Workshops and Events

Below is a list of workshops and events that I’ll be running as part of my residency at Branscombe House in Richmond. Check back often to see new postings, or join my email list to get advanced notice of upcoming workshops!

Friday June 28- Estuary Festival

SuperSeeded Part 2

This second workshop continues our exploration of the history and ecology of the land now know as Hadleigh Park Farm, collaborating with the Salvation Army folks to draw attention to their rewilding project. Join us in making temporary sculptures from local clay gathered from the site, along with sand, soil, and fertilizer from the cows, plus seeds from local plants.

Using a sustainable building technique called rammed earth, we’ll make ‘sand castle’ sculptures and then 'plant' them in the fields that are being rewilded. The clay will help to bind the materials together so the sculptures will be semi-permanent, but when the rain starts later in the year, the seeds should germinate and start to break through/break down the sculptures.

All are welcome! You can get stuck in and be hands-on with the making, or just watch and chat with us. We'll be just down the hill from Hadleigh Castle in the south-west fields, making seed castles in a couple of locations (we'll have some signage up,, but make sure you register so we can give you clear directions. Folks can drop in at any time between 10 and 3pm.

Friday June 27- Estuary Festival

SuperSeeded Part 1

This workshop explores the history and ecology of the land now know as Hadleigh Park Farm. Join us in making temporary sculptures from local materials including clay, sand, soil, and seeds gathered from the site. Using a sustainable building technique called rammed earth, we’ll make ‘sand castle’ sculptures that are destined to break down, referencing the ruins of Hadleigh Castle.

Come along to a low tide morning walk along the sea wall while Amber shares information about local edible and medicinal local plants, and Cat shares some of the Salvation Army history of the site. We'll make castles at the old Salvation Army wharf, decorate them with pottery that we've found in the area, and then watch the tide come in and see what remains of the sculptures as the water rises.

Sunday June 8- Open Doors Richmond

Mapping Lulu Island

In this workshop, we'll explore the development of Lulu Island through the alternative photographic process of cyanotype.

We'll work together to reprint a large archival map of Richmond on fabric, and add plants, personal items, and silhouettes cut from paper to represent spaces of personal and cultural significance.

I invite you to bring an item that represents somewhere in Richmond or the neighbouring cities. This could be flowers or leaves, a personal item like jewellery, a keepsake or memento. Think about things that make a good silhouette!

This event takes place at Branscombe House in Steveston and space is limited, so please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/doors-open-richmond-at-branscombe-house-tickets-1305278215279

Sunday June 1

Beyond blue: toning cyanotypes

Have you made prints using the cyanotype process before? Did you know that you can use plants to transform these prints from blue into a multitude of other colours?

In this workshop, we'll use photographs from Richmond's archives to explore the history of Lulu Island, and then we'll use locally collected plants to alter the colour of the prints.

I invite you to bring something that reminds you of home that you can use to tone your print. Almost any plant can be used- flowers from your garden, leaves from your neighbourhood, veggies from the grocery store, even teas (green tea makes a lovely print!).

This event takes place at Branscombe House in Steveston and space is limited, so please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1361194051049