Let's Make Art

### Organisation Summary (max 150 words) Let’s Make Art UK is an independent, artist-led organisation based in Bristol, founded in 2012 by multidisciplinary artists Alice Hendy and Karen Davies. Creatives in Residence at Arnolfini, they are recognised as one of the UK’s leading mobile ateliers and high-quality arts providers. They design and deliver playful, inclusive and contemporary art experiences for children, families and communities across galleries, schools, museums, festivals and community settings. Their programmes range from pop-up workshops and school art clubs to large-scale participatory projects for major institutions and events. Committed to diversity, sustainability and access, Let’s Make Art empowers participants — particularly those facing barriers — to explore ideas, build confidence and express themselves creatively. Through hands-on making, co-creation and experimentation, they ensure art education is engaging, meaningful and accessible to all. --- ### Organisation Description (max 500 words) Let’s Make Art UK is an independent, artist-led organisation based in Bristol, founded in 2012 by multidisciplinary artists Alice Hendy and Karen Davies. What began in a community hall with their own art supplies and a lot of imagination has grown into one of the UK’s leading mobile ateliers and high-quality arts providers. As Creatives in Residence at Arnolfini — Bristol’s International Centre for Contemporary Arts — they design and deliver the gallery’s family engagement programme, *We Are Family*, offering free drop-in sessions during school holidays. These workshops invite families to step inside exhibiting artists’ worlds, creating meaningful connections with contemporary art while elevating children’s creative work to the status it deserves. Let’s Make Art is known for its fun, inventive and hands-on approach. Alice and Karen collaborate with artists, schools, museums, festivals and community organisations across the UK to deliver both large-scale participatory projects and intimate creative workshops. They regularly produce immersive family programmes for galleries and major events, after-school art clubs across Bristol, artist-led school residencies, and community initiatives designed to reduce barriers to participation. Art education sits at the heart of their practice. They believe every child should have access to high-quality creative learning, recognising that art nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, confidence and emotional expression. Their carefully planned programmes introduce children to a wide range of materials, techniques and art historical references, encouraging experimentation and independent thinking. Their portfolio includes partnerships with institutions such as the Royal West of England Academy, Watershed, M Shed, National Festival of Making, Upfest, and Bristol Beacon, alongside publishing art activities for magazines including AQUILA and OKIDO. In 2022, they published a children’s arts and crafts book extending their ethos into homes and classrooms nationwide. In 2025, they present *Enjoy Yourself* at Gallery 5, Arnolfini — an exhibition celebrating archive projects and the organisation’s commitment to art education and community engagement, including collaborative work with refugee families. Diversity, inclusivity and sustainability underpin every project. Let’s Make Art works with families experiencing displacement, children facing economic disadvantage, and individuals experiencing homelessness, ensuring creative opportunities reach those who might otherwise be excluded. Delivering ambitious projects for large groups is one of their strengths; whether working with over one hundred participants or small community groups, they combine logistical expertise with imaginative thinking. Together, Karen and Alice devise playful, thoughtful and ambitious creative experiences that empower people of all ages to explore ideas, build confidence and make art part of everyday life.