Category: Project Posts

FenCreators

Posted on by Lucy Amos

Workshops will include a variety of art, craft, digital and varying media, with fun activities in a sociable, inclusive atmosphere. We will have a number of experienced facilitators running workshops across each town on a rotation basis, spending 5 weeks in each town.

From filmmaking, to sewing or pottery, there’s something for everyone. Suitable for complete beginners and enthusiasts. Regular participants will have the opportunity to shape the programme, exhibit their work locally, and help run creative activities at local events.

The project has blossomed from the successful pilot of quilting workshops in Chatteris which we introduced, following requests from the local community. This is a Creative Lives Know Your Neighbourhood Project funded by UK Government and Arts Council England.

Sessions run from September to December 2024. 

We’d love people to attend as many sessions as possible, but workshops will also work as standalone sessions, so don’t worry if you can’t make them all or if you’re only interested in particular sessions.

Chatteris workshops

Wisbech workshops

Whittlesey workshops

Wisbech Rose Fair

Posted on by Lucy Amos

We return to Rose Fair this year, with lots of creativity and fun for everyone to get involved with in and around the town centre.

We’ve reunited with the brilliant Mandinga Arts who will be taking part in the parade and performing their brand new show ‘Pansy Postal Service’ at 1pm in the church gardens, complete with human flowers. Their bright and imaginative costumes are the perfect addition to the parade which will take place at both 11am and 2pm. Click here to see the parade route and map.

Drop-in to join Artist Karin Forman in the sensory garden and make your own intricate paper flowers to take home with you.

…and don’t forget to visit our street art sculpture which will be installed in Horse Fair shopping centre, designed and spray-painted by the local community in our public workshops with Artist and Illustrator Nick Shove.

Rose Fair spraypainting workshops

Posted on by Lucy Amos

Get stuck into spray painting and sculpture making with umbrellas, guided by street artist Nick Shove in the lead up to Wisbech Rose Fair.

These drop-in workshops are free and suitable for all ages (under 16s should be accompanied by an adult). The sculpture that is created in these workshops will then be on display during Wisbech Rose Fair on Saturday 29th June.

Dates/times: Saturday 15th June 10am – 3pm or Friday 21st June 10am – 5pm

Location: REMO Eco-Superstore in Wisbech.

No booking required, just turn up.

Art Road Trip

Posted on by Lucy Amos

MarketPlace has partnered with The National Gallery for Art Road Trip as part of their 200th year celebrations. Together we have curated a two week creative programme designed to bring art and creativity to communities in Wisbech and Mildenhall. This July, we are welcoming an art studio across multiple locations in both towns, along with a range of free, open to all, hands on creative workshops.

The travelling studio will be stationed at various locations across Wisbech from 2-6 July and Mildenhall from 9-13 July, with free workshops and interactive activities for all. We’ll be encouraging everyone to get creative, inspired by the theme of ‘Look up and take to the skies’ in Mildenhall, and ‘More than meets the eye‘ in Wisbech. Two incredible artists from The National Gallery, Chioma Ince and Alex Bowie will be facilitating these sessions, exploring a variety of techniques and practices.

The Art Road Trip mobile studio will be at the following locations in Wisbech: 

  • 2nd – 3rd July: Outside the Oasis Centre (St Michael’s Ave, PE13 3NR) – drop in between 10-4

  • 4th July: Peckover House (N Brink, PE13 1JR) – drop in between 10:30-4:30

  • 5th – 6th July: Market Square (PE13 1DT) – drop in between 10-5

The Art Road Trip mobile studio will be at the following locations in Mildenhall:

  • 9th July: Mildenhall Hub Plaza (Sheldrick Way, IP28 7JX) – Camera Obscura making drop-in workshops between 10-12 and 2-4

  • 10th July: Mildenhall Lodge Care Home (St John’s Cl, IP28 7NX) – Zoom in and discover: expressive marks of Van Gogh drop-in workshops between 10.30-12 and 2-4

  • 11th July: Mildenhall Hub Plaza (Sheldrick Way, IP28 7JX) – Life in the Sky: exploring with sculptural materials drop-in workshop between 10:30-12 and History of Cyanotypes: using the sky to make art workshop between 1-3:30

  • 12th July: Mildenhall Museum (6 King St, IP28 7EX) – Sky Stories: concertina book drop-in workshop between 10:30-12.

  • 13th July: Market Place (IP28 7EF) – World building in the wind: transforming the market square into a new imagined world all day drop-in between 10-4

Drop in workshops include making stories from the sky, exploring sculptural materials, printing with the sun and transforming the market square into a new imagined world. Mixed age groups welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Community Workshops Throughout June

Wisbech:
We will be working with artist Ann Bellamy and using found pictures from local charity shops to explore the theme ‘More than meets the eye’. Ann will be working at Peckover House and across Wisbech before the Art Road Trip starts in July.

Mildenhall:
We will be running community creative writing workshops in June exploring the theme of ‘Look up and take to the skies’. The theme reflects Mildenhall’s celebration and commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Great Air Race from Mildenhall to Melbourne in 1934. The writing that comes from these sessions will then be available to inspire anyone who joins us in July for Art Road Trip.

Later this year we will be exhibiting a series of the artworks across both towns, developed with the communities and with an accompanying guide. More details on the exhibition will be shared later this year.

St George’s Festival creative workshops

Posted on by Lucy Amos

Join us for free screen printing, puppetry, and costume workshops throughout March and April. Fun for all the family, everyone can take part in these creative sessions and even have the opportunity to be part of the festival parade. Artist Ricki Outis will be leading the screen printing workshops, while Mandinga Arts will be running a costumes and puppets workshop.

Screen printing workshop, 23rd March – 6th April

Try your hand at screen printing with Ricki Outis. Design and print your own imagery for banners and pennants to be used in the parade or during the Festival.

  • Sat 23rd March 1pm-4pm at March Library
  • Wed 3rd April 10am-1pm at March Community Centre
  • Thurs 4th April 10am-1pm at March Scout Hut
  • Sat 6th April 1pm-4pm at March Library
Book your place here

Mandinga Arts pop-up, Saturday 9th March 12-3pm

This event has now passed

March library, City Road, PE15 9LT

Unleash your passion for performing whilst preparing for the Festival Parade. Have fun choosing costumes and puppets to wear and perform in. No booking necessary, just turn up and join in this free workshop.

For more information and to book workshop sessions, please contact peggy@cppmarketplace.co.uk.

Preparations are now well under way for this year’s St George’s Festival, which takes place in March town on Sunday, April 21.

Chatteris Quilters

Posted on by Lucy Amos

Chatteris Quilters runs every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The group evolved from the positive response to quilting workshops held in Chatteris during the Autumn. These workshops were introduced based on feedback received from the community during the Chatteris Midsummer Festival in June 2023.

So far, the six sessions have been led by facilitators Susie Batchelor, Karin Forman, and Marian Savill. Each facilitator brought a unique perspective on textiles, inspiring the group to explore new ways of using them. The group has made pin cushions using English paper piecing, recycled fabric beads, patchworked postcards and sewing books. The group was also invited to bring along their own projects to work on.  

As the sessions are drop-in, and each week has a different activity, it doesn’t matter if you miss one. You can just slip back into the group with no worries of catching up!

If you’d like to join Chatteris Quilters, come along to our next series on Tuesday 9 & 23 January, Tuesday 13 & 27 February, and Tuesday 12 & 26 March 2024. Each runs from 2-4pm with refreshments provided.

Contact us for further information

Book your free place at The Rivers of Light Lantern Parade 2024!

Posted on by Lucy Amos

After receiving such positive feedback from the participants and partners at this year’s parade, Newmarket Community Arts and MarketPlace are thrilled to announce the return of Rivers of Light, which will illuminate Newmarket’s Yellow Brick Road once again.

Book here

The event will showcase Newmarket’s rare and ancient chalk stream that runs alongside the Yellow Brick Road footpath in the heart of the town. Leading up to the parade, artists Penny Sobr and Dawn Bursford will work with community groups, including the Guides and Scouts, to create willow lanterns. Additionally, we are planning to commission an artist to work with Teen Chill, (a youth club run by Abbeycroft Leisure Centre who recently created the arresting ‘Human Race’ mural), to produce larger willow structures for the event.

Alongside the art activities, ecologist Kevin Hand will provide information sessions about Newmarket’s chalk stream and how it can be preserved and protected.

Contact us if you would like to join our willow lantern making workshops which will take place on Thursday 22 February 10am-1pm and Friday 23 February 12.30-4.30pm.

During the parade, attendees will be treated to performances by the Newmarket School of Dance and the New Samba drumming band.

Gather at 6pm at George Lampton Playing Fields for performances from Newmarket Community Choir and Newmarket School of Dance. The parade will leave at 6:30pm and finish at Studlands Park Sports and Social Club, where Slackmagirdle Morris dancers will greet you. At 7:30pm ceilidh band Stompy Oak will encourage everyone to join in the dancing. They’ll also be performances from local singers and songwriters.

The parade will take approximately 30 minutes and is around 3/4 of a mile. It is also wheelchair accessible.

Rivers of Light is free to attend, but booking is essential.

Book here

Rivers of Light is supported by Newmarket Town Council, Newmarket Charitable Foundation and Anglian Water.

Voices of Forest and Fen

Posted on by Lucy Amos

Introducing Voices of Forest and Fen, a creative writing project inspired by Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood that explores the richly historic landscapes, stories and lives within Fenland and Forest Heath. Join writer Belona Greenwood in a series of free creative writing workshops to create a verse drama of what it is to live and work here.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced writer, these online and in-person workshops are for all levels of writing experience. Led by writer, screenwriter and creative facilitator Belona Greenwood, the sessions will explore what the Fens and forest mean to you, and help you build a sense of place with words.

You will be guided through the process of research, writing, and editing. At the end of the workshops, participants will have created a narrative of voices and portrayals of the land, culminating in a final performance piece. We hope that some of the writing will become public readings at festivals and events around the region.

Read Belona’s introduction to Voices of Forest and Fen here.

Future workshop dates to be announced.

St George’s Day Creative Launch

Posted on by Lucy Amos

Join us at March Library on 4 November from 11:30 – 3pm to play, explore and have fun with free drop-in creative activities and live demos for all ages led by local artists at our Creative Launch for St George’s Festival, 2024.

Meet a mesmerising Mandinga Arts custom-made puppet creature and try on costumes. Join Carey Outis as he shows you how to make puppets from willow and invites you to paint your own section of his dragon drawing. Choose materials and fabric with Ricki Outis and develop your own ideas for a St George’s Day parade costume.

Create shadow puppets with Liz Falconbridge and Karin Forman. Interact with the books in the library with poet Charley Genever, and ‘find’ words to complete a special poem. Try out a Tag Tool activity and create your own digital artwork with MarketPlace’s Creative Producer Louise Eatock.

Post your thoughts on the ideas wall of what you would like to see and do for St George’s Festival next April. Tell us which activities you most enjoyed at the Creative Launch – and if you missed this year’s Festival you can enjoy filmed highlights – or relive your favourite moments!

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