Second Chances Women's Art Workshops with Footprints Project

Second Chances is a series of women's art workshops run by the Footprints Project, and the next session is on Tuesday 6 October at The Old School House in Bournemouth. It's a small-group setup, so it's more of a quiet, creative space than a big class.

Inside the sessions, you'll be making things you can actually use or sell: tote bags, t-shirts, jewellery, greeting cards and prints. Most of what comes out of the workshops ends up for sale at The Shire Hall Museum in Dorchester, so there's a real sense of seeing your work go somewhere rather than just sitting on a shelf. The workshops are run by artist Samantha March and facilitated by Footprints Art Co-ordinator Helen Hempstead.

It helps to know what's behind it. The Footprints Project works with people across Hampshire and Dorset who've been affected by prison and the criminal justice system, and they describe their aim as encouraging self-worth, nurturing hope and bringing a sense of belonging. Second Chances is their art project, and these workshops are part of that. The whole thing is supported by a Magic Little Grant through a partnership between Local Giving and the Postcode Local Trust, The Arts Society and Dorset Community Foundation.

The sessions run weekly from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at The Old School House, Gladstone Mews, Gladstone Rd, Bournemouth, BH7 6BG. They're free to attend, and you can either sign up yourself or be referred through helen@footprintsproject.co.uk.