PCT100 Creative Workshops
Celebrate 100 years of the Powell-Cotton Trust by taking part in a series of artist-led workshops inspired by our extraordinary collections and the stories they hold.
This summer, three contemporary artists will bring their distinctive creative practices to the Museum for a programme of hands-on workshops that invite you to look closer at our collections, make connections and create something new.
Explore the transformative possibilities of light and photography with filmmaker and photographer Kevin Lawrence, discover the power of storytelling, poetry and beadwork with South African artist Nomakhwezi Becker, and experience the natural world through illustration and printmaking with artist Molly Pickle.
Whether you’re experimenting with photography techniques, responding to collections through words and textiles, or drawing inspiration from insects and wildlife, each workshop offers a chance to learn from a practising artist and develop your own creative response to the Museum’s collections.
All workshops run in July and August are included with standard admission, and the artwork, stories and reflections created throughout the programme will contribute to a special community exhibition opening in October as part of our centenary celebrations.
Kevin Lawrence – Film & Photography Workshops
Margate-based photographer and cinematographer Kevin Lawrence leads a series of workshops exploring how light, colour and composition shape the way we experience the world around us.
Film & Photography: What happens when light becomes the subject?
Wednesday 22 July, Friday 24 July, Thursday 13 August
Experiment with gels, mirrors and projection techniques to discover how different materials transform light and create striking visual effects. Suitable for all ages, with no previous experience required.
Photographing Artefacts Workshop
Thursday 6 August, 2pm – 4pm
Learn professional lighting and composition techniques and discover new ways of seeing everyday objects and museum collections. Ideal for photography students, enthusiasts and curious image-makers.
Nomakhwezi Becker – Poetry, Storytelling & Beadwork
Drawing on Call & Response storytelling traditions, South African artist and facilitator Nomakhwezi Becker invites participants to connect with museum collections through poetry, reflection and collaborative making.
Poetry & Call & Response
Wednesday 29 July & Wednesday 19 August, Drop-in 11am – 2pm
Explore the stories held within Zulu beadwork and textiles alongside your own memories and experiences. Through guided writing exercises and collective making, contribute to an evolving artwork that brings together personal and museum histories.
Weaving Stories: Collective Textile Wall
Wednesday 26 August, Drop-in 11am – 2pm
Contribute words, memories, poems or symbolic gestures to a large-scale collaborative installation inspired by textile traditions and collective storytelling.
Messages in Beads: Adornment, Identity & Meaning
Thursday 27 August, Drop-in 11am – 2pm
Create beaded and textile responses using colour, pattern and symbolism to express memories, hopes and messages. Take your creation home, gift it to someone special, wear it, or contribute it to the exhibition.
Molly Pickle – Wildlife Illustration & Screen-printing
Self-taught illustrator and printmaker Molly Pickles brings the natural world to life through accessible, hands-on workshops inspired by insects, birds and the Museum’s wildlife collections.
Wildlife Illustration Transfers
Thursday 20 August, Drop-in 11am-2pm
Drop-in illustration activities inspired by animals and insects from the collections. Suitable for families and visitors of all ages.
Insects Illustration & Pointillism & Wildlife Screen-printing Workshops
Friday 21 August, Pointillism 11:30am – 12:30pm / Screen-printing 1:30pm to 3pm
Explore mark-making and pointillism techniques in the morning before learning the fundamentals of screen-printing. Create your own wildlife-inspired artwork to take home.
Book here for Pointillism
Book here for Screen-printing
Wildlife Crafts: Collage & Colouring Studio
28 August, Drop-in 11am – 2pm
A relaxed creative session using printed images, textures and colour to produce nature-inspired artworks. No experience necessary.
Workshop and drop-in times subject to change.
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