SPRING OPEN DAY 7 JUNE
Twice a year, Matt Black Barn opens it’s doors to the public, offering a chance to explore our unique creative space.
As part of our Open Days, we offer a programme of ticketed artist-led workshops, perfect for of a range of ages and abilities. We are thrilled to welcome artists Wilfrid Wood and Emily Warren who will lead workshops and provide an exciting opportunity to explore new materials, techniques, and ideas in an encouraging and hands-on environment!.
Visitors are also invited to join guided studio tours, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the working studios of artists Laura Ford and Andrew Sabin. These intimate tours provide insight into each artist’s practice and the evolving nature of their work, with plenty of opportunity for questions and conversation!.
All workshops require advance booking.
Entry to the Open Day is free, and you are very welcome to visit without attending a workshop or tour. However, if you plan to attend without booking a ticketed activity, please register your visit in advance using the Registration option below.
REGISTER AND WORKSHOPS
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REGISTER YOUR VISIT
Entry to the Open Day is FREE, and you are very welcome to visit without attending a workshop or tour. However, if you plan to attend without booking a ticketed activity, please register your visit HERE in advance. Please use the button below - we look forward to welcoming you.
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WILFRID WOOD: PLASTICINE PORTRAITS
Sessions:
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM or 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Join sculptor Wilfrid Wood for a fun and interactive workshop where you’ll explore faces through the art of sculpture!
Create a unique piece of art that captures the expressions and energy of someone special—whether it’s a friend, family member, or even a favourite celebrity. Play with colour, shape, and form as you discover your own way of expressing the unique character and personality of your subject.
In this hands-on session, you'll experiment with sculpting faces out of plasticine and leave with your very own plasticine sculpture to take home!
Suitable for ages 16+
Photograph: Ellius Grace
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EMILY WARREN: BIRDS BUGS AND BEASTS
Sessions:
11AM -12.30 or 2.00 -3.30PM
Join Emily Warren for a fun-filled and creative day of exploration in the world of paper mâché! In this hands-on workshop, you'll have the opportunity to craft your own unique paper mâché model, whether it's a bird, bug, or beast—let your imagination run wild!
Emily will guide you through her signature techniques, encouraging you to embrace the messy, artistic process as you bring your creature to life.
Perfect for beginners or anyone looking to expand their skills, this workshop promises a day of creativity, fun, and plenty of messy moments. Don’t miss out on this chance to make something amazing and learn a new craft!
Suitable 16+
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Guided Studio Tour
Tour Times:
TOUR A: 10:00 - 10:45am
TOUR B: 11:30am - 12:45pm
TOUR C: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
TOUR D: 3:00pm- 3:45pm
Visitors will be shown around the studios where sculptures will be being made in a wide variety of processes, both traditional and experimental. Visitors will see the full range of procedures that contribute to the professional activity of being an artist from conception through realisation, storage, distribution and installation. There will be the opportunity to meet with the artists and discuss with them issues ranging from creativity and making artwork through to economics , networking and studio management as well as all matters practical.
Tours are Suitable for all ages, children under 16’s go free, please supply their details when booking. All under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.
LATE SUMMER OPEN DAY 27 SEPTEMBER
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Surrealist Drawing Workshop with Abigail Norris
Sessions:
11AM -12.30 or 2.00 -3.30PM
Led by artist Abigail Norris, this immersive drawing workshop invites you to explore the act of seeing beyond the visible through the surrealist practice of scrying—a meditative method of intuitive mark-making rooted in ancient divination.
Working en plein air (or indoors, weather depending), you’ll engage in a deep, sensory drawing experience shaped by breathing exercises, ambient soundscapes, and close observation.
Participants are required to bring headphones and a mobile listening device with internet access.
Photograph: Benjamin Deakin
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Surreal Forms: Life Drawing in the Abstract
Sessions: 11-12.30 or 2.00-3.30PM
Step beyond the expected and into the surreal. This life drawing workshop invites you to explore the human form through the lens of the abstract, the dreamlike, and the bizarre.
Guided by a professional artist, you'll sketch from live models set in imaginative, otherworldly scenes designed to challenge perception and ignite creativity.
Suitable for 18+
Photograph Mariola Grobelska -
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Constructing Dialogue: In conversation with Andrew Sabin & George Charman
Panel discussion : 4 - 4.45pm
This summer, Matt Black Barn proudly presents a unique open day featuring an exhibition of works by Andrew Sabin and George Charman, including the unveiling of an extraordinary joint project six months in the making.
Join Andrew Sabin and George Charman as they discuss their creative journey, the inspiration behind their work, and the innovative techniques used in this project.
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Guided Studio Tour
Tour Times:
TOUR A: 10:00 - 10:45am
TOUR B: 11:30am - 12:45pm
TOUR C: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
TOUR D: 3:00pm- 3:45pm
Visitors will be shown around the studios where sculptures will be being made in a wide variety of processes, both traditional and experimental. Visitors will see the full range of procedures that contribute to the professional activity of being an artist from conception through realisation, storage, distribution and installation. There will be the opportunity to meet with the artists and discuss with them issues ranging from creativity and making artwork through to economics , networking and studio management as well as all matters practical.
Tours are Suitable for all ages, children must be accompanied by an adult.
Photograph Barney Hindle
