or send existing personal images in response to the theme: what you want people to know about the impact HG has had on you.
The session began with a presentation of each participant's images and the stories behind them, supported by the trained perinatal midwives present.
The final installation of prints was left in place for the duration of the public exhibition, which was visited by medical professionals and the general public.
Berwick Church Heritage Lottery Fund Appeal and Community Programme
St Michael & All Angels Church, Berwick. 2018
The paintings in Berwick church by Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell form the largest scheme by modern artists in an historic church in Britain.
The 2018 HLF appeal was launched to raise funds to undertake urgent conservation work 75 year after they were commissioned by Bishop Bell during the Second World War
Bishop Bell’s vision was to establish a living, creative relationship and understanding between contemporary arts and the church. Berwick church is a unique synergy between history, arts, faith and the environment and the appeal will make this more accessible to people, especially to disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals.
In my role as a consultant Outreach & Engagement Officer I established a new inclusive arts activity programme working with arts organisations such as Towner Art Gallery, Charleston House, Arts in Mind and local arts practitioners to help support members of the local community affected by mental health issues, addiction and suicide. This took inspiration from the themes that affected the Bloomsbury Arts group themselves.
Inspired by the artists original desire to provide a space of solace and peace away from war, we worked with Blind Veterans UK, drawing on the decorative scheme of war art to open up conversations with people currently or formerly serving in the armed forces.
Berwick church was successful in receiving its funding for conservation and delivering the community outreach programme.
So That They May Be Usefull To Themselves
The Foundling Museum. 2016-2017
Working with volunteers at The Foundling Museum, including SEND participants, I delivered a structured project designed to provide participants with the full experience of researching, curating, handling, displaying and marketing a public exhibition based on the Museum archives and collections. The process included guest experts to demonstrate each step of the way.
The final outcome was a public display in the Museum’s Introductory Gallery.
The theme explored the Foundling Hospital’s work with disabled children in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Records reveal the Hospital was ground-breaking in its approach to access, demonstrated by the education and care it gave to disabled children in its custody. In some cases this led to lifelong support, even into old age.
From the beginning, the Hospital admitted children from a variety of different backgrounds and with varying abilities. In order to provide for and to develop children who had physical or learning difficulties the Governors devised different methods to ensure they had the best chance in life. A modern approach was applied; Hospital staff delivered financial, medical and educational care to remove barriers that might have disadvantaged the children.
Concentrating on what they could achieve, rather than what they could not, helped children with disabilities to flourish and to become ‘usefull to themselves’.
Individuals and organisations of any kind can book an art workshop. Groups of up to 12 max.
Get in touch over email with your details, including location and we’ll take it from there.
FAQs
What is an art workshop?
An art workshop is a structured creative lesson delivered in a practical setting by a qualified facilitator. They often follow a theme, or are based on a specific artistic practice or craft.
What does participatory mean?
Participatory means the art workshop has been developed with a specific group in mind, and will continue to be informed by their participation as it is delivered. This ensures the art workshop caters to the group’s unique experience and allows for their individual voices to emerge as it proceeds.
What art workshops do you deliver?
The kind of art workshops I deliver are participatory creative photography workshops. This means they can include exercises in various photographic methods like still life, collage and portraiture and will usually follow a theme that reflects the group’s shared experience.
What outcome can I expect from an art workshop?
The kind of outcomes you can expect from an art workshop can vary depending on the group, the purpose of the workshop and organisers. Many end with collaborative artwork being produced, a temporary public exhibition or a unique individual artwork produced by each participant.
Where can I find an art workshop near me?
You can usually find lots of different kinds of art workshops near you using a search engine like Google. Many schools, studios, community centres, libraries, galleries and museums run regular creative workshops to engage local community groups. Signing up to their email newsletter is a great way to stay informed. I work with all of these organisations.
