Shepton Mallet is gearing up for the 2024 Snowdrop Festival with a series of free art and poetry workshops.

These workshops, funded by the Shepton Mallet Community Bookshop and the Somerset Community Foundation, aim to bring together the local community's creative talents.

The first of these workshops, sponsored by the Community Bookshop, is a Found Poetry workshop. Led by Polly Hall at Shepton Library, this workshop will take place from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, 13 January.

Participants will be able to create a collaborative poem that will be showcased as a poetry trail during the Festival, guiding visitors around the town.

In addition, a second workshop, supported by the Somerset Community Foundation, will be held on Saturday, 20 January, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Polly Hall and Fiona Campbell will conduct this full-day workshop at Create@#8. The focus will be on creating a giant, scroll-like mixed-media collage installation. This unique artwork, featuring words and visuals, will be suspended across the galleries and central space of the Baptist Chapel.

Amanda Hirst, the Festival Director, highlighted the significance of these workshops, noting that they are the town's first venture on such a large scale. "We hope the two commissions together will make a real statement about the arts, culture, and talent of people in Shepton," she said. Hirst also emphasized that the Festival attracts numerous visitors to the town, presenting a prime opportunity to showcase Shepton Mallet's vibrant creative community.

Places in these workshops are limited, and those interested are encouraged to book soon. As both workshops are free, they offer a great opportunity for locals to engage in artistic expression and contribute to the Festival's success.

For more details and to book a place, visit the Snowdrop Festival's website at https://www.sheptonsnowdrops.org.uk/2024-festival-programme/.