creative portrait workshops
women of cornwall

This autumn we held workshops at venues throughout Cornwall. These relaxed 2-hour creative workshops for adults, and a special Halloween one for kids, encouraged participants use photographs, collage, drawing and writing to design and produce an oval portrait, or ‘cameo’ of an inspiring and important woman.

Using black & white photographs, light-boxes, a selected range of coloured papers and graphic markers Katie designed a simple method to help inspire and encourage participants on their creative journey.

‘The workshop was absolutely brilliant. I am not very good at portraits, but I really loved this workshop. Always help at hand that made us feel at ease all the way through.

It has been nice to think about different women of Cornwall and learn about the history, and to keep heritage alive. We need to do more of this sort of activity, it has made me think about looking into the background of different people.’  participant, Penryn

The workshops are part of the Women of Cornwall project by Art Centre Penryn and ceramic artist Katie Bunnell, working in partnership with Kresen Kernow and Hypatia Trust.

Women of Cornwall seeks to gather stories of women who have contributed to Cornish life and will culminate in the creation of an exciting new public collection of 50 plates featuring women of Cornwall.

This first stage invites people to explore women who are important to them and to suggest a woman who could feature on a plate.

All the work produced at the workshops will feature in an exhibition at Art Centre Penryn in early 2025 to celebrate this stage of the project and announce the 50 selected women for the plates.

We were so pleased to be able to hold workshops at various venues throughout the county, introducing people to the wider Women of Cornwall Project. With workshops at Into Bodmin, Princess Pavilion Falmouth, Lostwithiel community Centre, Kresen Kernow Redruth, Temperance Hall Penryn and both The Exchange and The Hypatia Trust, Penzance, more than 90 people came to take part, producing at least 75 portraits between them!

‘The workshops were warm, friendly, joyful and connecting- very well organised. It is so exciting to hear about all the women others are nominating, bringing important women and women’s perspectives into focus. Celebrating through making is a fantastic way to help people gel.’ participant, Penzance

Find out more about the Women of Cornwall project and discover all the women who have been suggested here

Follow @womenofcornwall

Women of Cornwall is generously supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.