Join artist-curator Shaheen for this creative workshop, where you will use watercolour to dream up the real & otherworldly.

Create fantastical dreamscapes inspired by reality and our imaginations, exploring new visions, possibilities, and ideals for our world. Together, we'll also discuss how we might collectively get there, all using watercolour paints and paper.

Open to all ages 10 and up. All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. No previous experience necessary.

This workshop is part of a wider programme of events for the Rooted Through Realms exhibition, launching at The Edge on Friday, 4th September at 6 pm.

About Rooted Through Realms

Rooted Through Realms calls upon us to bear witness and connect the dots between ongoing settler colonialism, climate change, and local and global injustices, whilst also encouraging us to employ our senses and otherworldly faculties to collectively imagine new possibilities, as inspired by the gardens of paradise.

This exhibition was conceived by Shaheen Kasmani and co-curated by Aaisha Akhtar.

In developing this exhibition together, Shaheen and Aaisha have been in conversation since 2023. In 2024, Shaheen undertook a residency with Ort Gallery to focus on her artistic research and development, allowing her to create this new body of work. Together, they explored themes of divine justice, mercy, and life-affirming ways of seeing in relation to this earthly plane.

This exhibition was made possible with support from Arts Council England. Shaheen’s residency and Ort Gallery’s professional development work in the lead up to the exhibition were generously supported by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Shaheen Kasmani is an artist, creative producer, curator and educator. With a MA in Visual Traditional & Islamic Arts, her interests lie in narratives around coloniality and heritage, art, architecture and patterns. Shaheen was the lead curator for the Ramadan Pavilion at the V&A Museum, and co-curated The Past is Now exhibition at Birmingham Museum. She has exhibited her work in the UK and Europe, and guest lectures at universities in the US.

shaheenkasmani.com

@shaheen.kasmani

Cancellation Policy

If you can no longer attend the workshop, we'd like to kindly request that you provide us with at least 24-hour notice, as there will be a waiting list.

Access

The venue has step-free access, baby-changing facilities and a working lift. This workshop will be held in the Red Studio, located on the first floor.

Prayer mats will be available for those who wish to pray onsite.

Further info, including deets on how to get to the venue, can be found here.

This programme will be running on Crip Time. As a result, we endeavour to reschedule events should any of our contributors not feel well / experience a change in capacity in the lead-up to and / or on the day of the event itself.

Description supplied by the event organiser.