The CDT room has a range of tools for turning, milling, precision cutting, drilling, engraving and pyrography. Projects are designed and led by children, who make musical instruments, vehicles, furniture or whatever they can imagine out of wood, plastic and metal. Children are also encouraged to adapt and repair their tools.
These sessions are run by Richard Newton who has 30 years of experience teaching craft, design & technology to children.
90 minute session. £8 per child / £6 per sibling
Richard Newton is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.
🌞 The GAP’s new venue at The Old Print Works will be open to the public for the first time. Come find us in the Drawing Room to see what we’re up to in this early stage of this new chapter and creatively explore what possibilities lie ahead
🌞 Free craft activity as part of Believe in Balsall Heath! Create a piece of bunting to add to our collective artwork celebrating and decorating our local neighbourhood.
🌞Enjoy the sun in the Peace Garden as we open it up for the first time this year! Our Green Spaces Guardian, Jamshaid, will be around doing some planting and maintenance – pop by to say hi! See if you can spot any creatures, and listen to some audio recordings of nature-themed poetry read by Kohinoor.
The GAP Arts Project is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.
As part of Birmingham Permaculture Network Weekender, learn how to make a bike powered generator, for sound systems, device charging and more. Led by Rakesh Rootsman Rak.
Join artist Sofia Niazi from Print and Matter for a Risograph workshop at MIAH Gallery (11am-1pm, £10) or a private print slot (2-4pm, 30 min slots, £10 technician fee + cost of print job).
This workshop, led by Community Energy Birmingham, gives people hands on experience installing home energy efficiency measures. Funded by Central Co-Op.
The Original Art Club is a safe creative space for children to explore, create and develop their artistic skills. This is project-based learning tailored to each individual and their ability. The idea is progress not perfection and with an ‘I can do’ attitude here at the club we want all our budding artists to feel confident and encouraged in their creative journey.
We teach several 2D and 3D techniques within our projects using a wide range of materials from pencil, acrylic paint and watercolours, to clay and paper mache. Our mixed age and mixed ability classes is a unique way in building self-confidence, independence and social bonding. Those children who have been with us longer will have gained more flexibility in steering their own projects and outcomes. We use mediums such as acrylics, watercolours, oil/soft pastels, inks, fine liners and 3D work with papier mache, clay and paper sculpture. At the club we value art and believe it is a significant component for the holistic education of children.
Spring is here! Come and join Wonderfish Art Studio to draw and paint your spring, and bunnies, bees, blossoms, birds and breeze… We’ll learn various techniques and celebrate spring together!
Saturday 11 April 12-1pm Materials are provided. Drop-in, free.
If you’re an artist (at any level) developing a creative practice + seeking fresh perspectives 👁️ then YOU ARE INVITED to my studio aka ✨ @seemaworld_boon_ ✨
vibes:
1️⃣ bring along one piece of work (at whatever stage) to share with others in the group.
2️⃣ each person will have the floor to ask questions + exchange intentional feedback in an open peer-led environment, with reflective takeaways👖
3️⃣ it’ll be chill + kind but ultimately supportive
4️⃣ in the interest of being non-hierarchical, i’ll also look to share something (if there’s time + space) and be vulnerable too
In this workshop you will master Swiss Darning, a clever way that mimics knitted stitches to make holes and thin patches disappear.
This session is taught by @knitwithu – a BCU textiles student specialising in knit – arrive as a beginner and leave as a pro!
You will learn how to repair your knits like an expert, giving you the skills to fight fast fashion by making your clothes last longer. We provide all the needles, colourful yarns, and practice fabric you need, so you can walk out with a more sustainable wardrobe and the confidence to keep your favourite sweaters in great shape for years to come.
This workshop takes place in Daily Thread, the community textiles space at The Old Print Works. Please note this space is located on the first floor and only accessible via a number of stairs.
Join us for a drop-in discussion and creative activity to celebrate the completion of this year’s Big Plastic Count and hear about the actions we can take to minimise plastic pollution.
Back in March, thousands of people from schools, households, community groups and workplaces across the UK counted their plastic waste for one week as part of the UK’s biggest people-powered investigation into plastic waste.
Now, we’ve crunched the numbers and processed the data, and our results reveal the shocking scale of the UK’s big plastic problem…
This is a free drop-in with no need to book. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly happens to your plastic waste, what actions we think our government should be taking, or simply want to chat, then come along!
In this session with MAKE & TADA!, participants can make a beautiful flying bird decoration.
This is a relaxed, welcoming free community workshop, suitable for all abilities. All materials are provided, along with guidance throughout. *Children under the age of 10 must be supervised by an accompanying adult*
The Balsall Heath Alliance is a group of local community organisations working across Balsall Heath.
They are keen to update the policies that govern how local Planning Decisions are made, and to do that are consulting on updating the current Local Neighbourhood Plan. At this stage, they are keen to get feedback from residents about all the issues that matter to them. They will be asking local people a few key questions so that they can collate feedback about the priority local issues.
As part of Balsall Heath Second Saturday on 11 April, explore the BRL collection, borrow books and take part in free workshops and activities. Open to all. The venue has step free access.
Browse, Borrow & Return Explore the Birmingham Resistance Library collection and borrow a book. No membership required. You can browse the catalogue in advance online too at www.birminghamresistancelibrary.co.uk 1-5 pm
Design and Colour in a Bookmark Drop-in activity suitable for all ages 1-5pm
REC’s Community Pop-up DVD Library Radical Exhibition Collective’s (@radicalexhibition) community DVD library has been created with the intent to increase access to independent film and moving image in Birmingham. With a focus on platforming subaltern expression and films that may be unavailable to freely stream, rent or find online, REC’s pop-up DVD library recognises the value film holds in the cultural sphere and seeks to address gaps in engaging with it. 1-5pm
Book Return💫 If you’ve borrowed a book from the library, please remember to return it this upcoming Browse, Borrow & Return session
Donations✨ Donate a book on the day, link in bio for our wish list or donate a book related to ‘resistance’ that you have read and recommend.
About REC @radicalexhibition Radical Exhibition Collective is a film collective with the aim to support the development of access to film culture in Birmingham. Through diasporic programming and centring subaltern expression, REC seeks to increase access to independent, archival and experimental film and moving image. They recognise the potential of film watching spaces as sites of resistance, community gathering and a tool for collective liberation.
Community Energy Birmingham (CEB) is running the Seeing in Colour project (funded by the University of Birmingham) to host free thermal imaging workshops and evening walks in your neighbourhood. These events will help local residents grow their understanding of heat loss in homes.
CEB are a non-profit organisation who have experience since 2012 in delivering projects which improve the city of Birmingham’s relationship with energy.
Our thermal camera classes will show you:
Sources of heat loss and humidity from homes – which could potentially make your home more comfortable, healthier AND cheaper to run (subject to the practicality of implementing solutions).
To ‘See in Colour’ by learning how to use a handheld thermal camera from one of our expert demonstrators. You would have the opportunity to use this camera on your house during a neighbourhood walk.
Our team can then advise you on:
‘Do it yourself’ solutions (like changing heating schedules or draught proofing)
Funding available for home efficiency improvements (e.g. loft insulation, wall insulation, solar panels). Take this opportunity to help you and your neighbours in the journey to comfortable and healthy homes. For more info contact Joe from the University of Birmingham or Beate from CEB, by e-mailing j.k.day@bham.ac.uk or info@communityenergybirmingham.coop
This is an excellent educational opportunity for families with complimentary snacks and hot/soft drinks provided.
Feeling the draughts in this freeeeezing weather? Improve the cosiness of your home by making a draught excluder to go by the door. You choose the fabrics you want, Kirsty will help by sewing it for you, and you can stuff it! 11am-1pm. All welcome. Free – donations welcome.
The MIAH Foundation is excited to present a new exhibition, Devotional Art, featuring artworks by talented UK-based artists. The exhibition is the result of a recent open call that invited UK-based artists to submit artworks exploring the theme of devotion.
The selected artworks in the exhibition show the remarkable creativity and skill of local artists in interpreting devotion. Visitors will encounter intricate miniature paintings with delicate brushwork, vibrant textiles that merge pattern and symbolism, and contemporary pieces that explore spirituality through innovative forms and materials. Each artwork invites close observation, offering layers of meaning through color, texture, and composition, while reflecting the artist’s personal engagement with faith and devotion. The collection as a whole celebrates both the richness of traditional practices and the fresh perspectives of contemporary interpretations.
Art enthusiasts, collectors, and anyone interested in the intersection of faith and creativity are welcome to explore the exhibition, with select original artworks and prints available for purchase.
Exhibition Period: 27 November – 13 December 2025 Open Thursdays to Saturdays 12:30 – 5:30 PM
Art Sale: Saturday 6 and 13 December 2025, 12:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Exhibition entry is FREE; we appreciate donations that go towards our operating costs. Booking is encouraged; however, walk-ins are also welcome.
Join us to explore Timurid architecture and create your own ceramic coaster to take home. This workshop is being delivered as supportive programming for the Architecture Course.
The Timurid empire (1370-1507) was founded by Timur, a descendant of Genghis Khan. He made Samarkand (modern-day Uzbekistan) his capital, patroning grand buildings there and making it the crown jewel of his vast empire. Some of the most impressive Timurid constructions in Samarkand include the Registan square, the Shah-i Zinda necropolis, and the Bibi Khanum mosque, named after Timur’s wife.
The Bibi Khanum Mosque is one of Samarkand’s most impressive monuments, and was one the largest and most magnificent mosques of the Islamic world in its time. In typical Timurid fashion, it is adorned with radiant tiles displaying geometric designs, vegetal motifs, and calligraphic compositions, in the classic Timurid colour palette of dark blue, turquoise, and white. By the mid-1900s, its sheer monumentality and frequent earthquakes had led to its structural collapse, but it was restored by the Soviets.
During this workshop, you will study the tile patterns around the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. You will recreate the central floral composition of the tile design on a ceramic tile that can be taken home to be displayed or used as a coaster. Please note: this workshop focuses on the design of the tile. Due to the length of the workshop, the design will be painted using acrylic paints and not the underglaze.
Concessionary Ticket (for students, over 65s and low-income households): £10.00 (+ticket fees)
Who is this course for? All levels of ability are welcome. Suitable for ages 9+. All materials are provided.
REFUND POLICY: Please note that tickets are only refunded (minus the Eventbrite admin fee) if requested more than 7 days before the event.
This workshop is being delivered as part of the ‘Balsall Heath Second Saturdays’ programme – a monthly mini-festival celebrating creativity, community, local culture and the arts, held on the second Saturday of every month.
Join Darkroom Birmingham for an open evening featuring a relaxed introduction to analogue photography and a hands-on print demonstration. Meet the photographers behind the space, discover upcoming workshops, and enjoy a friendly, welcoming environment for anyone curious about analogue photography processes.
