Community, Print Days & Making Space to Create
A Creative Community in Southampton
At the heart of everything we do here, the creative community and connection is key.
The studio is light, bright and inspiring! Whether it's sitting with a cup of tea chatting through ideas, sharing experiences of exhibitions, or simply creating alongside one another, the studio has grown naturally into a vibrant space where artists and makers of all levels come together. Building this supportive, relaxed and social environment is what makes every day here so rewarding.
Here's how that community actually takes shape, week to week and month to month.
Studio FRIDAY: Weekly Drop-In Art Sessions
The simplest way in is Studio FRIDAY — our weekly drop-in session, £5 to join. It's a dedicated, informal space to drop in, work on your personal projects, and enjoy the company of fellow creatives. Whether you want to focus deeply on your work or just relax in a supportive atmosphere without pressure, Studio FRIDAY is all about making time for your practice alongside others who get it.
Book your induction first…
An Etching Press for the Printmaking Community
I recognise that the printmaking community need a studio space, facility and connection with others who want to practice and learn. We are very blessed to have a top-of-the-range etching press in place, with a generous 24" x 48" printing area — one of the best you can buy — and kept our original Hunter etching press too, so the studio is generously well equipped for both relief and intaglio printmaking processes.
Good equipment is only worth as much as the community looking after it, so we're introducing a couple of dedicated slots to make sure everyone using the press is safe, confident, and set up to make the most of it.
Studio Inductions: Printmaking Training at the Studio
The first is a Studio Induction, running Tuesdays 10am–1pm for £35 as a one-off payment. It's mandatory before anyone uses the studio independently: a thorough, hands-on session covering housekeeping, equipment handling, health and safety, emergency procedures and good working practices, so everyone feels safe, confident and competent using the space and facilities. Refresher sessions are available whenever needed.
Print Days: Open Access to the Etching Press
Once you've completed your induction — and attended an Intaglio course at the studio — you're ready for a Print Day. These run the last Tuesday of every month, 10am–4pm, £30 a session, with numbers strictly limited to four people a day so there's plenty of individual personal workspace. It's exclusive, unguided access to the printmaking equipment: bring your own paper, inks and plates, spread out, and bring your ideas to life. A selection of paper and lino is also available to buy at the studio.
A Community Built on Variety
The same thinking runs through how I've built the teaching programme. It has always been my intention to offer variety, because a community grows richer the more perspectives it holds.
Guest tutors bring their own skills, personality and experience — everyone offers something new and unique, and there's always something new to learn. Some have come highly recommended, others I've discovered because I admire the quality of their work; either way, it matters to me that we deliver quality and a genuinely high standard of knowledge and experience. Come and have a go at a new art technique!
Popular: Abstract Painting & Linocut Workshops (Book early).
I continue to teach the popular abstract painting courses and workshops, which attract people from far and wide. The Linocut workshop is a mindful way to spend an afternoon, while the evening course gives you the chance to work through a project from idea to a finished outcome. There's plenty more to explore on the programme, and updates may happen throughout the season.
Join the Studio Community
So, join us in the studio. Whether you're booking onto a Print Day, getting set up with your Induction, or dropping in for Studio FRIDAY, I can't wait to see what you create next in the space.