Tag: free workshops

Free-to-attend workshops at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store this summer

Little Seedlings Club and Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club

UNP Dobbies Dunfermline – 46719 Chloe (7) and her dad Ruary.

Dobbies’ Edinburgh store has a fantastic line up of free workshops to inspire kids to get outdoors and discover the magic of nature during the school holidays.

This July, the popular Little Seedlings Club returns with a workshop exploring the wonders of water. Dobbies is also teaming up with DreamWorks to bring an extra special Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club workshop, for children to learn about gardening with Gabby and Kitty Fairy. 

Little Seedlings Club is the free-to-attend kids gardening workshop that takes place every month in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and covers a wide variety of seasonal topics.

July’s workshop will focus on the wonders of water in an interactive workshop where children will learn about where water comes from, its journey through the water cycle, and how ponds provide essential habitats for wildlife with demonstrations and activities to help bring their learning to life.

Children will get the chance to take part in a hands-on creative craft activity to make their own pond habitat.

Alongside the monthly Little Seedlings Club, Dobbies has teamed up with DreamWorks to host a Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club workshop. During the workshop, children will step into Kitty Fairy’s garden to learn about the secret life of gardens, discover magical fairy garden stories, explore dandelion wishes and learn how to become nature guardians. The session will finish with children creating their own secret fairy garden door to take home.

Dobbies’ Plant Buyer, Nigel Lawton, said: “Gardening is a fantastic way for children to connect with nature, spark their curiosity and have fun outdoors.

“Through our Little Seedlings Club and the Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club workshops, we’re creating fun, hands-on experiences that introduce children to plants, wildlife and the environment, and help them learn a new skill.

“Whether they’re learning how water helps gardens grow or creating their own magical fairy garden, these workshops are designed to inspire the next generation of young gardeners while showing that spending time outdoors can be lots of fun.”

Dobbies’ Edinburgh store monthly Little Seedlings Club, taking place on Sunday 5 July at 9:30am, is free-to-attend and must be booked in advance at www.dobbies.com/events.

The free-to-attend Gabby’s Dollhouse Summer Holiday Club runs on selected dates in the Edinburgh store and must be booked in advance at www.dobbies.com/events

Free Jewellery-Making Workshops at North Edinburgh Arts

Are you a local resident of Muirhouse, Pilton, Drylaw or Granton? Fancy trying something creative and hands-on this summer?

Join jeweller and community artist Lisa Arnott (SilverHub Jewellery School and StudiosFlourish Jewellery Project) for 4 weeks of FREE jewellery-making workshops at North Edinburgh Arts!

You’ll learn how to make beautiful, wearable pieces — from bangles and rings to earrings and pendants — using professional tools and techniques.

We’re running two weekly groups throughout July:

For local adults (age 21+)

🗓 Wednesdays: 9, 16, 23 & 30 July

🕙 10am – 1pm

For young adults (ages 16-21)

🗓 Thursdays: 10, 17, 24 & 31 July

🕙 10am – 1pm

🎉 Friday 1 August – Celebration & Exhibition of work created

📍 North Edinburgh Arts, Macmillan Hub, 12c Macmillan Square, EH4 4AB

🧵 Free to attend, but places are limited – all materials provided!

📩 To sign up: Email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk

📞 Call 0131 315 2151

👋 Or drop by the NEA Welcome Desk (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm)

Stockbridge Library: Climate Change workshops for young storytellers

Calling young storytellers aged 9 to 12 years!

Stockbridge Library are hosting some fantastic illustration and storytelling workshops next month on the theme of climate change.

Contact Joana via joana.avi.lorie@ed.ac.uk with queries or to register.

THREE days free story telling and art workshop for 9 to 12 year olds to learn more about climate change with Joana.

This is a great opportunity to learn new illustration and story-making skills using a variety of techniques from an industry professional and have the opportunity to have their art exhibited and a chance to learn more about some of the science behind eco-anxiety!

By producing their own illustration and story, children will get chance to be part of the Scottish international storytelling Festival!!

At Stockbridge Library on Thursday 10th, 17th and 24th July from 10.30 to 1 pm.

Get in touch at joana.avi.lorie@ed.ac.uk for any questions and to register.

Series of creative workshops support neurodivergent young people across Edinburgh this summer

Neurodiversity charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre collaborates with local creative organisations to create opportunities and support the transition to life beyond school

Free-to-attend workshops will take place between 16 – 31 July 

Salvesen Mindroom Centre, a charity that champions all forms of neurodiversity and supports all kinds of minds, has launched a series of creative workshops to support neurodivergent young people across Edinburgh this Summer.

The sessions, delivered through collaboration with local creative organisations Artlink Edinburgh and Out of the Blueprint, will encourage neurodivergent young people approaching the end of their school careers in Edinburgh and surrounding areas, to explore their hopes and dreams for the future and showcase often-hidden talent in the creative arts.

Kicking off with an afternoon of clay sculpture on Tuesday, July 16, the series will include ground-based circus skills on July 18, a 4-day series of eco-friendly comic art Riso printing workshops (from July 22 to July 25), an afternoon creating special effects make-up on July 29 and, to conclude, an afternoon of green screen video production on Wednesday, July 31.

Alan Thornburrow, CEO of Salvesen Mindroom Centre, said: “It’s clear to our dedicated team that the uncertainty around significant change to their well-known environment and the thought of meeting an array of new people when transitioning to life beyond school give rise to a high level of anxiety for neurodivergent young people who have reached the end of their scholastic careers.

“There is also, very often, a natural amount of creative talent, without the opportunity to explore how this might make the transition easier, and that’s why we decided to reach out to a range of incredible creative organisations in Edinburgh to ask if they might like to work with us to help facilitate this transition.”

Those qualifying for the free spaces available (14 to 18 years old, care experienced or on the edges of care and neurodivergent) will have the opportunity to apply for their preferred workshop using a dedicated booking form, or they can contact the team at Mindroom directly.

For bookings and full details around the different workshops, please use this link.

Granton Goes Greener: Free workshops

We are very excited to have an evening full of exciting FREE workshops including macrame projects and some woodwork at Granton Parish Church, next Friday-26/01 between 4 – 6pm💚💚💚.

We have managed to secure a small community grant-Creative Chest funded by Urban Union through the One City Trust, The City of Edinburgh Council and North Edinburgh Arts🙏🙏🙏

During the creative evening, you will be able to complete a small macrame project or make your own bird feeder or a spice rack.

Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Reading is Caring: New support for people living with dementia

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity working to change lives with reading and writing, has launched a series of free workshops, available online and in local libraries, designed to help those who support and care for people living with dementia.

The charity runs Reading is Caring, a programme which provides personalised training on creating shared, sensory reading experiences to those caring for someone living with dementia – whether that’s a partner, relative, friend or professional carer. Reading is Caring is designed to ease daily challenges by creating special moments of connection, sparking positive memories and relieving stress.

A Reading is Caring participant, caring for her mother who lives with dementia, said: ‘Reading is Caring was fantastic. The stories bring mum into the here and now. She laughs, she’s interested and engaged. I get a glimpse of her personality again, which is lovely for both of us.’

Now in its third year, Reading is Caring has been proven to provide a consistent, connective activity for family, friends, and professional carers to use at every stage of the dementia journey.

People in Edinburgh and the Lothians who support someone living with dementia can attend a two-part workshop series online, or head along to one of the drop-in sessions at Craigmillar Library and Musselburgh Library.

These free workshops provide the knowledge and tools needed to share reading with someone living with dementia. Scottish Book Trust provide personal support throughout and after the training to help tailor the experience to the unique needs of each person, removing barriers to participation at every stage of their dementia journey.

Musselburgh Library workshops:

  • Monday 27 February: 3–4pm
  • Monday 6 March: 3–4pm
  • Monday 13 March: 3–4pm
  • Monday 20 March: 3–4pm
  • Monday 27 March: 3–4pm
  • Monday 3 April: 3–4pm

Craigmillar Library workshops:

  • Thursday 2 March: 10.30–11.30am
  • Thursday 9 March: 10.30–11.30am
  • Thursday 16 March: 10.30–11.30am
  • Thursday 23 March: 10.30–11.30am
  • Thursday 30 March: 10.30–11.30am
  • Thursday 6 April: 10.30–11.30am

Online workshops take place regularly and can be found on Scottish Book Trust’s website.

Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club goes green this summer

Free sustainable workshops in Edinburgh store

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is set to host a series of workshops this summer in Edinburgh for its Little Seedlings Club. Magnificent Microgreens will take place on Sunday 3 July, and back for 2022 is Dobbies’ Summer Holiday Club sessions, perfect for keeping the little ones busy during the school break.

Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club is a free children’s gardening club for children aged 4-10 in Edinburgh which explores the exciting ways children can connect to plants, wildlife and the environment, nurturing their minds with fun-filled activities.

The Magnificent Microgreens workshop will take a deep dive into the science behind the nutritious leafy greens, showcasing all the health benefits of eating these superfoods and how attendees can easily grow their own at home no matter the space by making their very own windowsill planter to take home and grow.             

The not your average garden centre will also be demonstrating all the ways in which chefs use microgreens in the kitchen to help encourage kids to eat their greens. 

Dobbies’ Summer Holiday Club sessions in Edinburgh will take place on 26 and 27 July between 11-12 am. These interactive workshops will explore how children can create their very own summer sanctuary in the garden for plants and wildlife to flourish.

Here attendees will take a closer look at the insects, birds and animals that call the garden home during the summer months, making bug hotels, learning interesting animal facts, and finding out all the ways we can make our garden into a wildlife haven.

Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager, Sarah Murray, explained: “Summer holidays are a great chance for the little ones to harvest a new passion for gardening, enjoy time with kids of a similar age and learn something new.

“Our free Little Seedlings workshops are open to all, and this summer we’re showing our young gardeners that anything is possible in their green space if they have the right knowledge and tools.”

Advance booking is required for the free events to secure your space. For more information about how children can get involved in these workshops at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, visit the following links.

Magnificent Microgreens: https://events.dobbies.com/event-detail/?e=4209&v=0&r=v.

Summer Holiday Club: https://events.dobbies.com/event-detail/?e=4210&v=0&r=v.