Join artists Jane Thakoordin and Fiona Bailey for a creative workshop to accompany the Each Child a Light Exhibition at The Old Print Works.
Design and make your own decorative square honouring and remembering a child killed in Gaza. Your completed work will be stitched into the growing quilt alongside others already made by hundreds of people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience including artists, crafters, community and faith groups, children and students.
Free, but please register here as spaces are limited. All materials provided and open to everyone over the age of 14.
It is the Pumpkin Month! Join our workshop, led by Wan Yu Fish at Wonderfish Art Studio, to create Yayoi Kusama-inspired pumpkins, as we celebrate this time of year and explore how Kusama (1929 – 2026) saw the world in memory of her.
Free, drop-in workshop. All materials will be provided. All are welcome.
A physical room, a website, a desk, a routine, a shop, a notebook. What does your practice want and need?
Join SEEMAWORLD for a series of prompts, conversations, found imagery and materials to draw, write and collage, participants are invited to create their own journal-style zine. We’ll explore the spaces, materials, environments, routines and concepts that support our creative practices – whilst imagining (and reimagining) what a studio might look and feel like beyond a traditional physical space.
This is designed to be a relaxed, co-making session with a range of coloured paper/card, collage materials and basic writing / drawing / crafting tools provided. No previous zine-making experience is needed.
The workshop will take place after the final Soft Crits session, which invites artists to bring along one piece of work (at whatever stage) to present to others in the group and exchange thoughts on.
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.
Every day, people are detained under immigration powers in the UK and taken away from their families and communities. People are held indefinitely, sometimes not knowing where they are being taken to, often not knowing when they will be released.Every time someone is detained, families, neighbours, friends, and support groups rally to provide care, rebuild stability, and keep fighting for justice.
Art can become a form of solidarity, and create a space to make hard topics feel a little bit easier. This session will try to find ways to share messages of love, support and solidarity through creative writing, printing and collaging.
This is an open session held between 1-4pm and is suitable for children and adults. Please come along to say hello, learn more about our work and create with us!
Right to Remain is a registered charity (charity number 1192934). Right to Remain works with communities, groups and organisations across the UK. We provide information, resources, training and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain. We challenge injustice in the immigration and asylum system.
Join Balsall Heath People’s Emergency Briefing for a community event on climate issues – meet local groups and individuals; build our community spirit; and share information and ideas.
Including: adapting to climate change; community support; natureconservation; activism and campaigning.
Cycling in the Dark is an exhibition incorporating many objects collected / found locally which are used as surface, tool and material.
Delicate forms of pressure push the boundaries of tension in sculptural forms and scrappy, soft materials. The exhibition asks us to reflect on the more subtle violent treatment of objects, humans and animals. How do those build up to bigger ones?
Lauren Royall is an artist and studio holder at The Old Print Works whose work is rooted in abstract painting and sculpture. Their practice is conceptually driven by their experience in sexual violence education and prevention.
The exhibition is free, and there is a small selection of prints available for sale, where 50% of proceeds will go towards The Old Print Works.
Join Toyin Taiwo for Behind The Mask: A Storytelling and Drama Workshop.
Designed to be pratical, welcoming and enjoyable for adults who are curious about drama, storytelling or creative expression.
This event is organised by the Black British Book Festival. Selina Brown, Founder and CEO is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works and the founder of the Black British Book Festival and the inaugural National Reading Hero recipient of the Queen’s Reading Room Medal. Her Penguin picture book My Rice is Best has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards 2026, The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2026 and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2026.
This is a free event. If you’d like to support The Old Print Works please consider making a donation here.
Join us for a drop in workshop to learn the art of Kumihimo, a traditional Japanese artform and craftwork for making braids and cords. Open to all ages.
This workshop is organised by members of Daily Thread, the community textiles sessions which run every week at The Old Print Works.
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!
Join artist Esca09 for a drop-in beginner friendly workshop to create your own anime character.
Participants learn some simple techniques for drawing an original anime-style character, including facial features, hairstyles and clothing, before adding colour and personal details to make the character their own. The workshop is suitable for beginners, including children (with parental supervision), and no previous drawing experience is needed.
The session will be around 30–45 minutes, depending on the participants.
Sam’s Vegan Delights is a family based Caribbean vegan food business based in Birmingham.
Sam became vegan as a child and raised both of her children as vegan too (which they continued with their children). Fast forward a generation there have been over 3 generations of vegan in Sam’s immediate family. Sam and her children make up the quirky Sams Vegan Delights team. Being of Jamaican and mixed heritage decent, they offer home cooked naughty Jamaican & Asian infused vegan food every Friday and Saturday at The Mix Community Cafe (ran by The Gap Arts Project) 12-8pm. Sam’s flavours were inspired by her father’s dishes growing up as a child and was later inspired by the spices of the Asian diaspora due to them having so many vegetarian dishes, this experience inspired Sam to infuse both flavours together to create something delicious and unique.
Sam’s Vegan Delights aims to offer mouth watering delicious food, that is both full of flavour and packed with nutrition. Sam offers traditional Jamaican meat curry flavours using soy-based substitutes. Sam also specialises in non-soy-based dishes such as her famous Original Dumpling Patties, Original Ras Request & Original dinner dumplings. From her vegan sexy juice to curries, dall & vegan hot dogs, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.
For this Balsall Heath Second Saturday, join The GAP for a fun interactive storytelling session to honour the season of Autumn and explore how we can live in harmony with the natural world.
Using drama, craft and imaginative play, children will be guided by our skilled Arts Educators to develop empathy, collaboration, problem-solving, and responsibility.
For ages 6 – 11.
Please arrive promptly to start at 2pm! The session lasts for a full 2 hours (it is not drop in)
The GAP is open from 11am, come and explore their relaxing space and browse their library of books.
The GAP Arts Project is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.
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.
PRAXIS is a collective workshop and discussion session responding to a growing grassroots cultural landscape in the city. Existing outside of institutional spaces, DIY and grassroots cultural activity in Birmingham is thriving, responding to a growing need for affordable third spaces and connection, as well as creative and ambitious programming- especially from global majority perspectives.
Reflecting upon our own experiences, we’ll be exploring how we might protect and strengthen DIY infrastructures across the city through thinking about:
* What it means to work collectively * Navigating non-hierarchical working practices * Peer to peer support and collaboration
This session is aimed at collectives delivering grassroots initiatives in Birmingham, as well as those who may be interested in starting a collective themselves.
Spaces are very limited so book your spot in advance here.
📆 Saturday 12th September ⏰2pm-4pm 📍Textiles Room, Upper Gallery, The Old Print Works
ACCESS INFORMATION: The Upper Gallery is located up a flight of stairs and The Old Print Works does not have a lift.
Join a drop-in workshop with Balsall Heath People’s Emergency Briefing.
We are writing and/or drawing requests to our MPs to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and to properly brief the nation on the scientific, economic and societal need to treat the changes in climate and nature as an emergency.
With Faisel Farooq, John Munro and Myka Tucker-Abramson
Although we live in a moment when multiple concerns compete for our attention, a planet made unlivable for future generations and a genocide carried out with impunity are, rightly, subjects of sustained interest and outrage in Birmingham and beyond. And yet, issues of climate justice and Palestine solidarity are not always thought about as directly related to one another.
Rising to the challenge of deepening the political and activist connections between these burning issues, this workshop will begin with two presentations that encourage us to think how ecocide, racism, extractivism, state repression and mobility justice are all linked. From here, we’ll open the discussion to all workshop participants, as we think and talk together about how local action can address the injustices of our times when we see them as intertwined.
Balsall Heath Second Saturday hosts a screening of a powerful new 50 minute film about the climate and nature crisis and what it means for all of us, along with credible, positive responses.
As well as understanding the crisis, it’s about conversation and connection as communities come together. Whether you’re already involved or just curious to know more, everyone is welcome.
Join us for a screening followed by a discussion and cake.
Saturday 13 June, 4.30pm to 6.30pm (Doors 4.15pm) Recommended for age 16+ Seats are free but limited so please book in advance here.
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.
Join us for a fun, welcoming Make Your Own Zine Workshop with illustrator Layla Sadiq, where you’ll experiment with drawing, collage, writing and creativity to craft a zine that’s completely your own. Organised by Inspire Hub.
No experience? No problem! Whether you’re an artist, a writer, or just looking to try something new, this workshop is open to everyone.
🗓 Saturday 8 August ⏰ 1:30pm–3:00pm 📍 The Old Print Works, B12 9AH
🎨 FREE workshop 📖 All materials provided 🎟 Booking required – limited spaces available! Please book here.
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.
