Monthly Art and Creative Workshops: Handpoke Tattoo with Natalia Beodwski

Natalia Beodwski is running a handpoke tattoo workshop at The Harris on Saturday 7 November, from 11am to 1pm. It's part of the gallery's monthly art and creative sessions, and this one is for young people aged 14 to 19.

If you've never come across it, handpoke is a traditional tattooing technique. Instead of a machine, you work with ink and a single needle, building the design dot by dot. It's a slower, more deliberate way of working than what you'll see in most shops. During the session, you'll work on silicone mats rather than skin, so you can get the hang of it without any pressure. You'll learn the carbon stencil process — how to get a design transferred properly — and then try tattooing for yourself under Beodwski's guidance.

Beodwski is a professional tattoo artist based in Liverpool, and she's spent eight years working without a machine, so she knows the handpoke side of things inside out. That's the kind of experience you'll be leaning on for the morning, rather than just watching a demo from a distance.

The workshop runs from 11am to 1pm at No.9, The Harris, Market Square, Preston PR1 2PP. It's free and you don't need a ticket, so you can just turn up.