Join us on Friday 7 June, 4 – 6 pm, for two simultaneous crafting workshops, responding to the themes of personal identity and masking. Many people existing in our neurotypical society experience pressure to conform and to perform an ‘acceptable’ identity. In response to this, these workshops aim to challenge and subvert the pressure to mask one’s true identity. Participants will be invited to engage with their understanding of their ‘true self,’ creating visual representations of their inner identity in a celebratory and empowering way.
These workshops are designed to be free, drop-in sessions and no booking is required.
These workshops will be followed by a Masked Ball, which will provide a safe and joyful space to display and celebrate these visual representations.
Mask-making workshop:
During this two-hour session hosted by current exhibiting artists, Babeworld, participants are invited to decorate and personalise their own masks. This is an opportunity to explore ideas of masking and unmaking in an intimate but playful and interactive way. Babeworld’s practice encourages collaboration and shared discussion, inviting all who come along to invest and join in the ways that they feel most comfortable.
More about Babeworld hereOpen accordion
Established in 2019, Babeworld are an art collective based across Stoke-on-Trent and London. Babeworld’s work entangles popular-culture inspired film, installation and sound design to interrogate themes of political and societal identity, disability/access, neurodivergence, sex work and race. Babeworlds research explores what it means to make, participate in andspectate art as marginalised individuals. Babeworld are consistently motivated by the questions – how can we make work for the CEX and Tumblr generation who may not feel comfortable in a traditional gallery? And how can we get another little residency to play board games and TTRPGS?
Babeworld’s exhibition ‘Love is Real, and it’s Inside of My Computer’ will be held at Grand Union from May 3 to August 4.
‘Deco’ photo keyring workshop:
Bunny Bissoux will host a ‘deco’ photo keyring workshop celebrating the self – inspired by Japanese and Korean fan culture. Using decoration as a celebration and affirmation of love (in this case, self-love), this workshop is intended to create an empowering connection to self-expression and joy through communal crafting. Participants are invited to use a portrait or selfie of themselves taken and printed on the day (with or without a mask made at the simultaneous workshop with Babeworld, or brought from home) or can choose from a selection of anonymous ‘avatars’ to decorate. Using layers of photos, sleeves and stickers to explore ideas of masking/unmasking in playful ways, participants can choose to alter and embellish aspects of themselves or their avatar using the materials provided.
More about Bunny Bissoux hereOpen accordion
Bunny Bissoux is an artist and illustrator currently active as an Artist-in-Residence for Grand Union x Bruntwood. They work in a variety of mediums exploring recurring themes including popular culture, gender, queer identity, consumerism, nostalgia, and obsession. Drawing, collecting, and zine-making are all integral parts of their creative practice.
These workshops form part of the Unmasking || Remapping programme, a series of events designed and planned by students from MA Art History and Curating at University of Birmingham.
