Throughout October to December 2025, the Community Making Space at Scottish Sculpture Workshop continued to be a place for local residents to gather, make, and spend time together. The Autumn season was full of conversation and hands-on activity, with people taking part week after week, building confidence, friendships, and curiosity as they tried new processes or honed existing skills along the way.
The Autumn season was shaped by listening to what our community wants – through conversations with Advisors, feedback, and our annual survey. Our community members told us they wanted: more regular opportunities to learn; to be outdoors; and to take part in creative activity that supports wellbeing as much as making. The programme grew directly from this, offering relaxed, welcoming spaces where people could join in at their own pace.
Mid-Week Make
The Autumn Season launched the Mid-Week Make, a new weekly Wednesday evening making session. Running from 6–8pm and led by local artists and knowledge holders, these sessions were designed to be accessible and informal. They offered a chance to try something new without pressure, and to enjoy making alongside others.
Over the weeks, activities ranged from clay handbuilding and beeswax candle making to papermaking with local and waste materials, wreath making, and nature-inspired sculpture. Many participants spoke about how much they enjoyed the balance between creativity and connection.
“I love all the sessions, taking something different away from each, with an urge for more making.”
“Creating can be the priority, with socialising sprinkled on top.”
Thursday Club and the Materials Garden
Our Thursday daytime sessions also took on a new shape, becoming the Thursday Club. These weekly gatherings focused on working outdoors in the SSW Materials Garden, sharing seasonal skills and knowledge around land, growing, and materials. Together we pressed apples, planned for the next growing season, and made festive wreaths.
Each session finished with a free pot luck lunch shared with everyone on site – the SSW team, artists, and community groups. These lunches remain a core part of Thursday Club, offering space to slow down, chat, and enjoy being together.
“Everyone at SSW is very welcoming and it feels like an extended family.”
The Community Fridge
Running alongside Thursday Club, the Community Fridge continues to be an important part of our Community Making Space. It provides access to surplus food while helping reduce food waste and carbon emissions.
Between October and December, over £5,000 worth of food was saved from landfill, including £900 worth distributed on Christmas Eve.
“The community fridge is amazing – it takes a bit of pressure off the week.”
Young people and seasonal celebrations
Autumn also brought moments of celebration. During the October school holidays (Tattie Holidays), our Halloween-themed Kids Club welcomed young artists for creative sessions filled with decoration-making, Tjanpi-inspired creatures, costume competitions and spell casting.The season’s festivities continued at the Lumsden Halloween Party, where local residents came together in the village hall for spooky games, neep carving, dookin’ for aipples and plenty of laughter.
We rounded off the season with our Clay Social Pot Party in December, complete with brilliant handbuilt clay Christmas jumpers and some ambitious (and impressive) wheel-thrown chimneys.
Alongside the Community Making Space programme we have enjoyed heading out to Alford Academy to spend 3 weeks with Higher Art students exploring colour, glaze and ceramics. We also loved joining the Lumsden Primary School Craft Club and making future plans together with their talented young artists. We also have new Lumsden residents joining our amazing Community Advisory Group and to shape Community Making Space plans and priorities for the year ahead.
Looking ahead
As we move into the next seasonal programme, we’re looking forward to building on the ideas, relationships, and shared energy that grew over the autumn months — continuing to develop Community Making Space as a place for making, learning, and having fun.
