Cyanotype Workshops with Southend Beach Rubbish Project

Come and join us, on Jubilee Beach in Southend-on-Sea, for some fun, outdoor workshops that combine beach cleaning and cyanotype printing, an early photographic process.

Each workshop is an hour and a half long

These workshops are part of Rubbish Photos – Southend Beach Rubbish Project. They accompany Imogen Welch’s exhibition, Twelve Rubbish Photographs for Southend Pier. This previously unshown series of photographs, one for each month of the year, will be exhibited at the end of Southend pier which, at one and a quarter miles, is the longest in the world. 

Workshop information
The workshop will begin with an introduction to beach cleaning led by Imogen Welch in association with Southend Beachcare. The activities will include a treasure hunt style experience, tapping into adventure and teamwork, and then the ‘finds’ will be used to create images using the early photographic Cyanotype process. Cyanotypes, made with sunlight and water, have a ‘Wow’ factor for the whole family who will create their own ‘art from trash’ to take home.

The cyanotype workshops will be led by Laurence Harding, a local artist, who specialises in analogue photography, particularly alternative and historical photographic processes. She regularly leads workshops for arts and educational organisations.

Each person will go home with a fun print and a cyanotype image making kit to continue using at home after the workshop! Workshops are planned in 1.5 hour Covid-safe prebooked slots, on three Saturdays across May and June:

22 May

5 June

12 June

Prebooking of workshop slots is essential to conform to Southend Borough Council’s permit conditions. Because of uncertainties, and in case of last-minute location changes, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Book on here

About the artists
Imogen Welch is a Hertfordshire based artist with a BA in Fine Art and is an Alumni Associate of Southend based The Other MA (TOMA). Her practice is typically one of recycling, re-presenting and transformation of rubbish - turning real world objects into art objects. Starting in August 2016, Imogen collected rubbish on Southend beaches twice a month for a year. Much of the collection was disposed of locally but a significant proportion, mainly small plastic objects, was taken home to Hemel Hempstead and meticulously cleaned. The finds were documented in a sketchbook and then two films made with local filmmaker Paul Bates. Other art works from the project include digital scans and an installation that included silver replicas of small pieces of plastic beach rubbish titled Thirty Pieces of Silver. Art created during The Southend Beach Rubbish Project has been shown in the Beecroft gallery, a 'pop up' exhibition in the Havens department store before it closed and at Southend Museum. Imogen volunteers at the Watford Recycling Arts Project and The Papertrail (in Hemel Hempstead) where she has created and run many art workshops. She has exhibited in the UK and abroad but most recently in the Poetics of Place exhibition at the University of Hertfordshire, and in Lost Estuaries at Southend Museum.

Laurence Harding has a BA in Photography from the University of Westminster and is also an Alumni Associate of TOMA. She specialises in analogue photography, particularly alternative and historical photographic processes. She regularly leads workshops for arts and educational organisations, including sessions with children, teachers and outreach programmes for young adults in areas where higher education participation and access is low. She will lead the image making element of the workshops.

Workshop and Safety Information
It is important to be aware of the predicted weather conditions in the lead up to the event.

It is advised that:

• Participants dress appropriately for weather conditions.

• Participants wear sun hats and bring sun cream as needed.

• Participants have water to drink.

• Closed shoes are strongly recommended for beach cleaning events

Children under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Children under 5 years old are not able to participate. Children must remain under adult supervision and within sight of adults at all times.

The Southend Beach Rubbish Project event is supported by an Arts Council England’s Project Grant.

COVID SAFETY MEASURES
We will take every measure to comply to government guidance and safety precautions to ensure the workshops are covid safe.

Please do not to attend if you have or any member of your household have coronavirus symptoms.

Social distancing, sanitisation and a ‘no sharing’ equipment policy will be adhered to.

Disposable ‘one use’ gloves will be provided for your protection, but you may like to bring some tough gloves to wear over them.