Made in St Helens: A series of workshops in visual and performing arts

Create. Explore. Share.

Pick the workshops that interest you most or dive into the whole programme. Every session is a chance to try something new, express your ideas and create artwork that's completely your own. Along the way, you'll work with professional artists, learn creative skills and help tell the story of St Helens through young people's eyes. Your artwork could even be displayed at the World of Glass Biennale Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend, where visitors will get to see the creativity, talent and ideas of local young people.

Wednesday 29th July: Dream It. Draw It. Build It.

See St Helens through fresh eyes. Using iPads, photography, digital art and 3D pens, you'll create original artwork inspired by the places, people and stories that shape your town. Explore local landmarks, add your own creative twists, and imagine how St Helens could look in the future. From street-art style illustrations to futuristic buildings and 3D sculptures, you'll turn your ideas into exhibition-ready artwork that celebrates your connection to place and your hopes for what's next.

Thursday 30th July: Light Hackers: The Secret Life of Cameras

Capture the Impossible: Photography Without a Phone. Think you need a smartphone to take amazing photos? Think again. In this workshop, you'll discover how cameras really work by creating your own wearable camera. You'll use a real pinhole camera to capture images, then step into a portable darkroom where you'll watch your photographs magically appear under the glow of a red safelight. Finally, you'll build your own mini pinhole camera to take home and continue your photography experiments. Perfect for curious minds, creative thinkers, and anyone who wants to experience photography in a completely different way. No filters, no screens—just light, creativity, and a little bit of magic. Get ready to create images the old-school way and see the world through a whole new lens.

Friday 31st July: Move Your Story: Roots, Routes & Rhythms

What makes you you? Where do you come from, what inspires you, and where do you want to go next? In this energetic Street Dance and Hip-Hop workshop, you'll explore your identity and connection to St Helens through movement, music and creative discussion. Work with others to create an original performance inspired by your experiences, the town's heritage and your hopes for the future. Develop new dance skills, build confidence, express your ideas and make new connections in a fun and supportive environment. Whether you're an experienced dancer or a complete beginner, this is your chance to tell your story through movement. Bring your energy and wear something comfortable to move in!

Wednesday 5th August: Echoes of St Helens: Create the Sound of Your Town

What does St Helens sound like? In this hands-on workshop, you'll explore the hidden sounds of the World of Glass and become a sound artist for the day. Record, create and experiment with sounds using museum objects, sound boxes and different spaces throughout the building. Discover how echoes, reverb and atmosphere can transform a sound, then combine your recordings to create an immersive soundscape inspired by the town's past, present and future. Your work will help create a collaborative video artwork for exhibition display, and there may also be opportunities to make short videos to share with family and friends.

Thursday 6th August: Future Focus: St Helens Through Our Eyes

What can the past tell us about the future? In this creative photography and mixed media workshop, you'll combine historic images of St Helens with photographs of the town today to create original artworks that explore identity, change and possibility. Using colour, text and creative effects, you'll transform archive images into powerful visual stories about what St Helens means to you and how you'd like it to grow in the future. You'll also become part of the artwork as your creations are projected onto you, blending personal stories with the story of the town. Your finished piece will be displayed as a striking light and shadow artwork in the exhibition.

Friday 7th August: Stories That Made Us

Everyone has a story to tell. In this creative drama workshop, you'll explore the experiences, people and places that have shaped who you are. Through games, improvisation, storytelling and performance, you'll create original short pieces inspired by your life, your community and your hopes for the future. Explore themes of identity, belonging, friendships, family and growing up in St Helens while building confidence, creativity and teamwork. Whether you love performing or just want to try something new, you'll be supported to share ideas in a fun and inclusive environment. The workshop will end with a short performance that can be filmed as part of the final exhibition.

Wednesday 12th August: Living Together: The St Helens Zine

What makes a great community? In this creative zine-making workshop, you'll explore what it's like to live in St Helens today and what helps people feel connected to the places and people around them. Inspired by the town's long-standing link with Stuttgart, you'll discover stories of local and international connections, visit the commemorative garden at the World of Glass and meet artists who have worked in Germany. Using art, photography, creative writing and design, you'll work together to create a unique zine filled with your ideas, experiences and perspectives. The finished publication will celebrate community, creativity and the things that bring us together.

Thursday 13th August: Print Your Place

Get hands-on with printmaking and turn your ideas into bold, original artwork. Inspired by the green spaces, stories and future of St Helens, you'll experiment with exciting techniques including monoprinting, block printing, collographs and lino printing. Use natural materials, textures and patterns to create unique designs while exploring what makes St Helens special to you and how you'd like it to grow in the future. Whether you're an experienced artist or trying printmaking for the first time, this is your chance to get creative, try something new and take home your own collection of amazing prints.

Friday 14th August: Story Hunters: Our Town Unfiltered

Got a story to tell about St Helens? In this hands-on filmmaking workshop, you'll become a documentary maker, reporter and storyteller. Work together to explore the people, places and issues that shape life in your town, using interviews, oral histories and community reporting to uncover real stories. You'll learn how to write questions, film footage, interview others and edit videos using your own devices. There will also be opportunities to try different production roles, including presenter, camera operator, interviewer, director and editor. Together, you'll create an original documentary that captures young people's voices, perspectives and hopes for the future of St Helens.