The Blank Page Project creative workshops return for winter 2024!

We are excited to announce new winter creative workshops as part of The Blank Page Project for young people aged 10-16.

The Blank Page Project provides free enriching and engaging creative activities in libraries during the school holidays funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activity Fund. Since its launch in March 2023, the project has hosted over 200 different workshops and has welcomed more than 3,000 young people into libraries across Suffolk.

This year's winter workshops start on Monday 23 December and run until Friday 3 January. There are a total of 24 workshops facilitated by professional artists, with more than 450 free spaces available. Our new creative workshops include:

• Woolly winter warmers with textiles artist Clare Sams
• Flat pack fauna with illustrator Joel Millerchip
• Filmmaking with theatre maker and storyteller Kirsty Tallent
• Vision board creation with illustrator Lily from Uwu Studio
• Mosaic positivity plaques with ceramicist Emma Jayne Robertson
• Songwriting and album art creation with musician Ben Brown and visual artist Catalina Carvajal
• Festive photo fun with photographer Gillian Allard
• Printmaking and lino cutting with designer Holly Scholfield
• Sculptures and casting creations with sculptor Emma Denby
• 2D stop-frame animation with designer Lulu Horsfield from Rock Paper Scissors
• Creative writing with community arts practitioner Poppy Stevens.

For the full list of workshops and information on how to book your free place, visit suffolklibraries.co.uk/blank-page

Katie Puls, Suffolk Libraries Youth Activities Producer, said:

“I’m so excited Suffolk Libraries is able to bring Blank Page back this winter - and our programme is more exciting than ever! I’m so passionate about this project and what it has to offer young people across our county. Time and time again we are told that there’s so little on offer for our teenage age group, and the unique experience and confidence that this brings to our teens is invaluable.

“We’re also supporting the families of the young people who attend by gifting family baking kits to everyone who takes part. Cooking nutritious food at home is not only a life skill, but a fantastic experience to share as a family that is proven to positively affect wellbeing. We hope that our teens will not only enjoy our Blank Page workshops but also enjoy reading their books from the library and cooking together with their families over this festive period.”

This winter, Suffolk Libraries has also recruited young creative volunteers aged 18-25 to help facilitate our Blank Page workshops. Volunteering can be a rewarding experience and provides valuable opportunities for young people to gain experience and build their CV. Keep an eye on our volunteer page for future opportunities if this is of interest to you!

If you have any queries about The Blank Page Project, please contact Katie Puls, Youth Activities Producer, by emailing katie.puls@suffolklibraries.co.uk or calling 07380 193784.