Children and young people
Kids’ Art Club
Nurture the emerging artists in your primary schoolers with this on-going series of creative, hands-on art-making after-school workshops with local artists Mary Nguyen and Saqlain Binte Saleh.
With a focus on learning new artistic techniques while having tons of fun, kids will learn everything from drawing fundamentals to working with ink and watercolour paints and other creative materials.
Local artist Mary leads painting workshops through January and February, while Saqlain delves into the fundamentals of drawing and creating art from everyday objects in March and April.
Cost: $10
Facilitators: Saqlain Binte Saleh and Mary Nguyen
Age: 5 – 12
Dates and times:
Thursday afternoons, 28 January to 1 April
4.00 pm to 5.30 pm
stART Studio African Percussion and Singing
Bring your pre-school age kids to discover their inner sense of rhythm in this exploratory, hands-on workshop learning the basics of African drumming and singing.
Ghanaian musician Yaw Derkyi – who has been showcasing the diverse cultures of Ghana through drumming, chant, dance and ritual for more than 40 years – will help children to explore the basics of Ghanaian culture, music and movement.
Learn about chanting and percussive rhythms and their link to culture in this fun, creative workshop for budding tiny musicians.
Cost: $15 for child and parent/carer
Facilitator: Yaw Derkyi
Age: 2 – 5
Dates and times:
Friday 12, 19, 26 February and 5 March
10.30 am to 11.30 am
Monthly family art workshops
You asked for family workshops, and here they are! Create art and have fun in these monthly workshops for everyone in the family.
Bring the kids to these family-friendly, interactive art workshops with artists Sima Alikhani and Darrin Baker. The first workshop will focus on drawing and printing with Sima Alikhani, while the second is inspired by Darrin Baker’s video and sound exhibition Pemulwuy and The Naming of Things.
In February, Sima Alikhani will guide kids and adults alike through a creative workshop using drawing and monoprinting on paper with etchings on wood and metal. All materials are provided so just bring yourself!
In March, acclaimed First Nations artist Darrin Baker draws upon his video and sound exhibition Pemulwuy and The Naming of Things for a hands-on workshop for families with all materials provided. The exhibition explores the history of the suburb Pemulwuy and the Aboriginal resistance leader for whom it’s named.
Cost: $10 per family of two (adult must accompany child)
Facilitators: Sima Alikhani and Darrin Baker
Age: 3 – 16
Dates and times:
Saturday 27 February – Sima Alikhani
Saturday 27 March – Darrin Baker
10 am to 1 pm
Young Creatives
Creatives aged 12 to 25 take over the studio every Saturday afternoon to develop skills in anime drawing and cross-platform artmaking, including working with textiles, sketching, collage and sculpture.
Every Saturday, join in alternating sessions with artists Pinky – who’ll teach you anime and manga drawing – and Annie Shin, who’ll walk you through the practices of drawing, sculpting and painting.
Bring along your artworks in progress, your inspirational materials or mood boards, or start on something completely fresh, as you get to meet, learn from and collaborate with other young artists. The full schedule is available on the booking page linked below.
Cost: $10
Facilitators: Pinky and Annie Shin
Age: 12 – 25
Dates and times:
Saturday afternoons, 30 January to 27 March
2.00 pm to 4.30 pm
Adults
Studio Intensive: Strengthen your Artmaking
Ready to take your artistic practice beyond the basics and strengthen your skills with an eight-week intensive course to develop your own individual visual language and style?
Experienced art teacher Patrice Wills takes participants through eight weeks of developing and strengthening your work, with structured critiques and undertaking outside tasks.
This course is recommended for everyone from emerging creatives with an understanding of basic skills through to experienced artists looking to refine and improve their practice.
Cost: $150 a term
Facilitator: Patrice Wills
Age: Adults and young people
Dates and times:
Eight week term
Every Thursday, 11 February to 1 April
10.30 am – 1.00 pm
Open Studio
Enjoy the run of your very own studio space each Wednesday, with sessions run by artist Patrice Wills suitable for beginners through to seasoned artists.
Connect with other local creatives, try out new skills and develop your existing artistic skills in a supportive group environment open to everyone.
Workshop facilitator Patrice Wills has several decades experience as a working visual artist, teacher and community support officer, with a focus on evocative, emotionally rich portraits and landscapes.
Experience what it’s like to work in a lively, collaborative studio space, learning from your fellow artists and experimenting with new forms.
Cost: $15
Facilitator: Patrice Wills
Age: Adults and young people
Dates and times:
Every Wednesday from 3 February to 31 March
10.30 am to 1.00 pm
2.00 pm to 4.30 pm
Say Swear
Design symbols and use them to create armour in this hands-on workshop for people of all ages.
Artist facilitators Leila El Rayes and Justine Youssef lead you through a hands-on art-making workshop for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. Drawing on your own stories as Leila and Justine lead participants through exercises to create personalised symbols and hand-make your own protective armour to reconfigure the world outside. All you need to bring is your creativity and personality.
Artist Justine Youssef’s work is rooted in exposing the social, political and cultural structures that make up the world, while Leila El Rayes explores the melding of identities and contexts using sculpture, costume making, performance and video.
Cost: Pay what you can
Facilitators: Justine Youssef and Leila El Rayes
Age: Adults and young people
Dates and times:
Saturday 13 and 20 February
10.30 am to 1.00 pm
Chinese Ink Brush Painting
Learn the basics of classical Chinese painting in this hands-on workshop with multi-award-winning artist Dr Fan Dongwang.
Celebrate Chinese New Year by mastering the simple but expressive brushstrokes of this ancient and beautiful artform. In this meditative and relaxing workshop, Dr Fan Dongwang takes participants through the importance of Chinese aesthetics and philosophy in the creation of art. Learn the basics of ink brushwork on rice paper to create your own elegant painting of a fish to take home.
Cost: $30
Facilitator: Dr Fan Dongwang
Age: Adults and young people
Dates and times:
Tuesday 16 February
10.30 am to 1.00 pm
Charcoal Drawing Fundamentals for Adults
Always wanted to learn how to master the lines, texture and composition of classical and experimental drawing?
Experienced workshop facilitator Kristone Capistrano hosts two sessions walking participants through the basics of using observational and practical skills to recreate on the page with charcoal what you can see with your eyes. Develop your skills in using lines, texture, tonality and composition to draw realistic and figurative images, and attend both workshops to develop and improve your drawings over the week with guidance and feedback from Capistrano.
Cost: $25
Facilitator: Kristone Capistrano
Age: 18 and over
Dates and times:
Saturday 13 and 20 March
10.00 am to 12.30 pm
SOFT PEDAL II – #ELECTRICPULSES – NICOLA MORTON Masterclass
Discover the nuts and bolts of experimental electronic music in this one-day intensive Masterclass, exploring the theremin, and using Ableton, keyboards, and sample packs.
Suitable for emerging sound artists and sound enthusiasts, this Masterclass offers experimental music makers in greater western Sydney the chance to expand their skills, connect with other like-minded music-makers and upgrade their production skills.
Electronic artist Nicola Morton (Equalizer 24K) and synth genius Faith Chaza explore how electric pulses affect the pitch and velocity of sound to create frequency rhythms, guiding participants through the process of creating their own piece of sound art that they can take home.
Cost: Free
Facilitators: Nicola Morton and Faith Chaza
Age: 15 and over
Materials: Equipment provided but participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops/computers/equipment
Dates and times:
Saturday 13 March
11 am to 5 pm
Fabric printing with Faraimo Paulo
Learn about Polynesian culture and printmaking skills with artist Faraimo Paulo, in a workshop inspired by his current exhibition exploring Polynesian oral storytelling traditions, Eleni – Navigators of Polynesia.
Bring along your own (old) t-shirt or fabric to print on to at one of three stand-alone workshops. Traditional painter, carver and designer Faraimo Paulo of Tokelau is on a mission to record his people’s history and culture, as rising sea levels endanger it. Learn about grass-roots Polynesian print-making skills and stories at these fascinating workshops.
Cost: $20
Facilitator: Faraimo Paulo
Materials: Fabric or an old t-shirt to print on
Age: 16 and over
Dates and times:
Friday 12, 19, 26 March
10.00 am to 1.00 pm