Come & Try 

Evening twilight sessions delivered by the Crafts Council, the national charity for craft

Each twilight offers a stand-alone evening of creativity, peer conversations and refreshments, and is designed to support playful exploration, reimagining craft for the classroom as well as for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

No prior experience is needed for any of these sessions, which will be suitable for complete beginners as well as for those interested in rekindling past interests. We aim for these sessions to be fun, supportive and enjoyable, as well as beneficial to your creative classroom practice.

Participants at each session will:

  • Work with experts in each craft discipline and craft educators
  • Gain confidence in the use of craft
  • Enjoy conversations with peers over drinks and snacks
  • Take away resources to use in the classroom and craft materials to practice with

  • Events
  • Explorations in Colour from Plants - Tuesday 19 March 2024
  • Exploring Textiles and Embroidery - Wednesday 24 April 2024
  • Making with Remnants - Tuesday 21 May 2024

    Through the exploration of found objects including fragments of
    ceramic, trinkets and gems, shells and other natural materials, you
    will create a 3D object which reflects your own story and creative
    vision.

    You’ll sketch and plan your design and then use mosaic and
    assemblage techniques to create your object, building up multiple
    layers and playing with shape and form as well as decoration. You’ll
    be encouraged to revisit and refine your design as you go along and
    your final object may or may not resemble its original shape.

    You’re encouraged to bring along some of your own small objects,
    keepsakes, and fragments to incorporate into and personalise your
    creation. You’ll take it away at the end of the session along with some
    great ideas about how to take this back to your classroom.

    Venue: Crafts Council, 44A Pentonville Road, London, England, N1 9BY

    Participants at each session will:

    • Work with experts in each craft discipline and craft educators
    • Gain confidence in the use of craft
    • Enjoy conversations with peers over drinks and snacks
    • Take away resources to use in the classroom and craft materials to practice with.

    Please note:

    Places will be limited to two participants per school. Light refreshments will be provided at this event.

  • Wax Carving for Jewellery and Sculpture - Wednesday 19 June 2024
    Come and join us in the Crafts Council Gallery for a fun and relaxed evening working with experimental jewellery artist Emefa Cole.

    Through the session you will explore the use of wax as a modelling material and discover how it can be used to cast jewellery as well as to create sculptures. You’ll develop your practical making skills and leave with some wax models you’ve made yourself which reflect your own creative vision.

    You’ll also take away some great ideas about how to use wax carving back in your classroom.

    The Primary Arts programme is open to all staff working in London state primary schools and SEND settings.

    Participants at each session will:

    • Work with experts in each craft discipline and craft educators
    • Gain confidence in the use of craft
    • Enjoy conversations with peers over drinks and snacks
    • Take away resources to use in the classroom and craft materials to practice with.


    Please note:

    Places will be limited to two participants per school. Light refreshments will be provided at this event.

    Who can take part?

    Primary Arts is open to all state primary mainstream and special schools in London. The programme is designed to include children in all primary year groups from Reception to Year 6.

    Your school must be in a London borough to be eligible for the programme.

    Schools and individuals can take part in more than one strand of the programme (but only one touring booking can be made per school).

    Masterclasses are open to qualified teachers working at any level in eligible schools.

    ‘Come & Try’ twilights are open to any member of staff in eligible schools, including teachers, Teaching Assistants, support staff, and admin staff.

    Ticketed ‘Go & See’ offers may have specific eligibility criteria – these will be clearly indicated when these offers are announced.

    An access budget is available to support engagement in this programme, for example for transport, BSL interpretation or other costs.


    Please note - while this is a free event, in order to make sure we maximise the number of people who can access this opportunity, please ensure that you let us know at least 48 hours before the event if you are no longer able to attend so we can offer your place to someone on the waiting list.

Access & Inclusion

These twilights will take an inclusive approach and are suitable for teachers working in primary mainstream and SEND settings. An access budget is available to support participant engagement in this programme, for example for transport, BSL interpretation or other costs.

Eligibility

Primary Arts Come & Try twilights are aimed at staff working in any role in state primary mainstream and special schools in London. This may include teachers, Teaching Assistants, SENCOs, support staff, admin staff. The programme is designed to support your own personal enjoyment and enrichment through the arts, as well as supporting learning.

Your school must be in a London borough to be eligible for the programme. If your school or a member of your school staff is participating in another area of the Primary Arts programme, you are still eligible to take part in this strand of the programme.

Places will be limited to two participants per school.

Download Come & Try programme

Print Come & Try programme

Book your space for our Come & Try sessions:

Explorations in colour from plants - Tuesday 19 March

Book your place at upcoming training and events

Exploring Textiles and Embroidery - Wednesday 24 April

Book your place at upcoming training and events

Making with Remnants - Tuesday 21 May

Join us in the Crafts Council Gallery for a fun and relaxed evening working with material designer and artist Ella Bulley

Wax Carving for Jewellery and Sculpture - Wednesday 19 June

Come and join us in the Crafts Council Gallery for a fun and relaxed evening working with experimental jewellery artist Emefa Cole.