Summer Holidays: Crafting Coventry’s Culture

1 August - 3 September (excluding Sundays) | 10.30am - 3.30pm Show all dates and times

Join us for an exploration of culture...

... through creative arts and learn new skills while reimagining experiences of growing up across different cultures.

Drop in | £2.50 per child

Designed for age 3+, but all are welcome

This summer join us for an exploration of culture through creative arts and immersive experiences. Taking inspiration from our temporary exhibitions we will be crafting our way through weeks of exciting activities!

Explore how to collaboratively make cityscapes with eco-friendly materials, learn the skills to form ceramic objects, and experiment with printing playful patterns. We will consider the contexts of Coventry Culture including pride protests and formative experiences of growing up in the city. All creations can be taken home with you on the day. 

 

Daily Activities: 

Week 1: WASTE LESS AND MAKE MORE 

1 & 2 August - 3D Cityscapes: Recycle and reuse cardboard tubes to craft a new city, using paint, black markers and construction paper. Display your creation in our cityscape installation in the Covered Court or take it home on the day.*

3 & 4 August - City Silhouettes: Create your own stunning silhouette city using contact paper, tissue paper and add finishing touches using black card for contrasting imagery. The finished scenes can be displayed on your windows at home to allow the natural light to shine through, highlighting the colourful creations you have made together. 

5 & 6 August - Eco Conscious Carton Houses: Keep a little less in landfills by using donated cartons, to make a high rise home. Decorate your unique designs using paint, card, markers and other embellishments. Your design can be taken home to display as an eco-friendly ornament or added to our cityscape display.*

*If you choose to add your piece to our growing cityscape display, you can collect your work between 29 August - 1 September. 

 

Week 2: PLAYFUL PATTERNS & PRINTS

8 & 9 August - Printmaking Wallpaper: Design your own wallpaper using polystyrene printmaking techniques. Start with drawing a pattern or design in Styrofoam and then print with colourful paint. Repeat to design a unique handmade wallpaper.

10 & 11 August - Cardboard Square Coasters: Create a stripy pattern ‘mug rug’ coaster using square cardboard looms and colourful wool to learn an easy method for weaving patterns. Great to add a bright and fun accessory to your house or to give as a gift.

12 & 13 August - Marvelous Mono-printing: Discover the delights of this mono-printing process. Be imaginative with cutting out shapes from polystyrene to make stamps and print onto cards to make a wonderful pattern with acrylic paints.

 

Week 3: CREATIVE CERAMICS

15 & 16 August - Clay Sculptures: Explore the techniques and possibilities of clay by using various techniques and tools to bring your ideas to life. Take your sculpture home to display your skills. 

17 & 18 August - Tile Painting: Design and decorate ceramic tiles using colourful permanent markers to add to your home decor or place in your garden.

19 & 20 August - Mosaic Masterpiece: Use mosaic tiles to create a colourful picture or picture frame, then take your beautiful creation and display it in your home or garden. 

 

Week 4: COVENTRY CULTURE

22 & 23 August - Stylish Skateboards: Shape and cut out your own stylish skateboard out of corrugated cardboard. Personalise your skateboard using an array of colourful paints and pens. Also, later on that day, from 2.00pm - 3.30pm you can watch skateboard demonstrations in the Covered Court, along with trying it out for yourself with Henry Matthews from Project Number 5.

24 & 25 August - Vibrant Vinyl & Cover: Take inspiration from 2-Tone Coventry band The Specials who made their own posters and unique vinyl covers for their record albums. Imagine you are in an upcoming band and design your own vinyl using cardboard pizza bases. Complete your amazing art piece by designing an album cover to go with it too. 

26 & 27 August - Tie Dye Totes: Design your own tie dye tote bag, using watered down fabric paints and elastic bands. This will get a little messy; gloves and aprons will be provided on the day. Please note, once rinsed through, you will need to dry your finished item at home. We would love for you to share your finished tie-dye piece with us by uploading to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (@the_herbert) using the hashtag #HerbertTieDye

 

Week 5: PRIDE WEEK

29 & 30 August - Rainbow Rosettes: Stylise your own rainbow rosette using fabric, doilies and ribbon, then add your own personalised text in the centre. 

31 August & 1 September - Banner Making: Create a mini banner to influence social change, take home and display it in your window. Bring your ideas, designs and chosen messages to life using an array of different resources and embellishments to understand gentle acts of change through art.

2 & 3 September - Friendship Bracelets: For the final activity this summer, try your hand at making cool colourful woven friendship bracelets as a symbol of kindness to give to old and new friends.

 

We have HAF spaces available at all of these activities. HAF is the Holiday and Activities Food Programme from Coventry City Council, funded by the Department for Education. If your child receives free school meals and lives in Coventry, they should be eligible. For further information and to book any of the above activities, free of charge and with a pre-packed lunch provided for your child too, please visit: www.coventry.gov.uk/HAF

Did you know we can support your child to achieve their Arts Award Discover if they are aged 5-11? Taking part in our school holiday activities and visiting our exhibitions helps them to do the majority of the work needed to complete their award. Find out more about the Arts Award from Home programme.