Calling writers, storytellers, and those with a passion for daydreaming!

Storytelling Around the Fire is a series of creative workshops to develop original short stories with a local connection perfect for telling around the campfire.

How does it work? There will be three sessions with a choice of four dates to create at least one new original short story tied in some way to the identity of Esperance to be shared as part of the Storytelling Around the Fire Event, May 17th.

Led by WA artist and author, SJ Eeles, the games-based workshops draw on her Improv and Stand-Up Comedy backgrounds as well as writing, to create supportive and fun sessions to stimulate inspiration, spark and nurture new ideas, and venture into new realms of creativity.

Registration essential and places limited- free, thanks to Mt Burdett Foundation.

Participants are required to attend a Session One on either night, at least one other session, and complete one new story for the Storytelling Around the Fire Event. Writers will be paid a fee for their story to be included and retain all rights to their work.

Participants are required to be 15+ - exceptions may be made pending parental enquiries.

Session One - Monday 6th May OR Thursday 9th May (attend only one) 6pm - 8pm
Session Two - Saturday 11th May 10am - 12pm
Session Three - Sunday 12th May 2pm - 4pm

For more information please contact SJ Eeles - 0402161105

The Print Room will be opened for members to pursue their own sewing projects. Come along and work alongside like minded individuals to stop and make time to sew.

BYO sewing machine, project etc.
Limited spaces. Registration required.
Adults only.

This group is planned for the first Saturday each month, with dates altered due to long weekends, school holidays or other clashes.

4 May and 8 June

$5 Cannery member *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Your last chance to sew with guidance from artist in residence, costumer and textile artist, Rosalie Boland in her workshop space the Art Room. Bring along your own sewing projects, or use materials and tools from Rosalie, ask those burning tailoring questions or make another upcycled hen. Come along and work alongside like minded individuals to stop and make time to sew.

BYO sewing machine or use one of ours.
Limited spaces. Registration required.
$5 Cannery member *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Join us for a fascinating workshop exploring the intriguing world of the paper nautilus. Led by teacher and artist Pat McCarthy, known for his innovative Fish on Fish Skins technique, participants will delve into the biology of the argonaut, an octopus that creates its own egg incubator shell. After learning about this remarkable creature, kids will get hands-on creating their own paper nautilus using paper mache, unleashing their creativity in a sustainable and unique mixed-media art form.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 6+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Join us for the Wooly Wombats workshop, where you'll discover the art of crafting your own adorable plush toy from upcycled fabrics. Under the expert guidance of textile artist Rosalie Boland, you'll learn cutting techniques and sewing skills to bring your cuddly creature to life, complete with button eyes and a charmingly oversized nose. Walk away with a unique, eco-friendly companion and the satisfaction of creating something special with your own hands.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for painting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 7+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

In this vibrant workshop led by Katie White, a botanist turned artist and educator, participants will dive into the world of wildflowers as they craft their own unique flower collages. Using an array of colorful flower photos previously curated by the Esperance Wildflower Society, children will create a stunning mixed-media masterpiece. Katie, who gets great excitement and joy out of the many wonders of the natural world, is passionate about sharing and connecting. The workshop will begin with painting the background, followed by the playful arrangement of flower collage elements. Kids will take home their personalized flower collage paintings, adorned with their imaginative drawings, serving as a beautiful celebration of local wildflowers and creativity.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 5+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Join us for a captivating journey into the world of Banksias at the Kepa Kurl Workshop. Did you know that the Esperance sandplains are teeming with these fascinating plants? Delve into the mysteries of Banksia ecology as we explore their flowers, leaves, and the crucial role of pollinators. Under the guidance of Katie White, a botanist, scientist, and artist, participants will have the opportunity to create their own masterpiece—a vibrant painting showcasing Banksia elements. Using traced leaves as a backdrop and skillful brushwork to depict pollinators, children will take home a unique artwork that celebrates the beauty and importance of these remarkable plants. Join us for an enriching experience that fosters creativity, curiosity, and appreciation for the wonders of the natural world.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for painting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle. Please be aware of hayfever and allergies from touching plants, please provide medical information where stated.

Age: 5+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Step into the world of the impressionist masters in our Mini Masters workshop, where we explore how these artists captured the essence of their surroundings and light. Led by our artist-in-residence, Rosalie Boland, participants will delve into the techniques of renowned impressionists, immersing themselves in the vibrant colours and luminous landscapes that define the movement. Using acrylic paint and paper, each student will create their own interpretation of a sun-drenched masterpiece, infusing their work with the spirit of the impressionists. Completed paintings will be left to dry overnight and available for collection the following day.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for painting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 7+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Join us for a vibrant workshop where you'll unleash your creativity using coloured pencils and soft pastels to craft vivid portraits of your beloved animals and pets. Led by young emerging artist Hayley Fletcher, who specialises in animal portraits using a wide range of materials and is passionate about showing others the joy in making art. This session offers an exciting opportunity to explore the artistry of depicting animals with lively hues and imaginative flair. Participants will have the freedom to choose their subjects and will walk away with one or more stunning drawings, along with newfound inspiration and enthusiasm for the artistic process.

All materials are provided. We recommend sending your child with a labelled water bottle and dressed for messy fun, must wear closed-in shoes.

Age: 8-14 years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Join us for Clay and Play-Animals, a delightful workshop designed for children to explore their creativity through clay sculpting! Led by pottery enthusiasts and loving moms, Jess and Tara, children will have the opportunity to bring their favourite animals to life with clay.

All materials are provided, but we recommend sending your child with a labelled water bottle and dressed for messy fun, must wear closed-in shoes. After the workshop, pieces will be fired and glazed, ready for collection 2-3 weeks later.

Age: 6+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Rest assured, all our tutors have Working With Children Checks, allowing you to drop off your child with confidence. Feel free to stay if it makes your child more comfortable, and watch their imagination soar as they mould and squish their way through this hands-on experience!

The first class booked out overnight so an extra class has been made. Join us for Clay and Play-Animals, a delightful workshop designed for children to explore their creativity through clay sculpting! Led by pottery enthusiasts and loving moms, Jess and Tara, children will have the opportunity to bring their favourite animals to life with clay.

All materials are provided, but we recommend sending your child with a labelled water bottle and dressed for messy fun, must wear closed-in shoes. After the workshop, pieces will be fired and glazed, ready for collection 2-3 weeks later.

Age: 6+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Rest assured, all our tutors have Working With Children Checks, allowing you to drop off your child with confidence. Feel free to stay if it makes your child more comfortable, and watch their imagination soar as they mould and squish their way through this hands-on experience!

Immerse yourself in the world of tie-dye artistry at our Tie Dye Creations workshop led by textile artist Rosalie Boland. Design your unique patterns on a pillowcase and tote bag using the provided materials and expert guidance. Rosalie will oversee the dyeing process, ensuring vibrant results. Collect your personalized creations a few days later and infuse your style into everyday items with this fun and creative workshop experience.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 8+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Be inspired by BLOOM the exhibition of works from artists Naomi Stanitzki and Mylene van Heijster with this week’s drawing club where we immerse ourselves amongst their artworks. Remember going to the museum with a sketchbook and capturing the essence of other artists works to get inspired? That's exactly what we will do. Sit yourself down in front of one of the sculptures or capture the gallery and exhibition in a still life of the room or study the intricacies of a delicate button necklace. Endless options to inspire you, with support from Drawing Collective facilitator and artist Rani Fankha. 

Drawing Collection is our new drawing club, made for passionate individuals committed to regular artistic practice. Meeting fortnightly, the drawing collective is made for those who revel in the joy of creating art consistently, providing a supportive community for mutual inspiration and growth. Whether you're a seasoned artist looking to expand your repertoire or a beginner eager to explore the world of drawing, the drawing club offers a welcoming space for creativity to flourish. We will practice life drawing where we take turns modeling ourselves (if it is in your clothes, dressed up, or if you’re confident enough nude), or invite people to model for us. To break it up there will be still life drawing to explore and experiment with different art mediums.

Come every time, or when you can. Upcoming sessions are on Tuesdays 7pm-8.30pm on:
26 March

We break for the school holidays. Welcome to bring your own supplies, tablets welcome, basic materials provided. Some guidance provided for those who want.

Adults and older teens

$10 per person - participants are required to be members of the Cannery Arts Centre *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Arty Anchovies is for children who love art and crafts. Join our crafty tutor Mary Darling as she guides the children to create Easter inspired hats and baskets. Mary lays out a delightful craft smorgasbord, with an abundance of supplies, including sequins, tape, stickers, pom poms, feathers, glitter card, and much more. It's a crafting paradise where endless possibilities await!

All materials are provided.

Children 5-12 years

$20 per child - participants must be a member of the Cannery Arts Centre to participate in this course *please sign up here to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

All our tutors have Working with Children Check’s-drop your child off or feel free to stay
All materials are provided-we recommend sending your child with a labelled water bottle and nut free snack and dressing them appropriately for painting and craft.

Join artist Rani Fankha in our new drawing club, made for passionate individuals committed to regular artistic practice. Meeting fortnightly, the drawing collective is made for those who revel in the joy of creating art consistently, providing a supportive community for mutual inspiration and growth. Whether you're a seasoned artist looking to expand your repertoire or a beginner eager to explore the world of drawing, the drawing club offers a welcoming space for creativity to flourish. We will practice life drawing where we take turns modeling ourselves (if it is in your clothes, dressed up, or if you’re confident enough nude), or invite people to model for us. To break it up there will be still life drawing to explore and experiment with different art mediums.

Come every time, or when you can. Upcoming sessions are on Tuesdays 7pm-8.30pm on:
27 February
12 March
26 March

Welcome to bring your own supplies, tablets welcome, basic materials provided. Some guidance provided for those who want.

Adults only *older teens if interested parents are advised to contact the Cannery as nude models are used occasionally but not every session.

$10 per person - participants are required to be members of the Cannery Arts Centre *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Learn to make your own sterling silver stacker rings in this 3 hour morning workshop with Kathleen Nettlefold from Luna Designs. Perfect for anybody who has already completed the previous 'Sterling Silver Earring' workshop as we will be building on previous skills and introducing soldering techniques. However this workshop is suitable for beginners and you do not have to have completed the previous workshop. You will get to make at least two rings with your choice of texturing patterns.

All materials provided.

Suitable for adults and older teens.

All skill levels welcome.

$110 per person - participants are required to be members of the Cannery Arts Centre *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Easter clay fun for children! Make an egg tray out of clay and store your Easter eggs in it. Guided by pottery loving Mum's Jess and Tara, let your child get moulding and squishing with clay. Items will be fired afterwards and will be available to collect approximately 3 weeks later.

Children 7+ years

$40 per child - participants must be a member of the Cannery Arts Centre to participate in this course *please sign up here to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

All materials are provided though it is recommended to send children with a labelled water bottle and dress them for messy claywork.

All our tutors have Working with Children Check’s-drop your child off or feel free to stay
All materials are provided-we recommend sending your child with a labelled water bottle and dress them appropriately for painting.

Join illustrator and artist in residence, Michelle Stevens, for a casual, fun portrait drawing session. Bring a friend and draw each other or meet someone new. The artist will be around to provide tips and pointers through a fun and creative portrait swap.

All skill levels welcome.

Materials provided.

Adults only.

BYO drinks and snacks.

$30 per person - participants are required to be members of the Cannery Arts Centre *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

The Print Room will be opened for members to pursue their own sewing projects. Come along and work alongside like minded individuals to stop and make time to sew.

BYO sewing machine, project etc.
Limited spaces. Registration required.
Adults only.

This group is planned for the first Saturday each month, with dates altered due to long weekends, school holidays or other clashes.

17 February and 9 March

$5 Cannery member *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Welcome to the Drawing Collective, facilitated by artist Rani Fankha. This is the inaugural session of our new drawing club, for passionate individuals committed to regular artistic practice. Meeting fortnightly, the collective is made for those who revel in the joy of creating art consistently. To kick it off, we have guest artist, Michelle Stevens, artist in residence and illustrator from Boston, USA. Practice the basics of observational figure drawing techniques, build up from 30 second gesture impressions to a closing 30+ minute sketch session to better understand form and improve drawing skills. Whether you're a seasoned artist looking to expand your repertoire or a beginner eager to explore the world of drawing, the drawing club offers a welcoming space for creativity to flourish.

Materials will be provided, welcome to bring your own.

Adults and older teens for this workshop. Future drawing collective workshops, parents advised to contact Cannery as nude models used occasionally.

$10 per person - participants are required to be members of the Cannery Arts Centre *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Come down to the Cannery Arts Centre, and off to the left-hand side off Norseman Road, you will find our Forage Community Garden attached to the far side of the Innerspace Building.

Katherine Walkerden will lead a group of keen volunteers come down to tinker away at any necessary work to keep our garden beds and vegetables in full swing all year round. Join us, bring a friend, make some more, and create in our vibrant, natural haven.

If you belong to our community garden, you know the benefits you reap from participation extend far beyond a bountiful harvest. Taking part in the Forage Community Garden is a fantastic way to engage with your neighbourhood and support our green spaces around the Cannery Arts Centre.
If you miss the feeling of digging your hands deep down in the soil and planting, a patch of ground in the Cannery garden is pure magic. Our Forage Garden also serves as a nutritious source of fresh produce to take home.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meet-up! Morning tea is provided if we haven't convinced you enough already to pop down. FREE to attend and no registrations needed.

Mindfulness Photography is about slowing down and clearing the mind by taking photos.

Join Michael Pelusey, professional photographer and travel writer, in this workshop, where Michael will show his mindfulness photography process for taking better photos. Participants are to bring their own camera, a smartphone or SLR, or both! After an hour of theory, participants will venture outside for some fun and hands-on practice outside in nature.

Michael and Jane Pelusey are professional travel writers and photographers. They have published over 80 non fiction books for children as well as travel guides and magazine articles. Michael has run photography workshops and talks in WA for over 10 years. Michael also runs his Mindfulness Photography Facebook group where members meet up in different locations.
Web www.pelusey.com Facebook michael.pelusey Instagram pelusey_life

Limited to 16 participants-Suitable for adults and older teens.

$40 per person

Join artist in residence, illustrator Michelle Stevens from Boston, America. If you saw Michelle doing 15 minute portraits at the markets, you would have been impressed by her skills! In this workshop Michelle will get participants to practice the basics of observational animal drawing techniques. Participants will build up from 30 second gesture impressions to a closing 30+ minute sketch session to better understand form and improve drawing skills.

Materials will be provided, welcome to bring your own.

Adults and older teens for this workshop.

$30 per person - participants are required to be members of the Cannery Arts Centre *please sign up to become a Cannery Arts Centre member

Artist in residence, Michelle Stevens, a 2D illustrator and artist, from Boston, America, will lead participants through some local plein-air sketching, encouraging them to observe and capture their surroundings, then take these back to the Cannery to develop these observations into playful concepts. There will be experimental play with materials, typically seen as cheap and simple, that Michelle uses in her fine artwork, such as with Crayola crayons and scratchboards. This workshop is for avid drawers and creatives.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 10+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

In this workshop, participants will be taught the basics of hand-building clay. Guided by Mums, Jess and Tara, who both have a passion for ceramics and want to share their love of clay with kids. Participants will create a unique and functional chip and dip bowl. The pottery has to harden and then is bisque-fired. Jess and Tara will then glaze them and they will be fired again. Once they are ready you will be notified by email to collect them, approximately 3-4 weeks later.

All other materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed-in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 8+years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Explore the Cannery Arts Centre Forage garden on a little sensory tour, smelling and feeling different herbs and learning about their culinary and remedial uses, with Silke Apel from Leafy Greens Esperance. Silke loves everything gardening and loves to assist people and the community in growing their food and applying permaculture principles to everyday life. After wandering through the garden, participants will create their own herbal alchemy or garden potion and write a recipe to take home including a herbal or flower bouquet that can be dried or used in the kitchen.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 6+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here

Join the fun in creating a wild, windy day with watercolours. Guided by Bonnie Wilson, explore the idea of movement and how to show this in paintings. A primary school teacher by trade, Bonnie loves crafting. Watercolours are a fun medium to use, participants will be able to take home a couple of wonderful watercolour paintings.

All materials are provided. Participants should wear clothes suitable for crafting, and must wear closed in shoes. Recommended to send them with a labelled water bottle.

Age: 9+ years

$20 Cannery Member
$35 Non Member

Membership to the Cannery for children/youth is $30 for 12 months from the date you sign them up. Sign up here