This is an exciting creative programme of workshops, activities, exhibitions and events developed and delivered by Navigator North which will take place between June and August 2023, in Middlesbrough.
The programme has been commissioned as part of Historic England and Middlesbrough Council’s work with Emergency Exit Arts on Hi Street Fest – a landmark nationwide commission taking the form of street parties and carnival celebrations on six high streets across England in the summer of 2023. The carnival event takes place in Middlesbrough on Saturday 29th July.
Workshops will take place from June onwards, working with local artists and creatives, responding to the story of a travelling fox, the girl she meets and what they encounter in Middlesbrough. Individuals and groups will take part in a wide range of activities including illustration, textiles, needle felting, tea blending, creative writing and heritage sessions.
The fox & the girl exhibition opens in July at Navigator North’s creative space on Middlesbrough high street – The Masham. Featuring artwork made in the workshops, works by the creatives involved in delivering the programme and from an open call. Visitors will be able to vote for their favourite piece in the exhibition, with prizes for the winning entries.
A ‘Playful Picnic’ event will be held on Sat 22nd July in Exchange Square – in the centre of Middlesbrough’s Historic Quarter, bringing people together over a shared lunch and lots of creative activities to get involved with.
For further information about Hi! Street Fest visit https://www.wearemiddlesbrough.com/whats-on/arts-museums-whats-on/hi-street-fest/
Bookable workshops
Navigator North at The Masham, 27 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 1RL.
The Masham has an accessible entrance and toilet facilities for workshop participants.
Thurs 15th June, 1-4pm, Watercolour Fox illustration workshop with Adele Catchpole
Guided by artist, Adele Catchpole, come and learn a range of watercolour painting techniques before creating your own portrait painting of an urban fox.
Adele will provide you with a basic mapped out drawing onto watercolour board, plenty of paint, brushes, and everything else you will need to develop the drawing into your own finished artwork. This workshop will be guided by the artists own painting style, but you’ll be encouraged to use artistic licence to make the piece your own.
No experience required. Suitable for 16+.
Living and working in the North East, Adele is a Pet Portrait Artist and Textile Designer Maker. She combines a love for furry friends and drawing to create beautiful hand drawn and hand painted Pet Portraits.
Sat 17th June, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Textile doll workshop with Hellen Edwards
Inspired by the jewelled colours, textures and costumes of South Asia, create a colourful 9cm wooden peg doll using tradition sari fabrics, colourful threads, gold beads and braid and hand stitches.
Some experience of basic stitching required. Suitable for 12+
Book here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/textile-doll-workshop-with-hellen-edwards-tickets-654349646407
Sat 17th June, 1.30am – 3.30pm, Colourful wet felting workshop with Hellen Edwards
Get wet and soapy with the stunning colours and textures of South Asia. Create a beautiful wet felted floral abstract piece of art using Merino, organic fibres and sari silk fabrics.
No experience required. Suitable for 12+
Book here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/colourful-wet-felting-workshop-with-hellen-edwards-tickets-654363728527
With a passion for felting and stitching, Hellen experiments with different fibres, colours and textures, often drawing upon the industrial shoreline and rugged landscape of the North East for inspiration. The seductive, tactile, jewel-like colours and surfaces are intended to conjure the vitality, atmosphere and a sense of a place, to create unique fibre paintings and textile works.
Fri 23rd June, 6 – 8pm, Tea blending workshop with Miki Rogers
Join us for an interactive Tea Blending workshop. Discover the origins and migration routes of tea, test and taste an exotic range of teas and infusions to create your own personal blend. Everyone will go home with their own packet of tea as well as contributing to the making of a new Boro Blend!
Suitable for 12+
Book here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tea-blending-workshop-with-miki-rogers-tickets-654375955097
Describing herself as a ‘Creatrix’ – artist plus activist, Miki’s life’s loves are creating and using shared creativity as a way to build community and give people a voice. She is inspired by craftivism, children’s book illustrations, tattoos and tea! She sells handmade work and illustrations online, alongside her leaf tea company, Whole Lot of Rosie at arts and craft markets.
Fri 30th June, 10.30am – 1pm, Needle felted fox workshop with Hellen Edwards
Learn the art of needle felting to sculpt, create and bring to life a friendly fox character. One who’s personality will come to life before your eyes. With his long whiskers and knitted scarf, he really is going to be a personality.
No experience required. Due to use of sharp needles, suitable for 16+
Book here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/needle-felted-fox-workshop-with-hellen-edwards-tickets-654370839797
With a passion for felting and stitching, Hellen experiments with different fibres, colours and textures, often drawing upon the industrial shoreline and rugged landscape of the North East for inspiration. The seductive, tactile, jewel-like colours and surfaces are intended to conjure the vitality, atmosphere and a sense of a place, to create unique fibre paintings and textile works.
Drop in workshop
Wed 5th July, 6 – 7pm, Queer Base – Creative Writing with Rumana Yasmin
Pineapple Black, Hill Street Shopping Centre, Middlesbrough
Join founder of Bok Bok Books, Rumana Yasmin in a creative writing session with Queer Base – a queer social club for Teessiders. Explore the cultural significance of the fox in folklore and create your own response.
For further information about Queer Base visit their Facebook page here
For further information about Bok Bok Books visit the website here
No booking required. Suitable for 16+
Open Call
We are seeking creative responses to The fox & the girl to be shown as part of an exhibition taking place at The Masham 15th July to 19th August.
Works should be suitable for sharing with a family audience and can be in any 2D format, including visual art, photography and creative writing. Depending on the number of submissions works will either be shown on a screen or printed by us, therefore entries need to be sent in as a digital file/ photograph as a jpeg image between 1 and 5MB.
Entries should be emailed to hiddenmbro@navigatornorth.com with ‘Open Call’ in the subject header and with your name, a couple of lines about the work and how it responds to the themes.
We are open to a broad interpretation of the themes, which could include cultural heritage, identity, nature, urban spaces, Middlesbrough, heritage etc… for further information about Middlesbrough’s Historic Quarter visit www.historicquarter.co.uk
Free to enter. Deadline for submissions Wed 5th July.
Visitors will be able to vote for their favourite piece in the exhibition, with prizes for the winning entries.
Playful Picnic
A ‘Playful Picnic’ in Exchange Square in the centre of Middlesbrough’s Historic Quarter. Visitors can join in the fun outdoors, get creative, play traditional games with Freestyle Community Projects, listen to stories with Rumana Yasmin from Bok Bok Books, share lunch together and of course taste our ‘Boro Brew’ with Miki Rogers.
No booking required. Free to attend. Suitable for all ages