Part of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Nature Season, this programme brings people together through art and nature, encouraging us to explore our local environment, share knowledge and build connections with the places and communities around us.
Join a programme of free nature and art workshops. From photowalks and cyanotype printing to natural dyes and mindful making, Laying Roots | Growing Communities invites you to slow down, explore and connect with the world around you.
Event bookings open 3 November 2026
Bringing together various creative activities, the programme explores how nature shapes our memories, wellbeing and sense of belonging. Discover creative ways to notice familiar landscapes, experiment with plant-based materials and share ideas with others.
Developed alongside Seiko Kinoshita’s exhibition and our wider community programme, these sessions offer opportunities to connect with nature and creativity throughout autumn and winter.
All workshops are free, with materials provided. Some sessions are open to the wider public, while others offer a dedicated space for women and female-identifying participants or invited community groups. Please check each workshop’s details before booking.
This series of events, workshops and engagement is kindly supported by Wakefield Council Culture Grants as part of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Nature Season programme
Event bookings open 3 November 2026
Nature Photowalk and Cyanotype Workshop
Join artist Emily Ryalls for a creative morning of walking, observing and making. Begin with a photowalk exploring the local landscape, taking time to notice the textures, shapes and details of nature that we might otherwise pass by. Back at The Art House, experiment with cyanotype printing, a photographic process that uses light to create distinctive blue images.
Combining time outdoors with hands-on making, this workshop invites you to look differently at familiar surroundings and explore your connection to place.
Please wear clothing and footwear suitable for outdoor walking and creative activities.
Saturday 14 November 2026, 10:00–12:30
Free
Body Mapping in Nature
Explore the relationship between your body, the landscape and the imprints we leave behind. Led by Emily Ryalls, this workshop brings together alternative photography, land art and human-scale cyanotypes. Working with light, the body and the surrounding environment, participants will consider how we occupy space, connect with nature and experience a sense of belonging.
The session also offers space to reflect on what it means for women to feel safe and comfortable in natural environments.
The event is open to women and female-identifying participants.
Saturday 5 December 2026, 10:00–12:00
Free
Lumen Print and Cyanotype Workshop
Discover how natural materials, light and time can shape a photographic image. Explore lumen printing and cyanotypes, experimenting with plants and other natural materials to create images that capture textures, patterns and seasonal change.
These alternative photographic processes offer room for curiosity and unexpected results, inviting you to explore photography through hands-on experimentation.
Saturday 6 February 2027, 12:00–14:00
Free
Screen Printing with Rhubarb
Discover the art of printmaking in this hands-on workshop where families can create stunning
rhubarb-inspired artworks using inks made from rhubarb root!
No booking is required, and our talented designer Sophie Amelia will guide participants of all skill levels.
Saturday 20 February 2027, 10:30–15:00
Free, drop in
Thyme after Thyme
With artists Emily Ryalls and Charlotte Smithson
What can a single sprig of thyme reveal about care, memory and the knowledge passed between generations?
Join Emily Ryalls and Charlotte Smithson for a collective exploration of herbal darkroom processes. Using thyme in photographic experiments, participants will investigate its creative possibilities while sharing reflections on gender, care and ancestral knowledge. Together, the group will build a wall-based installation documenting discoveries, experiments and conversations. Outcomes will also contribute to a collaborative recipe zine, allowing the learning to be shared beyond the workshop.
For women and female-identifying participants.
Free | Date, time and booking details coming soon
Mindful Marks
A Multisensory Workshop with artist Charlotte Smithson
Take a mindful pause and explore your surroundings through drawing, texture and creative mark-making. Working with brushes, plant inks and charcoal handmade by Charlotte Smithson from natural materials, you’ll investigate shapes, patterns and gestures through creative experimentation.
Blending nature, mindfulness and making, the session offers time to slow down and follow your curiosity. The focus is on the process of creating rather than producing a finished artwork.
Free | Date, time and booking details coming soon
Printing with Natural Dyes
With Kirstie Williams
Discover the colours held within plants and explore how they can be used in creative making. Working with designer and artist Kirstie Williams, these sessions will introduce dye plants, natural pigment extraction and plant-based inks for textile printing. Connecting growing with making, the workshops invite you to explore the possibilities of natural materials and consider where the colours we use come from.
Free | Dates, times and booking details coming soon
Planning Your Visit
Workshops take place at The Art House, with some activities exploring nearby outdoor green and blue spaces. Individual booking pages will provide practical information about each session.
If you have access requirements or would like to discuss what a workshop involves before booking, please contact us on 01924 312000.