Stirchley Sketchbook Circle 

The Stirchley Sketchbook Circle took place between January and July 2020, as part of our larger Book Arts project (funded by Arts Council England). Flick through a selection of sketchbooks from the project here. 

Sketchbook circles are a fantastic way to work collaboratively, find new sources of inspiration for your artwork, and learn about new techniques and ways of working. It involves working in a sketchbook for a period of time, and then passing your book to someone else to work in. At the same time, you receive another person's sketchbook, and do some work in theirs. Over a period of months (or longer) this exchange between two partners carries on, so that you keep responding to someone else's work in your own sketchbook, and in the one being passed to you by someone else.
It sounds more complicated than it is!

The Stirchley Sketchbook Circle began in February 2020 with a fantastic storytelling session at Stirchley Library with Pyn Stockman and Sharon Carr of Storyvibes.  Pyn & Sharon shared stories about spring, rebirth & renewal, including the mythological tale of Persephone and Demeter, and St Brigid. These amazing stories served as inspiration to kick start the creative journeys carried by the sketchbooks in the circle.  

 We are exhibiting a selection of the sketchbooks online - view them here - and we are working with Sharon and Pyn to put on an online storytelling celebration of the project - watch this space for further announcements!