Your chance to exhibit in this prestigious gallery space at the heart of the East Midlands. Submission dates for work: June 10th-16th.

The first ‘Read Me, Write Me, Draw Me, Tell Me Children’s Literature Festival’ comes to Loughborough over half term! We are offering a whole realm of activities and  welcoming some big names when we launch our young people’s festival from May 28th to June 1st. Writers, artists and performers – all leaders in their fields - will be gathering in Loughborough for an exciting week of literary, artistic, and craft workshops in what is thought to be one of the first such festivals in the East Midlands.

Whilst our much loved Loughborough Sock Man spends his time dreaming of things he could do instead of sitting on his plinth all day - the lucky inhabitants of Loughborough travel the world on their holidays... even if it’s just down the road to Skeggie or Hunstanton. The Sock Man dreams of Sun, Sea and Socks... and he dreams of all those places he hasn’t been.

Download the full newspaper of this year's events by going to: http://www.charnwoodarts.com/resource/45

We always knew that Mary Leeson, the BKG's longest standing volunteer knitter was a superb knitter. Now everyone can see her precise knitting and crochet skills in a new book.  'Kaleidoscope' authors and designers  Debbie Abrahams and Janie Crowfoot asked Mary to test knit several pieces for the book. These are 'Dazzle' a knitted/ beaded cushion that features on the cover ( top cushion).  'Giggle' a crocheted and beaded pillow slip and 'Zap' a knitted bedrunner. You can buy your own copy of the book which features 24 stunning and stylish pieces from www.debbieabrahams.com and from www.janiecrow.co.uk the book is priced at £19.95 :-D

Follow the link to Flickr and see what Nita Rao produced with ArtZone participants on the 4th May .

ArtZone took part in a collaboration between the KGB  (knitting guerillas from Birstall) and Charnwood Arts' Big Knitting Group. Participants learnt to finger knit, making animals and flowers, they then helped to install the first stage of a yarnbomb. The butterfly and moth themed Yarnbomb will have more material added to it at Picnic In The Park on the 8th June and then see how it 'grows' in the lead up to Loughborough In Bloom. As part of national volunteer week and craftbomb week. The installation was still intact on Monday morning, watch this space for developments

Charnwood Arts is one of the first groups in the UK to receive a ‘Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) All Our Stories’ grant it was announced recently. This exciting project, ‘Changing Spaces, Trading Places’ in Leicestershire and led by Charnwood Arts, has been given £10,000 to record and present the heritage of the South Asian communities that came to our region in the 1970’s from East Africa. It will explore family, domestic life and in particular working in the textile trade.

Tea With Alice continues at Charnwood Museum until April the 7th 2013. Please follow the link to Flickr to see some pics of the show and other work recently made by the CorporArt group and its sister group RawArt

Through World Community Arts Day, the Craigmillar Communiversity will highlight a series of movies that celebrate Community Arts history. The second is a film through Charnwood Arts UK2K12 – Connecting Cultures and Communities and launched on World Community Arts Day 2011.

"It is the 21st Century. The United Kingdom is entirely occupied by the 'British...."

A new exhibition from Charnwood Arts based on the ‘Alice’ books of Lewis Carroll has just opened at the Charnwood Museum on Granby Street, Loughborough.

Today ArtZone welcomed Kate from Leicester Print Workshop. The ArtZone participants spent the morning monoprinting using one of the Print Workshops portable etching presses. Everyone made a folder full of prints to take home. Special thanks today to our volunteer Jenny who worked very hard soaking paper and washing plates and rollers to keep up with the rate the group were working at. A very successful morning for everyone involved.

Last week Jo Sheppard ran an ArtZone which explored the Amazing Plants exhibition at Charnwood Museum. Here are some of the beautiful designs they created  from drawings made in the exhibition space. 

To tie in with Charnwood Museums Amazing Plants exhibition. Artist Jo Sheppard will lead this weeks workshop .After a visit to the exhibition, during which you will draw 'snap shots' of the exhibits, you will work in the education room to create abstract enlargements. Using collage and pastels. Please ring Charnwood Museum to book as usual. 01509233754. Workshop is Saturday 26th January 10.30- 12.30 as usual. All 8-14 years olds welcome

Charnwood Arts welcomes Loughborough SkillShare Network on the 23rd January. To mark the launch of its web-site. Come along and meet like minded people and also take part in a creative activity, have a cup of tea.

RawArt is cancelled today because of the snow. At present CorporArt which runs on a Tuesday pm and CAFE_space on a Weds pm at Shenton House are still running. Watch this space

Due to the weather condiditons ArtZone is cancelled for tomorrow the 19th January. So if you were thinking of coming down to make 3D canvases then please stay at home and drink tea. It will be lovely to see you the following week, the 26th to draw ' Amazing Plants' with award winning local artist Jo Sheppard.

Hi all the Big Knitting group has now moved to its new space at Shenton House 23 Leicester Rd Loughborough. It is the building on the corner of Southfields Rd and Leicester Rd. Please use the Next Level buzzer. We are on the 2nd floor but have a lift. Thereis also a notice in the window by the front door with info on re gaining access to the building.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the date for Picnic in the Park 2013! It will be Saturday 8th June in Queens Park as usual. Following the storming success of last years Picnic we will again be providing lots of fun and activities for all the family. The day will be packed with old fashioned sports events, arts and crafts activities for the kids, a bouncing castle and lots of stalls to browse around. If you would like a stall, to be a volunteer or to take part in the day, you can contact me on the following number, Rebecca Abrahams 01509 821035 or email rebecca.abrahams@charnwoodarts.com