Young people invited to join winter Blank Page workshops

By James Powell | 1 December 2025

Suffolk Community Libraries is delighted to announce another round of Blank Page creative workshops for young people for the festive period.

19 workshops will be running from 22 December – 2 January in the following libraries: Bury St Edmunds, Chantry, Gainsborough, Great Cornard, Ipswich County Library, Lowestoft. Sudbury, Stoke and Stowmarket. This will be the first time Stoke Library in Ipswich has been part of the programme.

Full information about the workshops and booking details are available via the Blank Page section of our website. Parents and young people are welcome to take a look at book a place at one or more workshops!

The workshops are free for young people eligible for benefit-related free school meals. There are also a limited number of places per workshop priced at £15 each for young people that are not eligible for benefit-related free school meals. This includes lunch, drinks and snacks. You can check on the to gov.uk website see if you’re eligible for free school meals.

Erin Hamilton, Suffolk Community Libraries Children’s Librarian, said:

“Thousands of young people have booked onto hundreds of workshops since we launched Blank Page in Easter 2023. We’ve had amazing feedback and it’s clear they’ve been a huge success, not only in helping to build confidence and skills in young people but also getting them into our libraries so they can see what we have to offer them.”

Nadia Cenci, Cabinet Member for Communities, said:

“These workshops have been incredibly successful in helping our libraries to engage with more young people. It’s wonderful they’re running again and I urge young people to make the most of them over the holidays. They’re a brilliant example of the kind of valuable and creative opportunities the Holiday Activity Fund is making possible for children who receive benefit-related free school meals across Suffolk.”

Blank Page was launched in March 2023 and is funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activity Fund. The workshops provide enriching and engaging activities in libraries during the school holidays.

Workshops will include:

• Typography T-shirt with Sarah Nkugwa from AMPP Studio
• Mosaic Decoration with EJArt Ceramics
• Character Illustration with Dex Legon
• Upcycled Collage and Decoupage with Clare Sams.

For more information about other opportunities available via the Holiday Activity Fund in Suffolk visit the Suffolk HAF website.