Events & Workshops

Exhibitions & Events, Kathryn Parsons
 


I offer creative nature-inspired workshops for organisations and individuals, online and in person. Skills are taught, stories of place are shared, while nature-connectedness and creative confidence grow!

"I had the best day!"
8 year old at family workshop


"You were so lovely and approachable. It was inspiring to learn how you worked.
It really made me think about the ways in which I work, how I could approach it differently."

degree student at porcelain masterclass


We’ve had positive feedback from everyone who attended saying they really enjoyed it –
they’ve all been really excited to add their pictures to Teams!

remote-working organisation after online workshops for their whole team


For private workshops and talks for groups and organisations please contact me.

 




2024 Exhibitions, Events & Workshops


The Ground Beneath Our Feet – GroundWork Gallery on Tour
31 May – 9 June 2024
To launch its new GroundWork Network, the gallery dedicated to the environment, based in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, is touring to Amanda Wallwork’s studio near Bridgport, Dorset. The exhibition includes my "Sugar Beat Fen" sculpture, telling the story of the Methwold Severals fields and growing sugar beet in the Fens, created for GroundWork's 2023 residency. You can ]read more about my research and the sugar sculpture here.

Peterborough Artists Open Studios
6, 7, 13 & 14 July 2024



Medieval Finger-Loop Weaving Workshop
Saturday 3rd August 2024
10 am - 12:30 pm
Torpel Nature Reserve, Helpston, Peterborough, Cambs, UK
Tickets by donation (recommended £12 - £20)
Join me at the site of a Medieval manor (now just some lumps and bumps in a field) to learn a simple version of Medieval finger-loop weaving! Click here for all the details and to book.
With Langdyke Countryside Trust



Barnsdale Gardens - Mini Exhibition
Friday 13th September 2024
in the garden studio at world-famous Barnsdale Gardens
*normal entry ticket fees apply


Langdyke Botanical Colours Workshop
Friday 27th September 2024
10am - 4pm
Helpston, Peterborough, Cambs, UK
£60
Join botanist and fellow Langdyke Artist in Residence Sarah Lambert and me for an experimental natural dyeing workshop! This is an introduction to natural dyeing, sharing the processes we use to extract colour from plants that grow on Langdyke's reserves. We'll show you how to work in ways that favour using time rather than lots of fossil fuels. You'll create a small ecoprint, help make a dye bath and have fun growing an understanding of natural colour and experimental techniques!
For all the details and to book, click here.
With Langdyke Countryside Trust.



Mini Mushrooms Workshop
Saturday 5th October 2024
10am - 1pm
Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve,
4 miles from Ramsey
Huntingdon PE26 2RS
Workshop and guided walk, in partnership with Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire
More info & tickets here.


Mini Mushrooms Workshop
Saturday 26th October 2024
10am - 12:30pm
Sawtry Tea Room,
Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, PE28 5SR
Info & tickets here


Porcelain Hanging Decorations Workshop, at Barnsdale Gardens
Saturday 2nd November 2024
at Barnsdale Gardens, Rutland, UK
10am - 12:30pm
Make a collection of beautiful porcelain hanging decorations, ready for Christmas or to enjoy all year round! We'll start with a short walk to collect inspiration from the stunning gardens at Barnsdale.
For details and bookings click here.



Langdyke Artists in Residence Exhibition
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th November 2024
at Torpel Nature Reserve, Helpston, Cambs





PAST EVENTS
2023

Artist in Residence, including community engagement with Langdyke Countryside Trust
NatureCrafts monthly creative gatherings at Paston Farm Community Foundation
Midsummer Evening Walk on Westings Meadow - guided walk with Sarah Lambert and Kathryn Parsons for a gentle walk on the site of ancient, forgotten Westings Meadow!
Shock of the New, selected exhibition at Unit Twelve Gallery, Stafford
Peterborough Artists Open Studios
Material Evidence, joint exhibition with Ruth Singer, Loughborough

Ground Beneath Our Feet 2nd September - end 2023, ]GroundWork Gallery, King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK Selected residency and group exhibition of works created during a summer residency with GroundWork Gallery, responding to issues of extraction in West Norfolk. See Sugar Beat Fen?


2022
November Nature Craft at Castor Hanglands National Nature Reserve with Butterfly Conservation & Back from the Brink
Celebrate Nature! exhibition with Sarah Lambert and Langdyke Countryside Trust, celebrating hyper-local landscape, history & nature.
Porcelain Wildflower Workshop with Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre, Chapel Road
Festival of National Nature Reserves, solo exhibition at the Rothschild Bungalow, Woodwalton Fen
Peterborough Artists' Open Studios
"In Residence" with Langdyke Countryside Trust - community events and engagement


2021
Open Studio - live via Zoom
Restart Peterborough selected exhibition at City Gallery Peterborough
Artist In Residence with Sarah Lambert and Langdyke Countryside Trust


2020

Virtual Open Studio 2020

Virtual Open Studio - Part 1
In this first episode, we go for an amble round Torpel Nature Reserve looking at wildflowers and lichens, and say hi to the sheep. I talk about my role as Artist in Residence with Langdyke Countryside Trust, and then we head to my studio to look more closely at some of my work.





Virtual Open Studio - Part 2
Focusing on my work with porcelain, it includes a mini tour and demonstration of working with clay. We look at some of the miniature sculptures inspired by the small details of the natural world, and chat about microscopic sea creatures, corals and other small wonders.





Virtual Open Studio - Part 3
Filmed in part at Swaddywell Nature Reserve, I talk about three key projects. Hear about a pair of sugar shoes I created for an exhibition at Burghley House, working with Art Pop-Up.... and a collection of miniature sculptures inspired by the micro-fungi researched at the University of Leicester.






2019
Langdyke Stories Art residency and community engagement programme in the summer of 2019. Langdyke Stories is organised by Art Pop-Up and funded by the Peterborough Community Fund #PeterboroughTogether
Open Upp Art, selected exhibition, Uppingham
Peterborough Artists' Open Studios 2019
Crimble at the Crumb, group exhibition at The Crumb Studio, Whittlesey.
Porcelain Workshop for Wildlife Trust, Northamptonshire


2018
 

'Brief Encounters', selected residency and exhibition with University of Leicester for British Science week. SeeSymbiosis.
"MERAKI", selected group exhibition at Heart Gallery, Hebden Bridge
Peterborough Artists' Open Studios
"Inspired by Botany" selected exhibition at Gallery Steel Rooms, Brigg, Lincolnshire
Porcelain Workshop for Wildlife Trust, Nene Wetland Centre
Crimble at The Crumb, group exhibition at The Crumb Studio, Cambridgeshire


2017
Commissioned by the National Centre for Craft & Design to create work for "The Collectors" exhibition. At the National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford, Lincs.
Norman Cross Gallery Winter Exhibition, Peterborough
Derby Impossible Cup and Herbarium Finds - Commissioned interventions at Derby Museum
Reflections and Shadows group exhibition at The Yarrow, Oundle
Miniature Worlds workshops in collaboration with The National Forest, Wildlife Trust and Black to Green


2016
Found in the Fields, at The National Centre for Craft & Design, Sleaford, Solo exhibition, 16th January - 24th April 2016
Derby Impossible Cup - Intervention at Derby Museum
Commission to create an object in response to the Museum's historic porcelain collection.
Associate Artist with the John Clare Trust
Reflections and Shadows joint exhibition at The Yarrow Gallery, Oundle.


2015
"Concept" joint exhibition at Stamford Arts Centre, with Art Pop-Up Stamford Arts Festival
Peterborough Artists Open Studios
Life Essence joint exhibition with Prue Pye at Willoughby Memorial Gallery.


2014
 

"UnEarthed: John Clare' residency and exhibition with John Clare Trust and Museum, touring to Northampton Museum & Art Gallery and Peterborough City Gallery.



2013
"Fresh Take at Burghley", Lincolnshire - selected residency
"Inspired By…” at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London until April 2013


2012
“Inspired By…” at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - October 2012-21st April 2013
Still Working Gallery, Oakham