What’s on this Summer with Art at the Heart?
We’re really pleased to announce that our summer programme is being offered in collaboration with The Core, Solihull this year and forms part of the borough’s Holiday Activities offer. Part funded by HAF and Arts Council, England, workshops under the Summer Solidays banner will be free for those eligible for free school meals and will include a lunch. You can join us for these exciting in-person workshops from 10am-2.30pm on Tuesdays through to Fridays at Chelmsley Wood Library, Balsall Common Library as well as at The Core.
Summer Solidays
The Summer Solidays programme begins with our ever popular Me & My Pencil workshops which will be offered in person for the first time! Children aged 5+ can join us for our pet-drawing workshops: choose from a cute kitten or playful puppy! For those aged 11-16, we are also running Portrait Heroes workshops, where you’ll create a realistic sketch of a chosen inspirational figure. Then display your work in the gallery and watch the exhibition develop over the summer. Tickets must be booked in advance – please see the CORE website for a full schedule. Your child can still attend if you are not eligible for free school meals, but a small charge will apply.
For those who like 3D art, why not join one of the Origami Paper Sculptures workshops. You’ll transform a flat piece of paper into a colourful 3D sculpture, learning geometric concepts as you go. In our Patterns and Culture workshop, you’ll make artwork based on patterns from all around the world. And if you’d like to try some beautifully delicate, detailed painting, try our Indian Miniature Painting workshop.
Finally, the Wild World workshops will explore life-size jungle artwork and link to the Wild World Heroes Summer Reading Challenge which is brought to you by The Reading Agency and the World Wildlife Fund. The Reading Challenge is all about encouraging young readers to stand up for the planet, and following in their footsteps, we’re getting young artists to stand up for the planet! Through learning about recycling, reducing plastic waste and making art from pre-loved materials, we can all be sustainability activists. Read below to access FREE resources, and book your tickets via the Core website.
Me & My Pencil Drawing Workshops
Our Me&MyPencil workshops will be continuing throughout the summer holidays, from 9.30-10.30am on Wednesdays. Children aged 7-13 are invited to join us online for an hour-long workshop, where we’ll explore the textures, shape and dimensions of our chosen figure. From the majestic Toothless the Dragon to the mischievous Dobby the House Elf, there’s plenty of chance to develop skills and techniques. You’ll simply need a pencil, eraser and some sketching paper. Our artists have said that these drawing workshops help them to become ‘more expressive’, and one parent praised ‘the wonderful and gentle way you have of encouraging the kids to look and draw in different ways’. Come along and see what you can learn! Tickets are £10 per child and must be booked in advance – please see our website for a full schedule of workshops and booking details.
Summer at the Core
On Monday the 16th of August at the Core, Solihull, budding young artists aged 11-16 are invited to ArtLab Does BIG DRAWING. This 2-hour long session will dive into large-scale expressive drawings, using charcoal-tipped bamboo sticks! Others have described ArtLab as ‘a highly creative environment for children to explore ideas and flourish’. Tickets are £18, which also covers the cost of all materials required, and must be booked in advance on our website.
Also at the Core, we will be hosting Magical Movie Moments – pre-film drawing workshops on Fridays in August from 1-2pm. Before you settle down to the film screening, we’ll delve into the characters and landscapes, allowing you to immerse yourself in each cinematic universe. Scheduled films include the Jungle Book, the Lion King and Finding Nemo. Tickets for Magical Movie Moments are £5 each, bookable through the Core website.
Covid-19 Safety
You may have concerns about rising Covid infection rates. Art at the Heart will be continuing to operate with the safety precautions that we have been following since April 2021. Group numbers have been kept low and we will continue with hand sanitisation, spaced out workstations, face coverings and no sharing of equipment or resources and quarantining equipment where this is not possible.
Whether in-person, or online, we hope that you’ll join us this summer for a chance to learn some new skills and unleash your inner artist. Keep an eye on our ‘What’s On’ page for all the workshops and events over the next few weeks.
Useful Links
The Summer Reading Challenge website has loads of FREE resources around this year’s theme – Wild World Heroes. You can search for a library near you, discover how to unlock reading badges, and play the Wild World Scramble game! The World Wildlife Federation also has a Kids Planet website where you can access podcasts, quizzes and sustainability resources. Have a browse and see what you can learn! #WildWorldHeroes #SummerReadingChallenge #ReadingAgency #WWF #KidsPlanet #SummerSolidays
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