Participants from all three Raising the Bar groups arrived at the Alex Design Exchange and were welcomed by Tim Stokes. They were introduced to the Art & Design Foundation Studios a long with a short tour of the spaces and it’s facilities.

Tim discussed the idea of studio practice with the group and suggested they experience navigating their own day. This may include finding resources, materials, space to extend and make work they had started on Raising the Bar. And also drop into two very different workshops that had also been setup in the space.

Digital Life Drawing a long with Silkscreen printing introductions were offered out to the students as drop in sessions. These could be used to further their work and add new skills or experimentation to their current work and ideas.

Tim demonstrated Digital Drawing in the morning for around ten of the participants who were interested, teaching them how to use the digital drawing tablets, and how best to set up the digital space. Tim talked with them about looking, measuring and developing a personal system or strategy for which to undertake their observational drawing. The participants took it in turns to model for the group to be drawn.

In other parts of the studio, some participants were drawing, stitching, cutting and collaging and also painting. A hive of activity.

After lunch, Tim offered silkscreen printing to the groups and quite a large number were keen to get involved, they had developed work from their sketchbooks and some were taking forward some of their digital drawings. These drawings were then processed onto a screen with emulsion and a UV exposure unit and washed.

After a demonstration of how to print, the students were free to push these prints forward and experiment. Some participants stayed to print all afternoon, some continued digital drawing, many students researched in the vast arts magazine and book library on offer, and everyone engaged in some form of creating, making and collective studio practise.