Artificial Silk is running new creative writing and memory object workshops between 25th April 2026 and 5th December 2026. Come and leap with us.
The 1.5 hour sessions are 11.30-1.00 on Saturdays at beautiful Newcastle Library in Staffordshire, ST5 1BL.
To book your place EMAIL Alison: artificialsilkorg@gmail.com
Saturdays 11.30-1.00 Newcastle Library, Castle House, Barracks Road, Newcastle, Staffs ST5 1BL
You’re welcome to join one or more of our exObjects library workshops between now and the end of 2026:
1) 25th April (Spring)
2) 9th May (Sprung)
3) 6th June (Bloom)
4) 27th June (Blossomed)
5) 19th September (Mature)
6) 3rd October (Ripened)
7) 24th October (Mellow)
8) 21st November (Wrapped / Rapt)
9) 5th December (Read, Write & Be Merry)
HOW TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Email ALISON before the session: artificialsilkorg@gmail.com
Workshop cost: £15 per 1.5 hour session
Save £45 if you book all 9 workshops. Whole series workshop cost: £90
2 FREE places available at each workshop for 18-25 year-olds.
Email Alison to request a free place: artificialsilkorg@gmail.com
Pay for your tickets by bank transfer before the session. If you don’t have a bank account, just bring cash on the day.
The number of workshop places is limited so that everyone has chance to be heard.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP LEADER
Alison is a multiply published author of books for adults and children. After working as an editor and publisher, for the last 15 years she supported people’s creative development at Arts Council England.
WHAT HAPPENS AT AN exObjects WORKSHOP?
1) You bring an object connected with the seasons.
2) Through conversation, factual and fiction writing we will explore how climate change affects the behaviour of flora, fauna and people.
3) You’ll leave the workshops uplifted, not only by new writing inspirations, but an understanding of the way others think about and imaginatively describe their world.
ABOUT exOBJECTS
We run creative workshops and projects in locations including Staffordshire, Derbyshire and India.
“Each workshop is unique because it brings together people from different walks of life and different ages, who imaginatively respond to the personal objects brought to the table.”
Listen to the Stories Seldom Told podcast: a 30-minute interview about exObjects with A.T. Boyle of Artificial Silk (launched 25th March 2026).
‘In this deeply reflective episode we sit down with A.T. Boyle, the mind behind exObjects, a project born from loss, memory, and the quiet stories hidden in everyday things.
From a preserved wedding cake dove to fragmented paintings shaped by grief, this conversation moves through the spaces we often avoid: loss, distance, and the things left unsaid. More importantly, it explores what comes after: creation, connection, and finding meaning in what remains.
We talk about:
– How grief can transform into art
– The idea of “things we don’t see” in the people we love
– Objects as carriers of memory, emotion, and untold stories
– Why making something, anything, can help us move forward.
This isn’t just about loss. It’s about what we choose to hold on to, and what we create from it.
If you’ve ever attached meaning to something small… this one’s for you.’
FIND OUT MORE
Discover what other writers have gained from our friendly workshops and individual creative support.
Many first-time writers from all over the world have been mentored by Alison to produce stories published in the Artificial Silk magazine:
We look forward to hearing your voice.
EMAIL ALISON to book a workshop place: artificialsilkorg@gmail.com
