Libraries throughout St Albans

Mandy Johnson explored the joy that can be found in art across the St Albans, Harpenden and Marshalwick libraries and in community settings. Her workshops brought over 1000 people to engage with creativity.

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Hoddesdon and Cheshunt Libraries

Casey Joy lead workshops for all ages and abilities in Hoddesdon and Cheshunt. A successful 4 week course in creativity gave attendees the opportunity to connect with new people and learn new techniques in a safe and inclusive environment.

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Anna Schofield's Residency

Anna led forest bathing sessions for new parents to combat loneliness, hosted watercolour workshops for those living with dementia and their carers, worked with a local SEND school creating art from nature and found objects, and so much more.

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Hertfordshire's History

Laura Cordery explored local characters and stories, taking inspiration from archive  material and workshop participants to create a collaborative Victorian tunnel book inspired model box of a Hertfordshire pageant.

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Little Books of Calm

Kate Dean and Paula Watkins invited local residents to tell their own stories and make their own ‘Little Book of Calm’. Their sessions allowed participants to meet likeminded people and enjoy creativity without any pressure.

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Collaborative Map of Stevenage

Katharine Harper worked closely with Stevenage residents and visited community  hubs like Ridlins Athletics track and Stevenage FC to amplify the voices of Stevenage residents for her collaborative map of the town. 

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Hazel Russell’s Residency 

Hazel led an autumnal nature walk, created lights with families over Diwali and Fireworks Night and helped Hatfield residents create junk journals for the New Year. Her events gave people of all ages a chance experience something new and feel agency over their own creativity.

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Weaving Stories Together

Victoria Culf hosted brilliant events over the summer on the theme of ‘weaving our stories together’. She interacted with the community and gave agency to local families by teaching them creative activities they could do with just household items.

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Every Envelope Tells a Story

Sophie’s project, Every Envelope Tells A Story, explored the themes of identity and heritage within the Hitchin community.

Sheila de Rosa’s Residency

Sheila’s project explored the importance of place. She worked with the community of North Watford on a variety of projects from paper houses and folded books to photo transfer prints. 

Luke Newell’s Residency

Luke hosted a varied programme of creative events throughout April and May, from "Hello Animators" to "Drawing with the Kids".

Alexa Loy's Residency

In May, we were lucky enough to have Alexa in Hitchin Library, with various drop-ins, sketch walks and workshops.

Abigail Langden's residency

In March-April 2025, we hosted Abigail Lagden at Oxhey Library, with workshops designed for residents to explore fantasy within their creativity, using mixed media techniques. This residency saw the creation of a fabulous fabric sculpture celebrating our Centenary year.

Robyn Wilson's residency

Robyn Wilson, illustrator and artist, was our resident artist at Bishop's Stortford in February-March 2025 and through collaborative creative workshops, an incredible alternative town map was created which now hangs in the library.