Pugin's Summer Crafts Week 3: Pigment and Paintbrush making

Join us for a summer programme filled with unique craft activities inspired by AWN Pugin!

Our inspiration comes straight from the cathedral itself. As part of the Restoring Pugin project, experts are currently uncovering gorgeous, hidden wall designs originally painted by the cathedral's architect, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. Just as Pugin looked to nature to inspire his intricate decor, we will use real plants and flowers to design detailed patterns on special photographic paper and fabric.

We will host two workshops a day, and after each workshop you will receive two stamps on your certificate of participation. Attend all five sessions over the summer to complete the whole set!

Grind pigments, mix natural paints, & craft your own brush at this free family workshop: inspired by Pugin's colourful designs. Join artist Alex Vincent Turner at Nottingham Cathedral for a hands-on workshop exploring the colours and craft behind Augustus Welby Pugin's celebrated designs.

In this relaxed, creative session, families will grind natural pigments, mix their own paints, and craft handmade paintbrushes using traditional methods — the same kind of techniques that inspired the rich decorative schemes Pugin designed for St Barnabas Cathedral in the 1840s. Children will leave with their own handmade brush and a new way of looking at the cathedral.

• Learn historical craft practices essential in Pugin’s paint schemes
• Materials: All supplies are provided, and you will take home whatever you create!
• Attending this session will earn you a stamp one your certificate of participation
• Age: Suitable for ages 7+ (all children must be supervised by an adult).

Booking is essential, and tickets are for children only. Children must be accompanied by an adult, accompanying adults do not need to book. Suitable for ages 7+.

Workshops run from 10am-12pm and 1-3pm, with an hour break at 12pm.