This summer you may have noticed posters on community noticeboards tempting people to ‘Cut, Snip & Rip It Up in Rye.’ Well, a wide range of Rye residents and visitors have certainly cut, snipped, ripped, and much more at the summer collage workshops on offer from Ways of Seeing.
Young people and adults were welcomed for a variety of themed sessions and the creations produced have been truly fantastic. There has also been a wonderful atmosphere, fizzing with productivity and much inspiration taken from each other’s artwork.
A keen collagist, the course leader Shelley has, over many years, stashed away countless books, postcards and other paper-based imagery to use in collage. So much so that her spare room was beginning to buckle under the weight of paper. So, the idea of a new venture was formed as a way to use some of these wonderful paper reserves and ‘Ways of Seeing’ was launched in late June.
One of the many wonderful things about us humans is that we all see things differently. We all interpret the world in relation to our personal histories and our present situations. This is one of the many reasons art and literature provoke such passion – we all consume the same ‘thing’ – whether that’s an artwork or a novel – but experience them differently. Ways of Seeing’s sessions offer an opportunity to explore and celebrate different responses to art and literature through a range of innovative and creative workshops and events. The collage workshops over the summer did just that and attendees had great fun exploring themes like travel and adventure, the natural world, people and places and their own inner lives.
Have a look through some of the images below to get a feel for the workshops and the type of work you could produce. You could also take a look at the Community of Creativity page on the website or have a scroll through their Instagram. Workshop participants don’t need previous artistic experience and all materials are supplied for every workshop. Sessions will always take place in accessible venues (the St Mary’s Centre was a really super venue over the summer) and there are always small groups, to ensure that everyone gets to participate fully.
There are currently two new adult collage workshops listed for September and October. First up is a Sense of Self on September 11, where participants are encouraged to select and assemble images and texts that really express who they are. Then on October 3, an opportunity to celebrate National Poetry Day and play with combining verse and imagery at Rhyme and Reason. Details of these workshops can be found on the website where you can also join the mailing list to be kept up to date with all of the latest workshops and events. There are plans for the future to mix it up a bit, too – having some sessions in the day and some in the evening – to encourage as many people as possible to come and join in. There will also be different types of creative workshops, including Gelli printing, fabric wreaths, holiday workshops for young people and much more.
Image Credits: Shelley Gibbon .