Surreal Shadow Creatures

Surreal Shadow Creatures is running at MAC Birmingham on Tuesday 27 October, a family workshop that lets you build your own shadow puppet from scratch. It's led by professional puppeteer Lori Hopkins, who'll guide you through the whole process: designing your creature, building it, and then bringing it to life behind the screen. The best part is you get to take your puppet home when the session's over.

There's a bit of a story behind it, too. The workshop grew out of the MAC's Surreal Creatures Trail and the venue's exhibitions on surrealist art, including Emmy Bridgwater and the Birmingham Surrealists and Surreal Solihull. It takes the ancient art of shadow puppetry and gives it a contemporary twist, so if you've been following the surrealist stuff around the building, this is the hands-on version of that. It's part of the MAC's half-term family programme, which means it's designed for kids to get stuck into while school's out.

On the practical side, it's recommended for ages 3 and over, and children need to be supported by a parent or guardian and able to use scissors safely. Accessible Companion tickets are available, so if you're coming with someone who needs a bit of extra support, that's covered. It's run on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last, so if you're planning to go, it's worth getting there early rather than leaving it to chance.

There are two sessions on the day: one at 10:00am and another at 1:00pm, each running for two hours. Both are free, and they're held in the Terrace Gallery at MAC Birmingham (Midlands Arts Centre) in Cannon Hill Park, B12 9QH.