A new arts project based in the village of East Harptree has been making big creative waves by offering free creative workshops to the parishioners of East Harptree and beyond. 

Launched in January 2024, the Arts Hub at East Harptree is a project run by village volunteers and makes use of a newly available space in the centre of East Harptree. The Arts Hub supports two local artists by offering them free studio space for a year. In return, they stage workshops and events for the local community.  

This year’s artists are Keri Green, an illustrator and designer based in the Mendip Hills, specialising in children’s picture books and educational illustrations; and Louis Neale, a mixed media artist who uses the natural environment as a source of inspiration on his work.   

Both artists have been involved with workshops in the community using their own specialised skills. So far this year, they have staged free workshops with the Girl Guides, several classes at East Harptree Primary School and connected with St Laurence Church as part of Project Newton. Amidst shrinking focus on arts in school curriculums and limited access to materials, the Arts Hub is providing an important link between local children and the arts. 

The Arts Hub has also widened the accessibility to art for adults in the Chew Valley through workshops as part of Valley Arts’ ‘Rising Waters’ Community Project and the forthcoming community event, the East Harptree Big Arts Weekend, on October 19-20.

In the absence of the Chew Valley Arts trail this year, nine artists in the village (including those from the Arts Hub) have come together to create an East Harptree exhibition and a further nine artists will be putting in one piece to a special local East and West Harptree artists exhibit. As well as this, throughout the weekend there will be workshops hosted by the artists for people to get involved in different creative practices. 

Ruth Knox, Administrator of The Arts Hub at East Harptree said: “The Arts Hub is really looking forward to celebrating local artistic talent and encouraging people in the community to get involved”.

The Arts Hub will continue to stage workshops throughout the rest of the year, and will be looking for new artists to join the project come November. 

To find out more, visit the Arts Hub at East Harptree’s website at www.artshubharptree.com