August Atelier
6–31 August 2013

For four weeks this August, the galleries at Spacex will be transformed into an atelier for making, learning, experimenting and socialising.

Each week has a focus on a particular area of arts practice, including photography, sculpture, drawing and print. Drop in to have a go at the playful atelier activities, suitable for all ages – full details below.

Workshops and activities relating to these themes allow you to explore areas of interest in greater detail. Visit El Busta’s Travelling Photography Studio to use an old-fashioned camera and portable darkroom to produce original one-off photographs, explore the dynamic and experimental potential of drawing using tools with Bristol based collective DRAW, or join artist Maddy Pethick to deconstruct books before reconstructing them in alternative formats.

A selection of family friendly artists’ films from Animate Projects will be showing in the galleries, alongside video and animation created through our learning programme. A temporary café will be open serving a selection of snacks, and hot and cold drinks.

Simon Persighetti (of Wrights & Sites) is preparing the usually unused outside space at Spacex to become an environment for production and research. Watch this intervention unfold and develop during the four weeks.

Browse the colourful Travelling Text Kiosk, showcasing design and illustration created by young artists earlier in the year as part of exetreme imagination 2013, a festival of writing for and by young people.

Atelier Activities

Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–5pm, suggested donation £2, just pop in and have a go!

Week One
Tuesday 6 August – Saturday 10 August

Photography

Curious Collages
Explore old photographs and negatives then arrange them with contemporary images to make photographic collage that can be taken home or displayed in the gallery.

Sun Prints
Use the power of sun and water to make a blue print photograph. Arrange leaves and flowers on sun print photographic paper and leave it facing towards the sun. Once the time’s up, rinse the print under water and the results of your handmade photographic print will be revealed. There will be a small charge of 50p for each sun print to cover the cost of the paper.

Your Scene
Create your very own photographic scene with our themed backdrop and props using your family and friends as actors. Use your camera phone and send to a live feed online!

Week Two
Tuesday 13 August – Saturday 17 August

Sculpture week

Book Modelling
This activity ties in with Maddy Pethick’s ‘Fold Up’ workshop on Tuesday 13 August. Follow simple instructions to transform old books into something new. Create weird and wonderful sculptures with peepholes and tunnels. Once you’ve started, you won’t want to stop!

Clay play
Get your hands messy this week with a squishy, squashy activity suitable for all ages. Shape, flatten and roll local clay to form all sorts of crafty, imaginative sculptures.

Wire sculpting
Use tools to twist, bend and weave various types of wire to assemble unusual figures and forms. What will you create?

Week Three
Tuesday 20 August - Saturday 24 August

Drawing

Scribble and Share
This is a self-led drawing activity on a huge scale. Expect paper everywhere! Draw with a variety of weird and wonderful materials all over the gallery, including the walls and floors.

Week Four
Tuesday 27–Saturday 31 August

Print

Make a Name Tag
Bring your name to life using an exciting range of letter stamps and a variety of bright colours. Decorate your design with beads, glitter, feathers and many other materials to make it unique.

Experimental Printing
Print pictures using crazy and unusual objects. Print with potatoes, broccoli, sweetcorn, flowers and leaves, or create your own stamp using sponge.

For more information visit http://spacex.org.uk