We have some exciting news. Arts Network Sutton is proud to present Creative Connections – an online community festival of the arts. We have obtained funding from The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund – and we’re using this to bring you a series of free online interactive creative workshops, spread over two weekends in March 2021. We are taking this opportunity to showcase a range of creative activities which anyone can learn about and take part in.
You can book your tickets here but first let’s find out more about what we’ve got lined up for you:
Saturday March 20th at 11AM: Kate Marsden
Creative Zine Making Workshop
Tell your story or share something you love with a handmade zine. Textile Designer and Illustrator Kate Marsden has produced a number of low-fi zines over the past few years celebrating favourite places, architecture and, most recently, her lockdown artwork. A zine is a self published booklet, and in this workshop Kate will show you how to plan your zine, start making it, and provide tips for producing multiple copies, if you’d like to share it once it’s complete.
Saturday March 20th at 4PM: Sutton Community Dance
Connected Through Dance: An all age dance party
60 minutes of high energy LIVE ONLINE dance fun for everyone
Sutton Community Dance (SCD) is delighted to be partnering with Arts Network Sutton (ANS) to host a creative community dance party. Whether you are 5 or 95 you are welcome to join us as we celebrate community together. Join a wide range of people as we dance together, learning follow along routines and all inclusive choreography – all whilst improving our fitness. This 60 minute high energy workshop is Led by Gemma Bonner, Co-Director at SCD and open to everyone. Expect positive energy, a friendly welcome, great dance music and a healthy amount of sweat!
Sunday March 21st at 11AM: Lauren McMenemy
Creative Writing (suitable for people age 12 and upwards)
So you want to write a story? Got an idea that won’t stop itching your brain? That blank page can sure be daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. In this quick introduction to creative writing, storyteller and writer Lauren McMenemy will walk you through the building blocks of stories, including:
- How to build the foundation of an idea
- How to erect the columns of theme and message
- How to construct the frame of structure
- How to provide the window into character
- And how to add the roof through making it engaging for readers
It will be a whistle stop tour, but please bring pen and paper – the tour will be interactive, and you’ll leave the session with the solid materials ready to build your own story.
Saturday March 27th at 11AM: Manny Gaskin
Poetry and Spoken Word
Whose Poem Is It Anyway? Join spoken word artist Manny Gaskin and together we will learn about, write, perform, and donate poetry to the community of Sutton. We will explore what it means to engage in a collaborative spoken word project, together we shall create work that has life breathed into it by many voices.
Saturday March 27th at 3PM: Monica Mardare
Creative Collage
In this workshop you will learn about collage, starting with what it means, when it first started and how it has been used over time. Art collages are a great way of self-expression through art in a non-judgmental way. Designing and making collages help in structuring, developing, analysing and presenting visual issues that may be difficult to express in words. They’re great fun to make too!
Sunday March 28th at 4PM: Peter Munt
Song Writing
Our songwriting workshop with Peter will cover some of the fundamentals of songwriting, from the inception of inspiration and how to start with a blank page, to building lyrical structure, understanding melodic patterns, hooks (where and how to use them) and ensuring the message of the song is delivered without compromise. We will look at some examples of well known songs to provide context and will also participate in some practical exercises that aim to offer tools and techniques that can be integrated into the writing process.
All the workshops will be run on Zoom. They are all free to attend – and you must book tickets in advance. These workshops are suitable for people of all ages (unless otherwise stated). Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult at all times. We look forward to celebrating the arts with you!!
