After missing out on so much over the past 15 months, West Studios is full of opportunity this summer. From events & exhibitions to workshops & summer schools, there’s plenty for you and your family to get involved with. All activities planned over the summer have been carefully planned to be covid-19 compliant and keep you safe.
Exhibitions
Current Exhibition: Work by Don Yarrington
Our current exhibition is work from the late Don Yarrington, who was previously the head of Chesterfield College of Art.
The exhibition has been arranged by his children who were keen to hold an exhibition of his work at the college and hopefully identify some of the previous students who were painted by their father.
The exhibition is available to view between 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday until Friday 16th July.
Derbyshire Young Artist of the Year
If you are between the age of 8 and 18 why not get creative and enter our competition for a chance to be crowned this year’s Derbyshire’s Young Artist of the Year?
The brief:
Create a piece of art which reflects your thoughts, feelings or observations on the theme of ‘The power of creativity.’ Please make sure you have read and understood the competition rules below before entering the competition. Closing date for applications: 5pm, 12th July 2021.
Find out more about Derbyshire Young Artist of the Year.
Virginia Chandler Exhibition
Virginia’s exhibition is the first physical exhibition back at West Studios. Her exhibition is a collection of textured glitterscapes exploring memories and dreams.
Virginia’s exhibition will run from Wednesday 4th - Friday 20th August.
More information to be released shortly on the exhibition page on our website.
Open Exhibition
Our annual open exhibition happens each September and is a celebration of all artforms. Submissions for the 2021 exhibition is being accepted until Sunday 11th July. 2D & 3D work accepted.
The exhibition will run from Thursday 2nd - Thursday 23rd September. Click here to download an application form.
Return your completed form to hello@weststudios.co.uk .
Shop with West Studios
Make sure to come down and take a look at our gallery-shop for lots of cards, gifts and quirky items, Items sold at West Studios have been made from small, independent businesses, many of which are Derbyshire/Sheffield based.
We also have a small selection of cards, notebooks and pin badges on our Etsy store with more to be added soon.
Click here to go to our Etsy shop.
Virtual Tenancy
At just £20 a month, the virtual tenancy offers a professional business address and postal service to allow a small business to separate home and work, at the same time as growing their business without the cost of a physical office space.
In addition to the business address, the virtual tenancy packaged includes:
Inclusion on the tenants section of our website
Share your news via our social media & newsletter
Invited to all West Studios events & exhibitions (some of which are tenant exclusive)
20% discount on all West Studios Room Hire
Get in touch via our contact page to discuss signing up as a virtual tenant.
Lino Printing Card Workshop
During this 2.5 hour workshop you'll work with Dave Elsom from Sombrero Printing to learn the basics of lino printing, a technique used by artists for over 100 years.
You'll sketch out your design on a piece of lino and when you're happy with the design you can begin to carve out the design and get it ready for the printing stage. Once the design is fully carved you'll be able to print this onto your very own range of gift cards! You will also get to keep you lino carving to enable to make more cards & prints at home.
We have two Lino Printing workshops available.
To book for the 21st July click here.
To book for the 4th August click here.
Writing For Mental Health with Tyler Turner.
Tyler Turner (she/her) is a working-class writer, poet and historian based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Sheffield Hallam University and a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Sheffield. In 2017, she was shortlisted for the Wicked Young Writer Award and in 2020, she came joint first in the Barrow Hill Roundhouse Art Competition. Her work has featured in various journals, including Perhappened, Serotonin, Orange Blush and more, as well as numerous anthologies published by Dream Well Writing Ltd, with fiction forthcoming in Sledgehammer Lit and poetry in Route 57. She is also the Writing Team Leader at Crags Radio.
Workshop 1 - 21st July, 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Writing Mental Health.
Writing can be a comfort and a distraction; a release and a celebration. In this class, I will demonstrate the ways in which a pen and paper can be a writer’s best therapists. We will explore poetry that offers an honest depiction of mental health struggles, as well as poetry that sheds light on the darkness. Attendees will be given the opportunity to write candidly about their own experiences in a cathartic series of exercises. Click here to book.
Workshop 2 - 28th July, 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Writing Nature.
During this unprecedented year, nature has comforted, inspired and liberated, providing us with an escape from the isolating world we find ourselves in. However, at a time when ecosystems are failing, nature is equally a cause for concern and can prompt feelings of anxiety. This session will look at both sides, demonstrating how nature writing can be a great mindfulness tool and how this can help alleviate anxiety. Click here to book.
Workshop 3 - 4th August, 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Writing Identity.
A strong sense of identity can help us feel connected to ourselves, our communities and our history, which in turn helps subvert feelings of alienation. In this session, we will focus on local poets who write to understand their connection to a place and its history. Attendees will be encouraged to do the same through a series of prompts. Click here to book.
Other workshops
Children and adult ceramic workshops to be added over the comings week for late August. Details will be posted to our social media and our Summer Workshops Blog.
Creativity Pays
We would love you to get involved with our Creativity Pays campaign. We are calling for creative businesses and people across Derbyshire to join us as we highlight how crucial creative skills are for the economy, our communities and our wellbeing. Click here to find out more.
Tenant News
Chesterfield Yoga Studio - Menopause Workshop
Join our 1st menopause and wellbeing workshop. These workshops will run once a month on Sunday mornings at West Studios, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
These workshops are a safe to place for all women to learn how to manage their symptoms, find and share coping strategies, develop sleep techniques and find out how nutrition can support you through to the next stage of your precious life.
Pomegranate Youth Theatre - Provisional Summer Events
21st August - Youth Theatre 'Taster'
The Pomegranate Youth Theatre offers weekly drama workshops that are available to all at a low cost. The fun workshops teach all aspects of stagecraft which promote teamwork, creativity and confidence.
Come and give it a try and register for new classes in September.
ages 7 - 18 (Gekkota Arts - 18+)
10.00am - 12.00pm - FREE
24th/25th Aug - 'Two Plays, Two days' Summer School
2 days of workshops in which participants will develop a range of performance skills including physicality, script, devising, improvisation and movement. The group will work towards a short devised performance
Suitable for ages 8 and above. 9.00am -3.00pm
Price - £20 per day or 2 days for £35
Interested in any of these events? Get in touch via the Youth Theatre’s Facebook page.