Library hosting workshops declaring young people’s love for Oswestry
Young people in Oswestry are being invited to share their love for their hometown this Saturday (12 February 2022), and in a series of workshops at the town’s library during half-term.
Five local artists will be leading workshops for 12- to 18-year-olds covering painting and illustration, comic making, creative writing, architecture and lino printing.
Ahead of the half-term schedule, Oswestry Library will be taking part in Love Oswestry Festival on Saturday, and offering a drop-in session for young people to enjoy taster sessions.
Siobhan Shaw, Shropshire Council’s Oswestry Library branch manager, said:-
“As part of the Cultural Consortium we have been able to bid for a share of High Street Heritage Action Zone funding to host the drop-in session on Love Oswestry Day and for the half-term sessions too.
“Meg Elliot, who is a local creative fresh from university, has designed a fabulous project bringing in five local artists to stimulate creativity and draw out young people’s ideas for Oswestry through the workshops, and with a view to collecting them ultimately into a ‘zine’ or online magazine that will catalogue young people’s visions for the town.”
Oswestry Library – zine workshops
Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, culture, leisure and tourism, and transport, said:-
“The drop-in session will provide a taster for what looks like a very interesting half-term programme. The production of the ‘zine’ will give us an interesting insight into how the young people view their hometown.”
A group of up to 10 young people will be responsible for creating the Oswestry ‘zine’ by attending all the morning sessions at the library during half-term. There is also an open invitation for young people to register for the five specific workshops.
Siobhan added:-
“The morning sessions are the overarching ‘zine’ project for 10 young people who will commit to attend every morning through the week to engage with creating the zine.
“The afternoon sessions are on a different topic each day, and they are individual sessions. They are open to be booked by any young people: they can book as many or as few as they wish, and there is no requirement for them to attend the morning sessions, although they may book both the morning and afternoons if they’re super keen!”
Duncan Kerr, local Shropshire Councillor for Oswestry South, said:-
“This is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Oswestry to get involved in celebrating and improving our great town. My thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to prepare this opportunity.”
The afternoon sessions are:
The Power of Panels – Monday 21 February 2022, 2pm to 4pm: design your own four-panel comic strip.
Postcards of Prose, Tuesday 22 February, 2pm to 4pm: create poetry postcards that capture the spirit of the town
Print Workshop, Wednesday 23 February, 2pm to 4pm: learn how to lino print and engrave an image from the town
Mapping Home, Thursday 24 February, 2pm to 4pm: a collage and mural workshop bringing Oswestry to life with mural painting and 3D town mapping.
Imagine Oswestry, Friday 25 February, 2pm to 4pm: how can architecture help reimagine how the town may look with a climate responsive future.
To find out more information, or to book, please call Oswestry Library on 01743 250351.
