Merry Makers
Festive Creative Workshops

Join us for a day of creative workshops and festivities at UCA Farnham!

Event details

  • 7 December 2024 - 7 December 2024

    10:00-16:00 (GMT)

    UCA Farnham

    Apply here
A selection of Christmas and winter themed drawings, next to a lino roller and carving tools.

We are inviting young people in years 6-11 and their families to join us at UCA Farnham for a day of fun creative festivities on Saturday 7th December. Get creative and make some festive crafts in our workshops and celebrate the season with free mince pies and refreshments. 

The day will be made up of 2 sessions: 

  • Morning session: 10:00am – 12:30pm
  • Afternoon session: 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Please select your preferred session and age group when completing the application form.

Please note, attendees in year 6 must be accompanied by a parent/carer/guardian over the age of 18. Parent/carer/guardian attendance is not mandatory for attendees in years 7-11, but all are still welcome to join in the fun!

What’s involved? 
Attendees will take part in a carousel of 3 creative workshops during their allocated time slot: 

Years 6-8

Wooden slice decorations
Join us for a fun and creative workshop where you’ll make adorable ornaments on wood slices for your Christmas Tree! Using acrylic paint and simple techniques, all you need to bring is your imagination and Christmas spirit!

Pop-up greetings cards
Explore pop-up cards and use different paper folding and cutting techniques to create a scene of your choosing. You will use one of three paper folding techniques in the workshop to create a fun and bespoke outcome that you can apply to other projects!

Christmas flipbook animations
In this fun and festive workshop, learn the basics of traditional animation by creating your own Christmas-themed flipbook animation. You will explore key animation techniques, like timing and spacing, and leave with a personal flipbook showcasing an animated holiday story.

Years 9-11

Linocut stamping
We’ll be creating our own festive wrapping paper and cards to personalise your gifts this winter. Join us and carve your own lino blocks with themed images to print with. 

Stitched Christmas baubles
Make your own stitched bauble by hand stitching pieces of felt to form a sphere. You can then decorate your work with felt appliqué, simple stitching or sequins. We will also explore how colours work together and play with tessellation to create three dimensional forms.

Candlelight winter houses
Experiment with papercutting techniques to create beautiful candle-lit winter houses to use as decorations this festive season.

All workshops are designed and hosted by our Creative Workshop Tutors, who are experienced creative practitioners and will be on hand to help out where needed. All workshop resources are free and crafts can be taken home to keep or given as gifts!

Alongside the workshops, there will be free refreshments in our refectory. 

Useful
information

UCA’s Outreach activities suitable for students who are studying or have an interest in creative subjects and would like to develop their skills and portfolio.

The aim of the activity is to provide an opportunity for young people to access free art and design tuition from a higher education institution. It's also designed for students who may not otherwise have the chance to access such an opportunity.

Priority will be given to applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • are the first generation in their family to study at higher education level (e.g. Degree, HND, HNC)
  • are currently eligible for Free School Meals
  • come from a neighbourhood with low overall progression rates to higher education (determined by postcode using POLAR 3 data)
  • are from a black or minority ethnic (BAME) background
  • are in, or have lived under local authority care
  • have caring responsibilities for a family member
  • have a disability
  • attend a HEON, KaMCOP or KMPF partnered school (a list of eligible schools is included below)
  • live in HEON or KaMCOP target postcode area
  • have not previously attended a UCA outreach programme
  • are studying without the support of family
  • are an unaccompanied asylum seeker/refugee
  • a child from a military family
  • from a gypsy, roma and traversal community

This information will be gathered via the event application form and will be assessed by the University’s Outreach Manager and Outreach Officer.

Once the application deadline has passed, we will consider all applications against the priority criteria listed above to determine who will be offered a place. A decision will be sent in writing to confirm whether a place on the programme has been secured, and successful applicants will be asked to confirm their place in writing. Where the programmes are oversubscribed, unplaced applicants who meet the criteria outlined above will be kept on a waiting list and allocated spaces should they become available. UCA reserves the right to cancel or amend Outreach activities at any time prior to the start of the event. In the event of any changes, applicants/participants and their parents/carers will be notified accordingly.

If an applicant decides not to accept their offer, they must inform UCA staff via email as soon as possible so spaces can be reallocated where possible, by emailing outreach@uca.ac.uk

  • Astor Secondary School
  • Aylesford School
  • Brockhill Park Performing Arts College
  • Brompton Academy
  • Cornwallis Academy
  • Dartford Science & Technology College
  • Dover Christ Church Academy
  • Folkestone Academy
  • Fulston Manor School
  • Greenacre Academy
  • Hartsdown Academy
  • Herne Bay High School
  • Hugh Christie School
  • New Line Learning Academy
  • Northfleet School for Girls
  • Northfleet Technology College
  • Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey
  • Orchards Academy
  • PGW Partnership of Greenacre and Walderslade
  • Saint George's Church of England School - Gravesend
  • Sandwich Technology School
  • Spires Academy
  • St Anselm's Catholic School, Canterbury
  • St Augustine Academy
  • St Edmund's Catholic School
  • St George's Church of England Foundation School - Broadstairs
  • St John's Catholic Comprehensive
  • Strood Academy
  • Thamesview School
  • The Abbey School
  • The Canterbury Academy
  • The Charles Dickens School
  • The Ebbsfleet Academy
  • The Holmesdale School
  • The John Wallis Church of England Academy
  • The Leigh Academy
  • The Leigh UTC
  • The Malling School
  • The Marsh Academy
  • The North School
  • The Robert Napier School
  • The Royal Harbour Academy
  • The Sittingbourne School
  • The Victory Academy
  • Towers School and Sixth Form Centre
  • Turner Free School
  • Ursuline College
  • Walderslade Girls' School
  • Westlands School
  • Alderwood Senior School
  • Bohunt Farnborough
  • Broadwater School
  • Chertsey High School
  • Christ's College, Guildford
  • Collingwood College
  • Cove School
  • Farnborough College of Technology
  • Farnham Heath End School
  • Hoe Valley School
  • Kings International College
  • Salesian School, Chertsey
  • The Beacon School
  • The Matthew Arnold School
  • The Wavell School

UCA processes data in accordance with the General Data Protection Rules (GDPR). The university's data protection policies and privacy notices can be viewed here.

Refer to the Outreach & Widening Participation Privacy Notice

You have the right to review information held about you. If you would like to do so or to notify us of a change of your details, please email outreach@uca.ac.uk. If, you believe there is no legitimate reason for us to continue processing your data and wish us to delete it, please contact the Data Protection Officer dpo@uca.ac.uk