MarketPlace and the National Gallery join forces to bring mobile art studio to Wisbech this week

Wisbech will welcome a mobile art studio this week as part of the National Gallery’s ‘Art Road Trip’ to celebrate its 200th year, having joined forces with local arts organisation, MarketPlace.

The partnership sees a two-week creative programme designed to bring art and creativity into the heart of communities in Wisbech and Mildenhall.

From tomorrow until Saturday, July 6, the travelling studio will be at Peckover House, the Oasis Community Centre and in the Market Place.

Community groups and members of the public are all able to attend free workshops and hands-on activities in each location around the theme ‘Re:Imagine’. All of the workshops are facilitated by professional artists, Chioma Ince and Alex Bowie.

MarketPlace is delighted to also be working in collaboration with National Trust Peckover House in Wisbech, supporting the delivery of the project. The renowned Georgian townhouse and its walled garden will be hosting pre-project workshops in the lead-up to the arrival of the Art Road Trip van, featuring a blend of nature and craft activities.

These workshops will be working with the Damsons group, which has been based at Peckover House since 2022 and supports individuals living with dementia, their families and their informal carers.

MarketPlace programme director Rob Drummer said: “Art Road Trip kicks off a really exciting and creative summer programme for MarketPlace and we’re delighted to have partnered with the National Gallery. Celebrating 200 years of the gallery by spending 2 weeks in our communities across Wisbech and Mildenhall gets to the core of why MarketPlace exists.

“Creativity connects communities in surprising ways and by being out and about with such a diverse range of free, surprising and really engaging workshops we hope that residents in both towns will get to try something new”.

Nicola Power, project manager at National Trust said: “We have had a wonderful opportunity to work with artist Ann Bellamy at the Damsons group here at Peckover House. Everyone experimented with pencils and acrylic pens to create their own artwork using framed art, their own memories and imagination. I think a lot of people surprised themselves with what they were able to achieve!

“It was lovely to see people’s creativity emerge and having such interesting and fun conversations about what they were doing. This is something special for Wisbech and we are pleased to be able to collaborate with MarketPlace and the National Gallery, supporting art and creativity in the local area with such an exciting project. We very much look forward to hosting the Art Road Trip van at Peckover in July.”

National Gallery artist facilitator Alex said: “Everyone will be able to explore paintings from the National Gallery Collection in new ways, discover how paint is made, experiment with different printmaking techniques and even help create a huge participatory artwork in the Market Place. My colleague and artist facilitator Chioma and I are advocates for creativity and experimentation and are thrilled to be delivering this project in Wisbech as part of the National Gallery’s national programme. No creative experience necessary, just come along and get involved, you may be surprised by what you discover!”

Art Road Trip will then move to Mildenhall in West Suffolk from July 9 to 13.

The Art Road Trip mobile studio will be at the following locations in Wisbech: Tuesday and Wednesday, July 2 and 3: Outside the Oasis Centre (St Michael’s Ave, PE13 3NR) ● Thursday, July 4: Peckover House (N Brink, PE13 1JR) ● Friday and Saturday, July 5 and: Market Place(PE13 1DT).