Stirchley Sketchbook Circle

Stirchley Sketchbook Circle is a collaborative sketchbooking project for adults and is suitable for all abilities and skill levels. Whether you are a professional artist or a complete novice who 'can't draw for toffee', we would love you to get involved. All you need is enthusiasm, a little bit of time for yourself and a sense of adventure.

The Sketchbook Circle is one part of a larger project 'The Great Stirchley Sketchbook Circle' that aims to engage a wide range of participants of all ages, and that will include artist workshops, storytelling sessions and drop-in art activities, and will result in the production and publication of a Stirchley Almanac featuring artwork from the project, and celebrating the culture and creativity of our community. Watch this space and keep an eye on our social media for details of these further activities.

How will the Sketchbook Circle work?

• You can either choose to provide your own sketchbook, or make one at a workshop on Sat 7th October , 10am-12pm at Stirchley Library (instruction and materials provided).
• You will be randomly allocated 2 partners from the circle - Partner A and Partner B. You will be notified by email and receive full instructions before 7th October 2023.
• After 2 weeks of working in your own sketchbook (you can do as little or as much as you like) you will pass it on to your Partner A via a special box at Stirchley Library, and you in turn will receive a sketchbook to work in from your Partner B. After another 2 weeks the sketchbooks will be passed back to their original owners.
• This process will repeat every 2 weeks until 24th February, when all books will be submitted to go on show in the library. You will get your original sketchbook back at the end of the project.
• There will be inpirational themes each month that you can choose to work to if you like.
• Further to this there will be a complementary program of drop-in art activities running alongside the sketchbook circle which will be open to all adults, whether partcipating in the sketchbook circle or not, and which you are welcome to attend in order to work with our art materials in our break-out art space in Stirchley Library.

Key Dates

• Sat 7th Oct - sketchbook circle starts
• Sat 7th Oct 10am-12pm - Sketchbook making workshop - optional
• Sat 21st Oct - first sketchbook swap. 2 weekly from then on
• Sat 24th Feb - hand in date for sketchbooks
• Library Show & launch of Stirchley Almanac: date to be confirmed.

The following workshops will be drop-in and open to the wider adult community. They will feature optional stand-alone activities and can support your sketchbooking with ideas and art materials. However, attendance is not essential in order to participate in the Sketchbook Circle.

This event is part of Stirchley Art Room's The Great Stirchley Sketchbook Circle project and is supported by Beyond Birmingham 2022.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Stirchley Art Room