The Arts Society Henley (TASH) is a major sponsor of the art workshops which take place in schools in Henley and the surrounding area.This year the workshops took place during 4-8 March and gave participating schoolchildren a chance to experience a variety of different artistic techniques. Some 720 children took part in 70 workshops facilitated by 15 members of TASH who volunteered to assist in their delivery. This was much valued by the schools and the children enthusiastically learned and practised their new skills. The feedback from our own TASH volunteers was that they really enjoyed helping at the workshops and had fun too.   

The theme of the festival was Dreams. The children made batik backdrops with Emily Cooling and puppets with Lily Rossiter. These were displayed on the stage at the Young Shakespeare Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Kenton Theatre which involved children from local primary schools.  Pupils also worked under the guidance of Artpod, designing pen and ink woodland creatures, and made Dream Catchers with Jo Wise of Floral Circus. Their work was also on show in the Kenton Theatre during the Henley Youth Festival. 

New this year was a Smartphone Photography Skills workshop run by Kathryn Fell.  This taught children how to use light, and how to compose and edit photos. For many children this was a new skill and much appreciated by teachers and children. Clinton Osbourne taught the children the principles of animation and we saw their wonderful imaginative art transformed into short original films. Doctor

Brian Squabbles returned with his Red Van containing a variety of amazing objects to stimulate imagination and creativity.  Some pupils also had the exciting opportunity to work with Camilla Shelley at the River and Rowing Museum, screen printing their William Morris - inspired designs onto bags. TASH is very pleased to have played a role in a most worthwhile annual event helping to immerse schoolchildren in the pleasures of creative arts.