What is Alexmas? Its our free 12 days or celebration and activity at the Alex each year, in the run up to Christmas. The culmination of the year (we close from Saturday before Christmas to mid-Feb), so its a special event to ‘tide you over’! Lots of things happen for Alexmas, including 12 days of free drop-in afternoon workshops here taught by local artists (who donate time for this), the lantern festival happens during Alexmas too, and there is Steampunk Saturday when we celebrate Steve’s birthday and drink tea with Alun Reid, while dressing up as Victorians.
So note that Alexmas this year is Thursdays to Sundays from 27th November to 14th December.
There will be a special page listing this year’s activities HERE and you can see what happened last year HERE.
New workshops this year are Victorian cardmaking (taught by Jenny Ball), Watercolour Wreath painting (with Sam Basnett), paper wreath making for children with Jessica Hartshorn, drawing cartoon vegetables (with Matt Pooley). We are still finalising the programme but expect to also have old favourites rag rugging (with Chris Pegler), making paper hats (with Steve Davies), fabric wraps (with Lee Becker) and mindful drawing (with Gemma Whitford). In a special 2025 twist Tamsen Flack is showing us how to paint on silk across two days – large project! – including one where she will be dressed in steampunk costume.
