A STALYBRIDGE woman is helping people Explore, Make and Create their way to art inspiration.
Alison Gorrod opened her studio at Derek Ashton Court, which lies on Mottram Road, after beginning in a converted shipping container.
Now her workshops are being lapped up by people of all ages. At her first, the youngest participant was 11-years-old and the eldest 77 — both complete beginners to sewing.
And the philosophy is that it is a place where creativity is open-ended, hands-on, and joyfully free of perfectionism.
“It’s about just having the opportunity to explore anything creative without necessarily it being right or wrong,” Alison said.
“The first workshop was very levelling. It doesn’t matter what age you are.”
@ggc_media A STALYBRIDGE woman is helping people Explore, Make and Create their way to art inspiration. Alison Gorrod opened her studio at Derek Ashton Court, which lies on Mottram Road, after beginning in a converted shipping container. Now her workshops are being lapped up by people of all ages. At her first, the youngest participant was 11-years-old and the eldest 77 — both complete beginners to sewing. And the philosophy is that it is a place where creativity is open-ended, hands-on, and joyfully free of perfectionism #tameside #news #create #art #FYP
Alison’s new space has allowed her to grow her range of classes and welcome a wide mix of students.
She runs both adult workshops, for those 14 and over, and children’s sessions, offering a relaxed environment for anyone wanting to explore sewing and textiles.
Children’s classes run for 90 minutes and introduce a wide range of skills, including hand sewing, machine sewing, textiles work – knitting, printing, dyeing, and fabric manipulation.
A recent session making tree garlands was seen as ‘a great project for machine practice and control due to the repetition.’
And as she said: “This group is like a bunch of old women when they get going!”
Adult classes run longer and prices vary, starting at £25 depending on the duration and type of workshop.
But one of Alison’s core beliefs is that beginners need to leave their first session with something tangible. Finishing a project, even a simple one is where confidence begins.
She added: “You can go home with something and think, ‘Yeah, I’ve made that.’ You feel pleased with yourself.”
“I’ve had people who were really quite nervous when they started, but the confidence they’ve gained from one session — going home with something they’ve actually made — gives such a real sense of achievement.
“It’s lovely when there’s a group of ladies of various ages and it’s new to them, but they’re all so supportive of each other.”
With only six students per class, each workshop has an intimate, encouraging atmosphere where creativity can flourish at any level.
And Alison champions the idea that handmade does not have to be perfect and that materials do not have to be new.
She once led a workshop where children upcycled their dads’ old T-shirts, turning them into colourful, one-of-a-kind pants.
“We do live in a throwaway society,” she told The Correspondent. “If something is no good to you anymore, it doesn’t mean it’s completely useless. You can salvage something.
“I’m a big believer in experiences and doing things rather than having things.”