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January - March Programme

Our House: Ellie Clewlow and Kirsten Luckins

Summary:

Three stand alone workshops combining craft and conversation. Local residents are invited to bring along unwanted paper such as envelopes, boxes. During the session, they will transform these materials through origami into house shaped books, and also engage in conversations about steps towards sustainability that generates a community poem.

Audience:

Adult - people interested in writing, crafting, poetry, the climate, chatting!

Dates/Times/Location:

Saturday 15 February
10.30am-12noon
Meeting Room, Houghton Library
Friday 21 February
10.30am-12noon
Learning Space, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Friday 28 February
2.00pm-3.30pm
Committee Room 1, City Hall

Booking/costs:

My Haus: Harbour Printworks

Summary:

Free 7 week programme for LGBTQIA+ young people to learn how to design, print and produce a clothing collection for a Spring/Summer range. Learning from industry experts in an informal and inclusive space to explore potential work opportunities in the creative industries. 

Audience:

16-25 year old LGBTQIA+ identifying young people

Dates/Times/Location:

Saturdays 18 Jan, 25 Jan, 1 Feb, 8 Feb, 15 Feb, 22 Feb, 1 March 10-1pm City Hall
Showcase at Keel Square Pavilion Saturday 8 March

Booking/costs:

Holmeside Writers

Summary:

Monthly writers meet up at The Ship Isis with invited speakers/workshop hosts.

Audience:

Adults - writers, poets

Dates/Times/Location:

TBC (Usually a Wednesday evening)

Booking/costs:

Booking not required, please email James Whitman for more information james@jameswhitman.co.uk

Young Writers: King Ink

Summary:

Free weekly programme for young people age 11-18 to develop writing skills.

Audience:

11-18 year olds

Dates/Times/Location:

Saturdays 1-3pm from 18 January at City Hall 

Booking/costs:

Please email James Whitman for more information james@jameswhitman.co.uk

Screenwriting Stepping Stones: New Writing North

Summary:

Screenwriting workshops to learn about writing scripts led by local actor and screenwriter Chess Tomlinson.

Audience:

Adults

Dates/Times/Location:

Wednesday 15 January 1-2.30pm Houghton Library
Tuesday 21 January 1-2.30pm Washington Library
Saturday 25 January 1-2.30pm Sunderland City Library

Booking/costs:

Tickets cost £10 but there is a bursary option for free spaces - contact Will, will@newwritingnorth.com to enquire about free spaces

Pink Collar Gallery

Summary:

Pink Collar Gallery are offering skills development support for creatives! There’s networking events ‘Speed Arting’, as well as technology support sessions, writing support sessions and curatorial support. They will also host an art fair in Keel Square Pavilion in March.

Audience:

Artists and creatives

Dates/Times/Location:

Thurs 16 Jan 6-8pm Speed Arting Houghton Library
Friday 21 Feb 6-8pm Speed Arting Washington Library
Friday 7 March Speed Arting – Keel Square Pavilion 6-8pm
Wed 22nd Jan – Washington Library, Technology support 10-4
Wed 29th Jan – Washington Library, Curation support session 10-4
Wed 5th Feb – Washington Library, Writing support session 10-4
Art Fair – Sat 15 March Keel Square Pavilion 12-3

Booking/costs:

Waste Not: Reinvented with Love

Summary:

Reinvented with Love are bringing together eco-conscious artists and businesses for an eco-event, Waste Not, at Keel Square. In the run up to the event, Reinvented with Love are creating a project tailored for secondary schools in Sunderland to engage in conversations about eco-entrepreneurship and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

Audience:

Secondary Schools, eco-artists and entrepreneurs, eco-conscious shoppers and upcycling enthusiasts.

Dates/Times/Location:

Saturday 22 March

Booking/costs:

FREE no booking required

Tactic North East

Summary:

Tactic North East is a creative collective dedicated to using tabletop games, creative workshops and collaborative activities to bring people together. Through innovative projects centred on art, gaming, and storytelling, they work with people facing social or geographical exclusion. As Culture House’s Programme Partners, Tactic are hosting a series of creative workshops including creative painting, character design, kit bashing and gaming for participants to explore new ways of self expression and to build meaningful connections with others.

Creative Paint and Play

This workshop introduces participants to the basics of creative painting, particularly in the context of tabletop miniatures and game scenery. Using simple, accessible techniques, attendees will learn how to paint and decorate models and game scenery pieces. The focus is not only on artistic skill development, but also on the therapeutic benefits of painting and creative work, fostering relaxation, self expression and mindfulness
Houghton Library - Tues 28 January 1-3pm
Washington Library - Tuesday 11 February 10am-12noon

Kit Bash: Character and scenery design

Kit bashing is a creative process where participants take different model parts and pieces to create their unique characters and scenery. This workshop will encourage imagination and experimentation as participants learn to build and design their own characters and landscapes for tabletop games. They will be taught the basics of model construction, customisation, and detailing, leading to the creation of entirely personal and original models. This process helps to build problem-solving skills, patience and a sense of accomplishment. 
Houghton Library - Thursday 30 January 1-3pm
Washington Library - Tues 18th Feb 1-3

Designing characters

Participants will delve into storytelling and character creation through designing their own characters for use in tabletop games or fictional narratives. This workshop will encourage creative writing alongside visual design, guiding participants to develop backstories, personalities and visual representations of their characters. This process will nurture storytelling abilities and allow participants to explore their personal experiences and emotions through fiction. 
Houghton Library - Thurs 6th 10-12
Washington Library - Tuesday 18 February 1-3pm

Gaming introduction

In the final workshop, participants will be introduced to tabletop gaming, with an emphasis on collaboration and teamwork. Through facilitated gaming sessions, they will learn the rules and strategies of various tabletop games, allowing them to immerse themselves in a shared experience with other participants. Gaming will serve as the ultimate vehicle for social cohesion, bringing individuals together to solve problems, strategise and enjoy shared moments of achievement and connection. 
Houghton Library - Thursday 13 February 10am-12noon
Washington Library - Thursday 20 February 1-3pm

Booking:

Free, booking recommended. Email hello@tacticnortheast.com for info.

Future Fashions Project: The Art Room

Summary:

Two projects for 11-16 year olds at Houghton library and at The Art Room, Sunderland, both focussing on exploring the intersection of technology and fashion! Participants will be inspired by historical fashion; incorporate LED lights into their pieces using conductive threads and e-textiles; experiment with heat and light reactive fabrics before creating a final garment to be displayed in an exhibition at Keel Square Pavilion. 

Audience:

11-16 year olds

Dates/Times/Location:

Mondays 27 Jan, 3 Feb, 10 Feb, 17 Feb, 3 March, 10 March 3-5pm, Houghton Library (fully booked)
Wednesdays 3.30-5.30, The Art Room, Mackies Corner (fully booked)
Exhibition at Keel Square Pavilion Sunday 16-Friday 21 March

Booking/costs:

Email Kerry theartroomsunderland@hotmail.com for info

Curious Histories: Curious Arts

Summary:

Curious Arts will be taking over Keel Square Pavilion on Saturday 15 February with drop-in creative workshops and to invite members of the public to add an object to a Sunderland LGBTQIA+ archive!

In the past, LGBTQIA+ lives were often overlooked or shrouded in mystery. This event is a chance to change that narrative for future generations.

Bring your own important object to be photographed and digitally stored in our evolving LGBTQIA+ digital archive. It might be the first dress or top you wore in public when you truly felt yourself, a photograph from your wedding day, or an item that helps you feel safe or visible wherever you are. Bring your chosen item, share your story, and we’ll preserve these together and then you can take your object back home.

Join our incredible artist and map important moments in Sunderland’s LGBTQIA+ History, and take the opportunity to create a protest banner about something meaningful to you.

Audience:

Public

Dates/Times/Location:

11am-3pm, Sunday 23 March, Keel Square Pavilion

Booking/costs:

Free, drop in, no booking required

Mushroom Sculpt: Threads in the Ground

Summary:

Mushroom Sculpt is a climate hope project like no other – a chance to play and experiment with your climate future.

Get hands on with a cutting-edge eco material frown from fungus - “Mycelium Based Material” (MBM)

MBM is made from dense matts of fungus grown within moulds which can be used to make compostable packaging, lampshades, alternative plaster panelling, bricks, and much more.

With your help, we are going to design and grow a new sculpture for Sunderland.

There are 2 workshops. The first to help with initial design thinking. The second to test and tweak the mould designs.

You'll then be invited to a session TBC in February to help us fill our moulds and construct the sculpture.

Audience:

The workshops are open to all. Minimum age is 10 yrs (not strict), no maximum age, any background. Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Dates/Times/Location:

Weds 5 Feb 6-7.30pm, Pop Recs

Weds 12 Feb 6-7.30pm, Pop Recs

Final workshop TBC

Booking/costs:

AMPLIFY: Southpaw Dance

Summary:

AMPLIFY is a pilot programme that will serve as a catalyst for the formation of new, digitally engaged, Sunderland-based community performance company that reflects the challenges and aspirations of Sunderland communities. 

Booking/costs:

This activity is part of Culture House Sunderland’s pre-opening programme, working with communities across Sunderland and beyond in the run up to the venue’s opening in autumn 2025.

These projects are funded by the UK Government as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.