The Inkstone is a creative participation strand by The Holding Palette CIC. Rooted in ink, mark-making, nature observation and collective creativity, it offers artist-led workshops and participatory projects that invite people to slow down, explore materials, make together and feel more connected to themselves, one another and the places they live.
The Inkstone creates opportunities for people of all ages to slow down, look closely and engage with creativity through hands-on experience. Through workshops, installations and community projects, participants are invited to experiment, make marks, share ideas and contribute to something larger than themselves.
Guided by curiosity, creativity and connection, The Inkstone explores how artistic practice can help people engage with the natural world, discover new ways of making, and build a sense of belonging through shared creative experiences.
Ink is both a material and a way of working.
Inspired by East Asian ink traditions, The Inkstone explores how ink invites attention, experimentation and discovery. Unlike many art materials, ink cannot always be fully controlled or corrected. Marks spread, blend and transform, inviting us to notice what is happening in the moment.
Through brushwork, movement and observation, participants are encouraged to respond to what emerges, explore the relationship between intention and chance, and discover new ways of making through direct experience.
For The Inkstone, ink is not only a medium we use. It is also a way of slowing down, looking closely, responding with care and engaging creatively with the world around us.
Nature
Nature provides both inspiration and material. Trees, plants, landscapes, weather and seasonal change encourage us to observe closely and engage with the world around us in new ways.
Making
We believe creativity is something we do, not simply something we observe. Participants are encouraged to explore, experiment and learn through making, regardless of previous experience.
Belonging
Creative experiences can bring people together. We create opportunities for participants to contribute, collaborate and share in the process of making, building connections through collective creativity
Ink Forest is the first developing project within The Inkstone.
Ink Forest is being developed as a creative journey that moves between observation, making and sharing. Participants will spend time exploring local trees and landscapes, create large-scale ink artworks using ink, bamboo brushes and fabric in the studio, and contribute to a collective installation that brings individual works together into a shared forest experience.
Through a combination of nature observation, mark-making and collective installation, individual artworks come together to form an immersive forest created by the community itself.
The project explores attention, creativity, experimentation and connection to place. Participants are encouraged to look closely, respond to what they see, and discover the expressive possibilities of ink through both individual and collective making.
As the project develops, Ink Forest aims to create opportunities for children, adults and intergenerational groups to engage with nature, creativity and community through a shared artistic experience.
We welcome conversations with schools, community groups, artists, cultural organisations, environmental partners and venues interested in developing creative participation projects inspired by ink, nature and collective making.
Whether you are looking to host a workshop, develop a community arts project, explore creative engagement with nature or collaborate on a new idea, we would love to hear from you.
To find out more about The Inkstone or discuss potential partnerships, please get in touch.
