Ideas for visual art and/or craft groups

Create a CraftBomb – Join creative groups across the country and help put creativity on the map, by organising a community craft display in your local area this May. Scroll down for more information and download the CraftBomb Toolkit (coming soon) for more details, including ideas and guidance on what to make, where to find low-cost materials, how to spread the word and getting permission.

Run a workshop – If your visual art or craft group has a set of creative skills – be it oil painting, flower arranging, quilting or knitting – why not share these with newcomers? You could run a simple beginners workshop open to everyone, or a special themed workshop for those more in the know. This could be a great way to promote your group and invite people to join you on a more regular basis.

Hold a ‘come and try’ session – Less formal than a workshop, ‘come and try’ sessions are a great way to engage potential new members and offer hands-on fun in a relaxed environment.

Often run on a drop-in basis, 'come and try' events work well when held in a public place or done in partnership with another event, to ensure a captive audience. Successful 'come and try' events, include:

Drop-in knitting sessions in a busy shopping centre
Sewing skill-share workshops in Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Mobile print demo's and 'have a go' activities held in partnership with a community garden event

Exhibit your work – Celebrate your group’s achievements with a special Voluntary Arts Festival exhibition, perhaps featuring some of your favourite pieces from the previous year or asking your members to respond to a particular brief or theme. Make sure to include information about your group for people who may want to join you.

Woollen Woods – The Woollen Woods invites craft groups to team up with local greenspaces, share wool-craft skills and create nature-inspired woolly art works to go on display during the Voluntary Arts Festival. In previous years this has seen knitted birds sitting alongside crocheted frogs, and all manner of crafty flora and fauna on display in the great outdoors.

Scroll down for more information and download the Woollen Woods Toolkit (coming soon) for practical advice and useful links to help your fibre forest flourish.