Barkingside Art Club

02/06/2026

🎨 What do our Juniors think about Barkingside Art Club?

As an artist and educator, I love hearing children talk about their creative experiences.

Some enjoy learning new skills. Some love the rewards and encouragement. Others simply enjoy having a place where they can create, explore, and be themselves.

What matters most isn’t just the artwork they make—it’s the confidence, curiosity, and excitement they develop along the way.

Honestly, we learn as much from them as they learn from us.

Here are a few thoughts from our young artists about what makes Juniors Club special.

Juniors Art Club (Ages 4–7)
📍 Wednesdays 4:15pm–5:15pm
📍 Saturdays 11:00am–12:00pm

A creative space where imagination grows. 🎨

activitiesforkids arteducation redbridge

30/05/2026

SATURDAY CLUB IS ON TODAY!

Join us at Fullwell Cross Library for a creative day inspired by the beautiful botanical paintings of Gustav Klimt.

🎨 Junior Art Club (Ages 4–7) | 11am–12pm
📁 Portfolio Group (Ages 8–16) | 11:30am–1:30pm
🌟 Young Studio (Ages 16–25) | 2pm–4pm

Today we’ll be exploring composition, colour, layering, and painting directly with acrylics to create our own vibrant floral artworks.

📍 Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside

We can’t wait to see what everyone creates today! 🌸✨

YoungArtists ArtWorkshop RedbridgeArts SaturdayArtClub

24/04/2026

This week at our Wednesday Art Club, we explored still life through observation using toys they love to really see, not just draw 🎨✨ They worked thoughtfully in layers, explored colour, and began to understand composition in their own way.

What stood out most was their effort — the focus, the curiosity, and the confidence to either follow what they see or transform it through imagination. Both are equally powerful.

So proud of how they’re learning to look deeper and express more with every session 💫

15/04/2026

Art is My Voice – Yash, 6

Happy World Art Day 🌍🎨
Today we open our doors for the Summer Term and celebrate the power of creativity within our community.

Yash’s artwork reminds us that every child has a voice — and through art, that voice can be seen, heard, and felt. As part of our Accept the Difference campaign, we continue to create safe, inclusive spaces where children are supported, valued, and given the opportunity to shine.

📍 Barkingside Art Club
Fullwell Cross Library
140 High Street, Ilford, IG6 2EA

Join us this summer as we build a positive, creative community together

08/04/2026

Thank you for for creating such a vibrant and welcoming space for creativity and community.

It was a privilege for Barkingside Art Club to be part of Rediscover Redbridge sharing our Happy Print Project and art exhibition and seeing so many children, young people, and families engage through creativity.

Our Creative Ambassadors were proud to lead, connect, and represent the power of inclusive art in the community.

Events like this truly matter bringing organisations, groups, and people together, celebrating diversity, and creating spaces where everyone can feel seen, heard, and included.

Looking forward to continuing this journey together

02/04/2026

Autism Awareness and Accept the Difference Month

Through our Mega Mix Holiday Programme we create a shared creative space where children and young people of all abilities, alongside their siblings, come together. Not separately, but side by side to create, connect, accept and belong.

Today’s workshop explored marbling techniques on eggs alongside canvas painting inspired by blossom and nature. The process was fluid and expressive, allowing each child to respond in their own way. Every egg became a unique mark of identity, and every canvas held a personal story.

What emerged was not just artwork, but a collective experience. A space where difference was visible, respected and naturally held within the group.

Inclusion is not passive. It is intentional. It requires thoughtful design, patience and an understanding that every child engages differently. When this is in place, creativity becomes a powerful language that brings people together.

Today was a reminder that when the environment is right, children do not need to be separated to succeed. They thrive together.

This is how we use creativity to accept the difference.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.

02/04/2026

Here’s a refined post you can use alongside the artwork:

⸻

🌍 Autism Acceptance Day – Accept the Difference

Today, we stand together for Autism Acceptance — moving beyond awareness into true understanding, respect, and inclusion.

This powerful artwork, created as part of our “Accept the Difference” campaign, reflects the beauty of diverse minds coming together. Launched through the Redbridge UNICEF Child Friendly initiative, this campaign has grown into a meaningful Neurodivergence Awareness movement through creativity.

Through our work at Barkingside Art Club, we encouraged children and young people to explore their identities, share their voices, and express their experiences through art.

🎨 Creativity becomes a language
💛 Differences become strengths
🌱 Every individual is valued

This artwork symbolises connection, care, and the importance of holding space for one another — recognising that every mind works differently, and that difference is something to celebrate, not change.

Acceptance is not a moment — it’s a mindset.

ChildFriendlyRedbridge CreativeVoices SENDInclusion

31/03/2026

🎨✨ MEGA MIX – ALL TOGETHER ART HUB! ✨🎨

Join us on 2nd April for a special inclusive art session at Barkingside Art Club as part of the Mega Mix Programme!

🌼 This session is all about bringing everyone together through creativity, connection, and fun. Whether your child loves art or just wants to explore, this is a welcoming space for all abilities.

🖌️ What we’ll be creating:
• Marble painting on eggs (spring & Easter inspired 🐣)
• Canvas painting inspired by Van Gogh 🎨
• Mixed media artwork
• A collaborative masterpiece created together

💛 A relaxed, chill and creative 2-hour session where children, young people, and families can enjoy making art side by side in an inclusive environment.

📍 Location: Fullwell Cross Library, Aldborough Room
⏰ Time: 1:30 – 3:30 PM
💷 Cost: £4 per child

✨ Let’s come together, get creative, and celebrate art as a community!

CreativeCommunity ArtForAll

29/03/2026

Thank you so much 🙏

We are so proud of all our children and young people 🤍✨
And deeply grateful to all the families who have trusted and supported us over the years.

Being part of the UNICEF Child Friendly journey will hopefully create more opportunities for children and young people to be seen, heard, and valued.

Eliyah and young people from Barkingside Art Club Barkingside Arts have worked with us and our partners on the Child Friendly Redbridge programme for a number of years. Thank you for helping Redbridge on its Child Friendly journey.

We look forward to continuing to work with you all on our journey to make Redbridge even more child friendly. 👏

28/02/2026

We attended the Hidden Gems exhibition today at Fullwell Cross Library, and it was truly inspiring.

A huge congratulations to Ru Annais, whose photography exhibition beautifully showcases her journey from volunteering with Redbridge Outdoor Arts to presenting her work publicly. Seeing a young person progress from volunteer to exhibiting creative is powerful and meaningful.

It was also wonderful to see our Creative Ambassador engaging in thoughtful conversation young creatives supporting and learning from one another in professional spaces. This is how confidence and cultural leadership grow.

We are proud that our continue to support exhibitions like this, creating accessible platforms where young people’s creativity can be seen and celebrated.

It’s fantastic to see & organising and providing opportunities for young people through your programmes. Platforms like these truly make a difference in shaping the next generation of creatives.

Congratulations, Ru your work and dedication shine. 🌿✨

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