Family Arts Festival: February half term 2025

Join us during February half term to create portraits in surprising ways.

Your portraits could be of yourself, a loved one, or a character from your imagination. There are two creative activities available on each day. 

Tuesday 25 February:

• Make a head-to-toe portrait. You’ll use pre-cut cardboard shapes; paper and card; paper plates; and wool. Add some embellishments using pens and collage, and you’ll have a really characterful creation. Thank you to young gallery visitor Rachel who inspired us with her creativity: we think her cardboard portrait (pictured) is brilliant, and can’t wait to see what you make too!

• Have a go at drawing with wool! Draw a simple line portrait; then glue wool along the lines. You’ll create a line-drawn portrait which is textured and stylish.

Thursday 27 February:

• Make a cardboard self portrait with 3D elements. You’ll use paper of different textures, colours and patterns. Create your hairstyle using colourful paper, and choose your own clothing. Add a patterned background, inspired by your favourite colours or the patterns found in the artworks on display.

• Draw some silly and funny portraits of each other. Try drawing using a continuous line; or drawing without looking at the paper. The resulting portraits are guaranteed to make you laugh! Colour in your resulting drawing to make it bold and beautiful.

The image used here was a craft made by a young visitor to the Shipley, Rachel. Rachel made this self-portrait during our Christmas Craft Market, which inspired the theme for February's Family Arts Festival.