Home-Ed: Workshop Series | From Archives to Zines: Storytelling and Me

Tuesdays | 27 January, 3 February, 10 February, 24 February, 3 March & 10 March 2026 | Sessions available 10.30am-12.30pm and 2pm-4pm Show all dates and times

Join us for a home-educator workshop series at the Herbert to learn about the importance of telling your own stories through the media of zines, poetry, collage, and more.

Book Online | £50 Per Child Per Workshop Series*

*Museum admission included for child plus accompanying adults.

For ages 7-12

Join us for a home-educator workshop series at the Herbert to learn about the importance of telling your own stories through the media of zines, poetry, collage, and more. Explore behind the scenes at the Coventry Archives and our incredible Stories That Made Us exhibit and take the opportunity to achieve the accredited Arts Award Explore.

These workshops will draw on the incredible expertise of artists, poets, exhibition designers, archivists, and more to show you how to share a vision and represent yourself not only through the writing but also through the day-to-day items that make up your life and world. Each workshop will combine learning from these experts with engaging practical crafting and creating to put your new inspiration into action. You will come away empowered to express yourself in new and amazing ways and with the skills and knowledge to share your stories and to better understand others’.

Series Programme

Tuesday 27 January 2026 - Bookbinding
In this first workshop you will dive straight into the fascinating craft of bookbinding. Learn multiple techniques to stitch and stick your way into two beautiful notebooks by the end of the session.

Tuesday 3 February 2026 - Poetry
Learn from local poets and practice different forms of poetry such as found poetry, blackout poetry, and more. Explore the museum in a totally new way as you imagine how Lady Godiva might speak or what unbelievable sights Dippy might have seen and learn how to translate your wildest imagination into words!

Tuesday 10 February 2026 - Exhibition Design
Have you ever thought that your belongings deserve to be in a museum? Here’s your opportunity! Experience the incredible, immersive Stories That Made Us exhibition which explores Coventry’s rich South Asian heritage through the stories and objects of the Virk family and have the chance to speak directly to the people who created it. Then you’ll use junk modelling to create your own exhibition of special objects from your own life!

NO WORKSHOP - TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2026 (Due to Coventry half term)

Tuesday 24 February 2026 - Archives and Collage
Did you know that the Herbert is also home to The Coventry Archives and Home Records Office? Delve into the mysteries of the past and how we preserve it as we tour the archives and hear from archivists, learning what it is they do and why it’s so important. Using an array of scanned archival materials we will then think about what the past means to us as we create beautiful collages representing ourselves, our homes, and our livess.

Tuesday 3 March 2026 - Zine Making
Zines, innovative, self-made magazines, have long been at the heart of activism and changemaking in society. In this session you will learn about the history and power of zines before getting the chance to combine all the writing, collage, and curatorial skills you’ve learnt so far into creating your own!

Tuesday 10 March 2026 – Telling Your Own Stories: Dedicated time to practice new skills
Taking all the skills and techniques you have learnt over the past five weeks, you will have the chance to make something that reflects your passions or complete a project started earlier in the course. Will you pen powerful poetry or craft a captivating collage to share your thoughts with the world?
 

How to Book

To book onto this workshop series you can click this link which will take you to our ticketing site.
You will need to make an account there and then select which block of sessions you want to book onto (the morning or the afternoon) and you will then be asked to pay online.
You will then need to fill out the form below to provide us with any additional access requirements your child or you may have. 

Bookings will close on Wednesday 21 January 2026.

For any further enquiries, please email homeeducation@cvlife.co.uk

 

FAQs

What is the capacity for the sessions?
There are 15 spaces in both the morning and afternoon sessions on the course (30 spaces total) and we ask that you commit to attending 4/6 sessions. If we have high levels of interest and these places get booked up you will be informed and added to a waiting list. If spaces become available for the timing slot you are interested in, then we will get in contact with you via email to let you know.

Does my child have to complete the Arts Award?
If your child has already achieved the Arts Award Explore or if you do not wish for them to complete it during this course then there is no obligation to and you are still more than welcome to sign up to the workshops. We offer the Arts Award Explore as an accredited additional certification but the activities and work is not designed around the Award and your child(ren) will not miss out if they do not wish to complete the award.

What is the accessibility like in the space?
The room we are using is on the ground floor of the museum and has step-free access. There will be an allotted quiet space and sensory toys available. Additional information about accessibility and inclusion will be provided once you have signed up to the sessions. If you have any further questions about accessibility please check out our general information on accessibility at the museum here or get in touch at homeeducation@cvlife.co.uk

Can my child attend the workshop on their own?
Yes. While we are happy for you to attend the workshop with your child, our facilitators and workshop leads carry an enhanced DBS certificate and your child will be in a safe space throughout the workshop. If you and your child choose for them to attend the workshop on their own, we kindly ask you to remain in the building for the duration of the workshop and leave us with a contact phone number so we can reach you quickly if needed. 

Can I bring a younger sibling, age 0-5?
Each Tuesday we have Sensory Stories & Rhymes sessions happening from 10.30-11.00 which would be a perfect space for your youngest to engage with creative concepts in a playful and explorative way while your 7–12-year-old attends their own workshop. If you bring a child to the paid workshops, you will get free access to the sensory story session slots for younger children. You are also welcome to bring younger kids along to sit in on the sessions as long as they are supervised by you.

What if I think my child of 6 or 12+ years old would be interested in the workshop?
We believe that you know your children best and will evaluate whether this workshop is the right fit for them. Our facilitators are specialists in making any content meaningful to each ability but do get in touch if you have questions about the content and resources that are used during the workshops (email our Project Officer, Lils at homeeducation@cvlife.co.uk).
 

Additional Information Form

Please complete the form below once you have purchased your Home Ed workshop series ticket online. This to provide the team with additonal information to improve your visit.