Family Sundays

Join our family artists-in-residence every Sunday for time together to be creative as a family and have fun. 

We’ll explore key themes and processes in our programme such as spoken word, music, movement, performance and circus, with opportunities for you and your little ones to perform too!  

Our fantastic artists in residence for Autumn 2025 Family Sundays are Ashlee Elizabeth-Lolo and Martin McNally. Here’s a bit more about them and their exciting workshops:

Ashlee Elizabeth-Lolo Artist Bio:

Ashlee is a Playwright, Poet and Broadcaster from the West Midlands. She has worked with The Birmingham Hippodrome, National Theatre, and The Rep. Ashlee is passionate about mentoring and supporting young people through the dramatic arts. Her work is concerned with selfhood, inclusion, language, and personal histories. 

Ashlee will deliver a collection of family-friendly workshops exploring the possibilities of poetry for performance, public speaking, myths and legends, and much more. These sessions will be engaging & accessible, encouraging all who come to take part to explore the possibilities of words, their impact on ourselves and those around us, and how performance can be a powerful play tool. 

Martin McNally’s Artist Bio:

Martin McNally (aka Mixed Milk) is an artist, filmmaker, and community arts facilitator whose work includes illustration, animation, sculpture, and more. As the founder of Mixed Milk Media, Martin takes a collaborative and playful approach to exploring themes of change, movement, perception, and how people make sense of the world, often drawing on everyday experiences and shared stories. His practice balances solo work and collaboration, shifting between personal exploration and creating space for others to make and connect.

Sculpture In Motion

Martin will be delivering workshops responding to the theme of ‘Sculpture In Motion’. Drop in and experiment with making playful sculptures that can move in simple ways. Using accessible materials and easy mechanisms, you’ll create small artworks that come to life through motion. No experience needed – just curiosity and imagination.

Schedule 

12/10/2025

Ashlee Elizabeth- Lolo - Fables and Myths With a Modern Twist

Join Ashlee for the first Family Sundays! During the session, families will bring some of the best fables + myths to life through performance. We’ll explore fables and myths from all around the world, have a go at bringing them to life through acting and performance, and then, for the final part of the session, we’ll create our own modern-day fables and myths that would resonate with audiences today. 

19/10/2025

Martin McNally -Spinning Illusions

Join Martin for his first Family Sundays workshop and create your own toy! Simple kinetic and optical toys: spinning tops, whirligigs, thaumatropes, and flipbooks. Fun for all the family, enjoy creating your very own toy with Martin.

26/10/2025

Ashlee Elizabeth -Lolo - Creating Legends and Superheroes

During the session, families will explore the mechanics of how to create a superhero! We’ll break down existing superheroes through rhyme and poetry, explore the art of making legends from a superhero’s triumph, and begin making our own legends about unsung heroes in our local town/families/friendship groups. 

02/11/2025

Martin McNally– Zoetropes

Create your own looping animations with Martin! Spend the afternoon designing, cutting, animating, and creating. Making characters move, jump, leap - whatever your heart desires! 

09/11/2025

Ashlee Elizabeth – Lolo – Monster Hunters 

During the session, families will get to design and create the backstory for their very own monster! We’ll look at existing spooky monsters, interview/write newspaper articles about them. For the last part of the session, young people will get to design and create back stories for their very own monster, who might get accepted into the University of Warwick’s brand new monster department. 

16/11/2025

Martin McNally – Kaleidoscopes Creations

Design, make and create your own Kaleidoscopes! Use colourful materials, focusing on symmetry and shine, to make your very own kaleidoscope. Once made, you can walk around the gallery and explore the exhibition with your newly discovered colours! 

Plus it’s maths week!

Look out for Maths week activities being held in the Creative Learning Space! Create polyhedra, origami, fractal jigsaws, geometrical balloon constructions and more!  All materials provided.  Suitable for all ages, especially 5-12

23/11/2025

Ashlee Elizabeth – Lolo - This Is How It’s Run! 

During the session, young people will become the leaders of Coventry! They’ll get to decide what the city will look like in 10 years’ time, how money is spent (if we have any at all!) and the most important question of all – what to do with those pesky grown ups?

30/11/2025

Martin McNally – Automaton Creatures 

Make your very own mechanical structure and creature! Use a variety of materials to bend, stretch, fluff, move and animate your own character. Once created, you can take your structure to the video booth to bring it to life! 

07/12/2025

Ashlee Elizabeth – Lolo  -Spreading Festive Joy

During Ashlee’s final session, families will get the chance to participate in different creative writing tasks that will help spread Christmas joy! From a poetry stage to letter writing stations, to decorating a tree with your poetic wishes for 2026, this activity will focus on community care with a touch of festive magic! 

14/12/2025 

Martin McNally – Many Faced Monsters

During Martin's final workshop, you’ll sculpt expressive figures with four different faces. Learn how to sculpt, refine, and create multiple faces whilst animating your character! Once created, learn how to rotate and capture your many-faced friend in the video booth!