We are now listed on the Crafts Council website craftclub. http://www.craftclub.org.uk/map

Join Lisa Pidgeon for a series of crochet lessons. Lisa runs the Little Bird School Of Stitchcraft. Also, Lisa will be running 'Get Stuffed' for ArtZone on the 3rd March. A soft toy making workshop inspired by Nottingham born graffiti artist Jon Burgerman.

Please come along if you are an adult with long term and enduring mental health illness and join us for a few weeks, or more. Make  stuff out of cardboard , cover them in papier mache and then decorate. This project is inspired by the Turner prize winning craftsman Grayson Perry.

Leicester Print Workshop are visiting Charnwood Museum this Saturday to run a dry point etching workshop for ArtZone. This is going to be especially good so please book now, there are places to fill. Ring Charnwood Museum 01509233754 to book. You need to be between 8 and 15 years of age. See you there, Jemma

We are very sad to announce that Nick Morris a long term participant at RawArt and CorporArt has passed away. Nick attended both groups weekly. He enjoyed drawing boats and drinking coffee with his friends and will be missed by all of us.

Are you a School, College, or community group that would like to hire out the Rag Pickers exhibition? We can tailor the exhibition loan period to include a workshop with Kajal or organise a range of activities as part of your multicultural or one world week. Contact Rebecca Abrahams on 01509 821035 or email rebecca.abrahams@charnwoodarts.com for more details.

Now we have a lovely space at our new offices on Granby Street we will be beginning storytelling classes on Monday mornings! You don't need any experience or qualifications, just a willingness to learn new skills to share with your family. It is a 10 week course where you will learn the basics of storytelling, build up your confidence to tell stories to your children or family and friends in an engaging way. We also learn how to write our own stories, and then include them in a book or storytelling sack. Our inhouse storyteller Hema, is a professional storyteller who makes stories fun! The lessons are free so give me a call to register as places are limited. Classes begin on Monday March 12th 2012. For more details call Rebecca Abrahams on 01509 821035 or email rebecca.abrahams@charnwoodarts.com

Everyone at Charnwood Arts would like to wish you a very Happy New Year! Plans are already well advanced to make 2012 one of our best years yet , so..... Watch This Space....!

The last ArtZone of the year happened on the 17th December at Charnwood Museum. The young participants worked with local artist Barbara Bagley to create their own Tree People. You can see the results by following the link to the Flickr album

There is still time to book onto our Tree People ArtZone this Saturday the 17th December. Join artist Barbara Bagley to make little snowmen to hang on your tree. Ring Charnwood Museum 01509233754 to book. Happy Festive season from ArtZone. 

This mornings ArtZone Festive Wreathes is cancelled due to problems at Charnwood Museum

* Ever fancied being centre stage in front of 12,000 people?

Follow the link to the Flickr album to see what the young designers made today at ArtZone. You are very welcome to join us next Saturday (if you are between 8 and 15) to make a festive wreath with Nita Rao.

The 2011 Annual General Meeting took place on Monday November 21st and was very well attended by supporters, staff and trustees alike - including several prospective new Trustees. The evening went off smoothly and was ably chaired by His Worship the Mayor of Charnwood, Cllr Bernard Burr. The accounts for 2010-11 were approved and Cound and Co reappointed as our Accountants for the coming year.

We are looking for 160 volunteers per location to perform in Games Time – the most spectacular celebration of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the East Midlands!

Following the success of the Heart Of Sileby Festival back in September, Charnwood Arts has run a final textiles workshop at St Mary's Church Centre. Seven young people painted a heart design which had been screen printed in a workshop led by Leicester Print Workshop over the festival weekend. These hearts will be added to all the other hearts produced by children at Rawlins art camp and visitors to the festival. The finished 'legacy'  piece will hopefully go on a tour of Sileby ending up back at St Mary's.

ArtZone get firey at Loughborough Uni's Pottery Cottage on Saturday the 5th Nov. Make clay pieces and fire them with Bridget McVey. Book through Charnwood Museum 01509233754, you can pay on the day at the workshop. £5 a person £2.50 for means tested concessions.

The Mountsorrel Creative Club wishes you all a Happy Halloween. At club this week they made glow in the dark Halloween mobiles to take home. Spookily good. The club is funded by PAYP. To see the album on Flickr follow this link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/charnwoodarts/sets/72157627878221427/

The Big Knitting Group has made a link with a new Guerilla knitting group in Birstall, check out the link for more information.

....but not very far! On Tuesday November 8th, we moved lock, stock and mosaic to our new offices - all of two doors down the road at 27 Granby Street, formerly the offices of our magnificent accountants, Cound and Co. Telephone numbers, fax number and e-mail addresses are the same as they are now. We've had a memorable few years at the library but we're sure that our new base will take us to even greater heights. (Especially as we'll now be on THREE floors, not just one!)