The Morrab Library

Creative Journaling
2024-06-28 13:30 - 15:30 (Europe/London) | Morrab Library
Friday 28 June 1.30-3.30

£10/person. Bring your own notebook. All other equipment supplied. Additional starter pack available for newbies for £5 (dot grid notebook, washi, and pen, plus prompts and templates).
Booking is essential for all workshops. Email e.farley27@gmail.com.
Emma is a life-long stationery addict, encouraging others to explore the joys of creative journaling and modern calligraphy, whilst improving their wellbeing. She has a PGCE, plus Level 2 qualifications in Understanding Autism and Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. She’s also a Mental Health First Aider and Health and Wellbeing Coach.
Find out more: www.instagram.com/acornishgeekletters

EMBROIDER A BEE: And learn about and help our wild bees
2024-07-02 10:00 - 12:30 | Morrab Library
This is a project to create a huge art quilt. The project aims to raise awareness of the loss of biodiversity, explore the nearly 300 kinds of bees we have in this country and help people develop their embroidery skills.
It is a long term project and it is hoped that the final artwork will be exhibited to raise donations for wildlife projects.
Please bring a small hoop and a needle, and any embroidery threads and/or cream or white fabric that you have. Old linen napkins and tablecloths are great. This is an unfunded project but I do have a few materials. If you have any embroidery threads , a needle and scissors that would be very helpful – otherwise just book and turn up
More detail about the project is contained in two videos

is a lovely introduction https://vimeo.com/724988781/f27d4ca421
is a how to video https://vimeo.com/766141264/365f9de6db

Complete beginners are very welcome.
This is an unfunded workshop to produce bees to add to the project. Please pay what you can – we suggest £3 to £5.
Places are limited – book this workshop by email Vickyvicks@btinternet.com or text 07834287562.

Join James Parnham-Kenny's creative workshops
2024-07-03 10:30 - 13:30 | Morrab Library
You will know James Parnham-Kenny as one of our Library Assistants, but when he’s not at The Morrab Library he is a storyteller, podcaster and “general creative odd job handyman” with his creative company, Multivax. James will be running more of his creative workshops in the Summer.

3rd July – Lit Fest short story/poetry prompts & bookplate making! The perfect gift! 10:30 – 1:30pm. Sessions are £10 with a prompt booklet and pen to take away with you. Booking is essential. Email multivax@outlook.com to book a place.

7th August – Virtual campfire storytelling & writing workshop. 10:30 – 1:30pm.
Sessions are £10 with a prompt booklet and pen to take away with you. Booking is essential. Email multivax@outlook.com to book a place.
20th Aug – Maker meetup, have a craft project you want to crack on with/start but don’t want to do it alone? We’ll pop the kettle on! Network and get some creative prompts to take away! 10:30 – 1:30pm.
Sessions are £10 with a prompt booklet and pen to take away with you. Booking is essential. Email multivax@outlook.com to book a place.
Half term kids workshops:
30th July (Half Term) – Game making workshop/Tabletop role play game taster. 10:30 – 12:30pm & 1 – 3pm.
Sessions are £10 and include all the resources you need, plus a goodie to take away with you!. Booking is essential. Email multivax@outlook.com to book a place.
31st July (Half Term) – Game making workshop/Tabletop role play game taster. 10:30 – 12:30pm & 1 – 3pm.
Sessions are £10 and include all the resources you need, plus a goodie to take away with you! Booking is essential. Email multivax@outlook.com to book a place.
A reminder that he does have a workshop on the 26th June: Creative Communities taster session | Wednesday 26th June, 10am – 1pm
Come along if you’d like to stretch your creative muscles and network over a coffee. Have a creative hobby you want to share? Want to meet other creative people and bring along a project you’re working on? James will lead the session in a few creative writing activities for wellbeing, with an opportunity for people to share their own creative ventures.
£6 includes creativity prompt sheets and pen. Booking is essential. Email multivax@outlook.com to book a place.

Stories of the Stones | with Dr Serena Trowbridge
2024-07-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Our next Library talk comes from Dr Serena Trowbridge. She will be returning to The Morrab Library Reading Room to talk about the ‘Stories from the Stones’ on Wednesday 10th July at 2pm.
Britain’s landscape contains many stone circles, especially in Cornwall. Their original purpose remains mysterious despite extensive archaeological investigation, and perhaps it is their obscurity which makes them so fascinating.
Over the centuries they have inspired many legends, most famously of girls turned to stone for dancing on a holy day, or stones which walk to a river and drink. The stories reflect the changing interests and concerns of society and tell us more about our culture than they do about the sites themselves. This talk will explore a few of these stories of the stones, including the Merry Maidens, and consider the significance of mythmaking and storytelling.
Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 1st July. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Mixed Media and Collage - with Emma Farley
2024-07-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
Friday 12 July 1.30-3.30

Express yourself through different mediums. Emma will bring a range of materials to play with (paper, card, canvas, paint, ink, pens, etc) but feel free to also bring your own supplies.

Tickets are £15 and include all equipment and refreshments.

Booking is essential for all workshops. Email e.farley27@gmail.com.

Emma is a life-long stationery addict, encouraging others to explore the joys of creative journaling and modern calligraphy, whilst improving their wellbeing. She has a PGCE, plus Level 2 qualifications in Understanding Autism and Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. She’s also a Mental Health First Aider and Health and Wellbeing Coach.
Find out more: www.instagram.com/acornishgeekletters

EMBROIDER A BEE: And learn about and help our wild bees
2024-07-16 10:00 - 12:30 | Morrab Library
This is a project to create a huge art quilt. The project aims to raise awareness of the loss of biodiversity, explore the nearly 300 kinds of bees we have in this country and help people develop their embroidery skills.
It is a long term project and it is hoped that the final artwork will be exhibited to raise donations for wildlife projects.
Please bring a small hoop and a needle, and any embroidery threads and/or cream or white fabric that you have. Old linen napkins and tablecloths are great. This is an unfunded project but I do have a few materials. If you have any embroidery threads , a needle and scissors that would be very helpful – otherwise just book and turn up
More detail about the project is contained in two videos

is a lovely introduction https://vimeo.com/724988781/f27d4ca421
is a how to video https://vimeo.com/766141264/365f9de6db

Complete beginners are very welcome.
This is an unfunded workshop to produce bees to add to the project. Please pay what you can – we suggest £3 to £5.
Places are limited – book this workshop by email Vickyvicks@btinternet.com or text 07834287562

A visit to the photography collection at The Morrab Library
2024-07-17 10:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Make it Better (CIC), a not for profit company using art to improve lives (https://mitber.com/) are hosting an event to be held on Wednesday 17th July at the library.
In the morning, there’ll be a talk about the library and an exploration of the photography archive. The afternoon will offer the chance to join a gentle stroll and some fun photography challenges starting outside The Morrab Library.
Find all the information you need, including how to book, here:
Morning session: https://shorturl.at/kHxZj
Afternoon session: https://shorturl.at/y6KdK
Suggested donation £5

Come and explore our Library's Archives
2024-07-18 10:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Join us as we once again delve into The Morrab Library’s wondrous archive collection to bring you some more of its treasures.
Papers relating to Humphry Davy, 18th century recipes, diaries from Greenham Common, the work of engraver Hilda Quick, 17th century religious plays, maps of old Palestine, scientific illustrations, pressed local Mosses and so much more will be on display.
These collections have been donated and collected over the last 200 years and this is an opportunity to get to know about the some of the important and special items we care for.
You don’t need to book, just drop in, and if you are inspired to make a donation towards the care of these incredible collections on the day, we would be very grateful.
We look forward to seeing you!

Creative Journaling
2024-07-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
1:30-3:30pm. £10/person. Bring your own notebook. Refreshments provided. Optional £5 starter pack for newbies featuring a notebook, pen, and roll of washi tape

This monthly workshop is an opportunity for people to get together and journal in a safe space with plenty of goodies to play with. There is a loose structure, with templates, tips, and tricks, ensuring attendees get what they need from the session rather than following a strict plan.

Booking is essential for all workshops. Email e.farley27@gmail.com.

Emma is a life-long stationery addict, encouraging others to explore the joys of creative journaling and modern calligraphy, whilst improving their wellbeing. She has a PGCE, plus Level 2 qualifications in Understanding Autism and Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. She’s also a Mental Health First Aider and Health and Wellbeing Coach.

Find out more: www.instagram.com/acornishgeekletters

Creative Journaling with Emma Farley
2024-07-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
£10/person. Bring your own notebook. All other equipment supplied. Additional starter pack available for newbies for £5 (dot grid notebook, washi, and pen, plus prompts and templates).
Booking is essential for all workshops. Email e.farley27@gmail.com.
Emma is a life-long stationery addict, encouraging others to explore the joys of creative journaling and modern calligraphy, whilst improving their wellbeing. She has a PGCE, plus Level 2 qualifications in Understanding Autism and Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. She’s also a Mental Health First Aider and Health and Wellbeing Coach.

Find out more: www.instagram.com/acornishgeekletters

Tickets still available - Debut Authors: Jodie Matthews and Ian Russell-Hsieh in Conversation
2024-07-20 13:30 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Our next talk in the Reading Room at The Morrab Library will be a conversation between two debut novelists: Cornish author Jodie Matthews and Cornwall-based author Ian Russell-Hsieh. Their books are two very different explorations of grief, love and heritage and this conversation will be taking place on Saturday 20th July at 1.30pm.
Both of the books are available to borrow from the Library. Please email us if you would like to reserve either of the books.
“Meet Me At The Surface” by Jodie Matthews
Merryn grew up on the wilds of Bodmin moor, raised by her mother and her aunt in an old farmhouse. Here, the locals never leave the village, fear for the future of their farms and cling desperately to the folkloric tales that are woven into their history. Except Merryn, who has escaped to Manchester for university. When Merryn returns home for the memorial service of her ex-girlfriend Claud, she finds her childhood home stranger and more secretive than ever. MEET ME AT THE SURFACE weaves myth with queer folk horror in an unforgettable mystery that introduces an exciting new voice in fiction.
“I’m New Here” by Ian Russell-Hsieh
Fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, Taiwanese-British photographer Sean flies to Taipei to seek oblivion. Lost in the neon heat of his parents’ homeland, though, all he finds is alienation. Then, a chance encounter with a mysterious older man draws him into a friendship where the terms of engagement are quickly, ominously blurred. I’M NEW HERE is a thrilling, hallucinatory debut and masterclass in unreliable narration.
Tickets are still available. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 for a ticket. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Creative journaling for bookworms of all ages with Emma Farley
2024-07-20 13:30 - 15:30
Saturday 20 July 1.30-3.30

Tickets are just £10 and include two notepads, two sheets of stickers, a roll of washi tape, a bookmark, and refreshments, plus blank bookmarks and tassels to decorate your own.

Emma will bring plenty of stationery, templates, and prompts to play with. Bring your own notebook or request one for an additional £3 at the time of booking.

Booking is essential for all workshops. Email e.farley27@gmail.com.
Emma is a life-long stationery addict, encouraging others to explore the joys of creative journaling and modern calligraphy, whilst improving their wellbeing. She has a PGCE, plus Level 2 qualifications in Understanding Autism and Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. She’s also a Mental Health First Aider and Health and Wellbeing Coach.
Find out more: www.instagram.com/acornishgeekletters

Game Making Children's Workshops with James Parnham-Kenny
2024-07-30 | Morrab Library

Game making workshops for children with James Parnham-Kenny
2024-07-31 | Morrab Library

Virtual campfire storytelling & writing workshop - James Parnham-Kenny
2024-08-07 10:30 - 13:30 | Morrab Library

Seaweed Pressing Workshop SOLD OUT
2024-08-10 12:00 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT
The Seaweed Institute invites you to join them to learn the craft of seaweed pressing – a Victorian practice that captures the underwater beauty of seaweeds. This pressing workshop is particularly special as they are hosting it in collaboration with The Morrab Library.
From The Morrab you will walk together to the foreshore of Mounts Bay to search for seaweeds to press. Whilst on the beach you will learn about sustainable harvesting, tides and edible species will be pointed out to you.
Back at the library you will have the chance to view some beautiful examples of historic seaweed pressings. The library’s archive is home to incredible bound examples of original pressings collected in Mounts Bay.
The cultural history of seaweeds will be discussed and you will learn how to forage, store and use this abundant resource.
With inspiration from the archives you will start the pressing process . After laying out your designs they will be loaded into the seaweed press where they will dry over the next weeks. The Institute will send your pieces to you via the post when they are ready.
The cost is £40.
The library is not taking bookings. You can book here via Eventbrite, or contact the Seaweed Institute.

Super Storytime with James and Jasper the Dragon
2024-08-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Morrab Library
The first of our school summer holiday events will be a Super Storytime with Library Assistant and Storyteller, James and Jasper the Dragon!
Do you know some silly rhymes? Book into our next Super Storytime for a funny time with Dr Seuss’ classic stories and then make some of your own rhymes.
Super Storytime will be taking place in the Reading Room on Wednesday 14th August from 10.30-12. It is a journey for 4 to 8-year-olds but there will be refreshments for the grown-ups they bring along! Booking is essential so please let us know if you would like to come along so we can make sure we have enough cake! All children will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Contact us at enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or telephone 01736 364474 to book a place. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).

Creative prompts for crafting with James Parnham-Kenny
2024-08-20 10:30 - 13:30 | Morrab Library

Vanessa Bell: British Post Impressionist Artist, her life and art
2024-08-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Our next Library talk will be from Sarah Latham Phillips MA who will be talking about the life and art of Vanessa Bell (1879 – 1961), British Post Impressionist Artist. This will take place in the Reading Room on Wednesday 21st August at 2pm.
This beautifully illustrated talk will focus on the life and art of one of our most interesting and famous female Modern British Artists, who trained at the RA & Slade schools and was a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Vanessa spent a considerable amount of her childhood in St Ives and was clearly influenced by its beauty, atmosphere and colours.
Sarah Latham Phillips is well-known in the West Country as a freelance lecturer and WEA Tutor. Sarah has been studying Bloomsbury art and literature for over thirty years and has published on Virginia Woolf as a Cubist Writer.
Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 12th August. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Creative Writing Workshop for 12-16 year olds | Ghost Story Writing with Bridget Crowley
2024-08-22 10:00 - 12:30 | Morrab Library
The Morrab Library doesn’t have a ghost, but what if it did?
In this creative writing workshop, we will use the wonderful old house, The Morrab Library, and some of the treasures within, as the starting point for writing our very own ghost stories.
Bridget Crowley is the author of five children’s books, three of which feature ghosts. In this workshop for 12-16 year olds, Bridget will share some tips for writing a story that thrills and chills, builds suspense and draws from real places and history to create the setting and character or a compelling plot. Bridget’s latest book ‘Wake Up Mr Kean’ is set in The Old Theatre in Penzance and her ghost is famous actor Edmund Kean who really performed there in the early 19th Century.
The workshop will take place in the Reading Room. Booking is essential. All materials and refreshments will be provided.
Entry is free but donations are welcome to support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Booking is essential – email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to book a place.

Bee Day at The Morrab Library
2024-08-28 10:00 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
On Wednesday 28th August, we will be celebrating all things bees with the West Penwith Embroidered Bees Project and a talk from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The West Penwith Embroidered Bee Project aims to raise awareness of the 270 different species of bee that live in Britain, and their varied needs, while also teaching embroidery skills, fostering connection and raising money for wildflower projects. Find out more about the project over on our blog.
On Wednesday 28th August, 10am – 12pm, the founder of the project Vicks Harrison will be leading a free embroidery workshop to learn how to make a bee to be stitched into a big art quilt.
No experience is necessary and attendees do not need to bring any fabric, thread or equipment, but any donations of material to contribute to the piece are always welcomed. Booking is essential and please email Vicks (vickyvicks@btinternet.com) to do so.
The quilt, in its present but ever-growing form, will also be on display in the Natural Sciences Room for the duration of the day. It will hang alongside a display of books about bees (which Library members can borrow on the day) as well as poems about bees written by Vivienne Tregenza. Pop in anytime between 10am – 3.30pm to see the display.
In the afternoon, Pip Cook from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust will be giving a talk about Bumblebees in Cornwall. Find out more about it here and email the library (enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk) before 19th August to be added to the ballot for a ticket.

Library Talks | Bumblebees in Cornwall
2024-08-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Our second talk this month will be from Pip Cook, Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s SW Project Officer, for an introduction to the bumblebees we can find in Cornwall. The talk will be taking place in the Reading Room at 2pm on Wednesday 28th August and will be part of a celebration of bees at the Library taking place throughout that day (find out more in this blog post). In Pip’s role, she is particularly focusing on the Moss carder bumblebee (Bombus muscorum), one of the rarest and most threatened bumblebee species in the UK. It is a beautiful ginger-tailed bumblebee with a short velvety coat that was once widespread in the UK and is now found mostly in small, fragmented populations. The project involves collecting data on the Moss carder’s abundance and distribution at two key sites on Cornwall’s north coast, Penhale and Gwithian and Upton Towans and finding out more about its habitat needs. Bumblebee Conservation Trust hope this information will inform our conservation practices and hopefully help to reverse the Moss carder bumblebee’s decline. Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 19th August. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk. (Bumblebee photo credit Nick Withers)

Free tour of The Morrab Library
2024-09-06 14:00 - 15:30, 2024-09-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
All are welcome to join a free to guided tour of The Morrab Library every Friday at 2pm. This is an opportunity to learn more about our beautiful independent Library and the collections within.
The tour begins at 2pm, it is drop-in and there is no need to book. If you plan to bring a large group (6+ people) please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk and we will do our best to accommodate you.
For accessibility information, please click here.
We also welcome visitors to the Library at any time during our opening hours (10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday) when you are welcome to pick up a map of the Library at the front desk and explore the library.

Seaweed Pressing at The Morrab Library
2024-09-14 10:00 - 13:30 | Morrab Library
Join us to learn the craft of seaweed pressing – a Victorian practice that captures the underwater beauty of seaweeds. This pressing workshop is particularly special as we are hosting it in collaborating with The Morrab Library, a beautiful library in Penzance.
From Morrab we will walk together to the foreshore of Mounts Bay to search for seaweeds to press. Whilst on the beach we will explain to you about sustainable harvesting, tides and point out edible species.
Back at the library we will get the chance to view the beautiful examples of historic seaweed pressings. The library’s archive is home to some incredible bound examples of original pressings collected in Mounts Bay.
The cultural history of seaweeds will be discussed and you will learn how to forage, store and use this abundant resource.
With inspiration from the archives we will start the pressing process . After laying out your designs they will be loaded into our seaweed press where they will dry over the next weeks. We will send your pieces to you via the post when they are ready.
Book here via Eventbrite. The library is not taking bookings.

SOLD OUT Study Morning | The Bayeux Tapestry and the Making of Medieval England
2024-09-14 10:15 - 13:15 | Morrab Library
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOW SOLD OUT. PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST (ENQUIRIES@MORRABLIBRARY.ORG.UK)

Join Mark Cottle for a Study Morning in the Reading Room at the Library from 10.15am –1.15pm.

The Bayeux Tapestry captures one of the great turning points in English history. William’s victory at Hastings, his reign and those of his two sons, William Rufus and Henry I were transformational.

In just 69 years the foundations of medieval England were laid: feudalism, knights, castles, the Exchequer, great cathedrals…..

With the help of course files we’ll take a closer look at a remarkable period somewhat overshadowed today by the Plantagenets and Tudors.

This study morning will run 10.15am to 1.15pm and includes a short break.
Price: £15. Please email (enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk) or call the Library (01736 364474) if you would like to book a place.
Payment must be made in advance of the workshop, in cash only. Pop into the Library before 14th September to pay for your ticket.

My Family and Other Animals – Artist Residency with Nadia Peters & Philip Riley
2024-09-17 10:00 - 16:00, 2024-09-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Morrab Library
September will see us welcome artists Philip Riley and Nadia Peters to the library, where they will explore the library’s relationship with nature, taking inspiration from our historic book collection.
Philip and Nadia work collaboratively with mixed media, inspired by their surroundings and incorporating found objects. From the 16th-25th September they will aim to use our historic book collection as a visual and literary starting point for the creation of sculptural work. They will focus particularly on the animal images from the work of Swiss naturalist, Conrad Gesner and his important 16th century encyclopedia Historia Animalium, (you can read a library blog about Gesner here). Found organic and vintage material collected locally will be incorporated into their sculptural response to the library building, historic artefacts and the location itself.

As well as the opportunity to meet the artists each day of the residency as they work on their creations, Philip and Nadia will present a talk about how the library and its collections has influenced and inspired their work on the 25th September.
The artists will also host workshops at the local St Levan Primary School, where students will have the opportunity to work with Philip and Nadia to create images based on the fantastic creatures depicted in Historia Animalium, which will subsequently be displayed at the library on the day of the talk.
Nadia Peters is a mixed media installation artist based in Manchester. Her work is inspired by her surroundings and incorporates found objects. Phil Riley is a Cyprus based artist. Working in plaster using natural forms found on location, his practice now includes casting in sand. Phil’s subject matter is influenced by both his international and Uk artist residencies.
We look forward to welcoming them and introducing you to their work.

Library Talks | The Seaweed Institute Book Launch
2024-09-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Our next Library Talk will be an introduction to The Seaweed Institute’s first book Gomonna, in collaboration with the independent publisher Ancient Magic. This talk will take place in the Reading Room on Wednesday 18th September at 2pm.
Gomonna celebrates seaweed and Cornwall. It spans stories, research, foraging insights and recipes. Illustrated with historical photographs and seaweed pressings.
Kerry Holbrook and Ruth Klückers run The Seaweed Institute and have hosted several workshops in The Morrab Library, exploring this Victorian practice and capturing the underwater beauty of seaweeds.
Tickets for the talk are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for up to two tickets (please specify). The ballot closes on Monday 9th September.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.
The Seaweed Institute will also be at The Morrab Library on Saturday 14th September when they will be running a Seaweed Pressing workshop (more info here). This will involve a walk to the foreshore of Mounts Bay to search for seaweeds and learn about sustainable harvesting, tides and edible species. Back at the library, you will have the chance to view the beautiful examples of historic seaweed pressings from our archive. You will start the pressing process and pieces will be posted to you when they are ready. Tickets for this workshop at £40 and available to book via Eventbrite only. The library is not taking bookings for this workshop.

My Family and Other Animals – Artist Residency with Nadia Peters & Philip Riley
2024-09-19 10:00 - 16:00 | Morrab Library
September will see us welcome artists Philip Riley and Nadia Peters to the library, where they will explore the library’s relationship with nature, taking inspiration from our historic book collection.
Philip and Nadia work collaboratively with mixed media, inspired by their surroundings and incorporating found objects. From the 16th-25th September they will aim to use our historic book collection as a visual and literary starting point for the creation of sculptural work. They will focus particularly on the animal images from the work of Swiss naturalist, Conrad Gesner and his important 16th century encyclopedia Historia Animalium, (you can read a library blog about Gesner here). Found organic and vintage material collected locally will be incorporated into their sculptural response to the library building, historic artefacts and the location itself.
As well as the opportunity to meet the artists each day of the residency as they work on their creations, Philip and Nadia will present a talk about how the library and its collections has influenced and inspired their work on the 25th September.
The artists will also host workshops at the local St Levan Primary School, where students will have the opportunity to work with Philip and Nadia to create images based on the fantastic creatures depicted in Historia Animalium, which will subsequently be displayed at the library on the day of the talk.
Nadia Peters is a mixed media installation artist based in Manchester. Her work is inspired by her surroundings and incorporates found objects. Phil Riley is a Cyprus based artist. Working in plaster using natural forms found on location, his practice now includes casting in sand. Phil’s subject matter is influenced by both his international and Uk artist residencies.
We look forward to welcoming them and introducing you to their work
