Art Parties at The Laboratory

The Laboratory Art Studio based at Wat Tyler Country Park now hosts Art Parties for all ages from 0-90 for all occasions including Birthday party's, Weddings, Anniversaries etc. 

Our art parties are a hassle-free, affordable, fun and a creative experience for your child (or adult) to enjoy with their friends. Parties are tailored and designed around a theme or medium of your choice.

Celebrate and create with a  birthday party at The Laboratory

Mediums could include:

Clay, Potters wheel, PaperCraft, Collage, Fabric, Sculpture, Canvas painting, Nail Art, Tiara & Jewellery Making, Ceramic painting, Glass painting, Origami, Drawing and Design etc.

Quality Artworks designed and completed within an Art Party Setting.

Party themes can include:

Pirates, Under the sea, Prince and Princess, Bugs and Butterflies, Dr Who, The Simpsons, Jungle animals, Mermaids, Cars, Ghosties, Football, Moshi Monsters, Manga, Urban Art, Pop Art, Splash and Splatter and so much more.

 This party featured a hot-wheel theme where children designed and created their own pencil powered car and bookmark.  

The Laboratory all set up ready for a hot-wheels themed art party

Parents are welcome to stay and play with their children at the parties. 

The children proudly showing off their fabulous creations

Why not add a little extra spice to your party by choosing one of the additional attractions The Laboratory and Wat Tyler Country Park can offer.

The Wat Tyler Train - include a wonderful half an hour train ride around the park*

The Wat Tyler train comes complete with customised tickets for your party

The Retro Bouncy Castle - this castle is a perfect accompaniment to any party and has been specifically designed to cater for adults as well as children*

Retro Bouncy Castle ideal for children and adults alike

*Additional charges apply and both the train and bouncy castle and both are dependent on good weather.

Price range: £8 per child for 1 hour booking which includes one art activity & pass the arty parcel

£10 per child for 2 hours booking including two art activities, pass the arty parcel and break half way for snack**

Minimum booking of 8 children on any bookings...

**additional charge for snacks or bring your own

To book you space or find out more information contact Lisa Smith on:

Venue: No 1 The Laboratory, (opposite The Green Centre), Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea Hall Lane  Pitsea, Basildon, Essex SS16 4UH

Follow me on Twitter: @1the_laboratory            

Facebook: facebook.com/(1thelaboratory)

Mobile: 07970332097    

Email: the_laboratory@hotmail.co.uk

The Launch

This Saturday saw the official launch opening of The Laboratory art studio, opposite The Green Centre at Wat Tyler Country Park.

We had a fantastic day with a large number of visitors who joined us for the launch and took part in the day's activities.

Participants had fun making a bowl from newspaper, drawing images of our large paper roll and showing off their artistic skills on our "Draw one Take one" activity.

A big thank you to Stephen Metcalfe MP, for visiting the studio and joining in with the fun activities (see pictures below) and Steve Prewer, manager of Wat Tyler for supporting our vision and attending the event.

The studio will be open most weekends, with next Saturday seeing the start of our Make and Matter group costing £3 per particpant. Workshops will start at 9:00am and finish at 11:00am. Participants will learn how to make felt brooches of various designs. We hope that once you have learnt how to make a brooch you will join us to make additional pieces that can be taken to Basildon St Luke's Hospice and sold in their shop to help raise funds. The aim of this group is for participants to learn a technique or new skills, socialise and make a positive contribution to their community.

We will also be holding Moshi Monsters workshop for all ages costing £3 per participant. Drop in any time between 12:00noon-4:00pm. Participants will learn how to draw their favourite monsters, design their own and make a Moshi Monster out of plastercine.

Ready for the launch

Tables ready for the art and craft activities

Summer showing off her stunning newspaper rolled bowl

Having fun drawing on the "Draw one Take one" table

It was a pleasure to see people of all ages exploring their creativity at The Laboratory

Eva working hard to make her spiral from Newspaper to turn into a bowl

Daniel created a fantastic spiral sculpture from Newspaper

MP Stephen Metcalfe popped along to find out about The Laboratory

Guided by the fabulous Sue Barnfield, Mr Metcalfe joined in the "Draw one Take one" activity

This lucky chap chose Mr Metcalfes drawing after leaving a
beautiful shell drawing on the wall for the next lucky customer

We were pleased to see people from all ages visit The Laboratory.
The range of drawings created represented a wide range of styles and abilities.

My talented sister-in-law Lea King made these amazing cupcakes, which some visitors were lucky enough to try!

At the end of the day we toasted the gallery with a nice glass of bubbly .

If you are interested in joining any of classes email the_laboratory@hotmail.co.uk to book your space.

Our adult beginners classes start Monday 14th January 7:00pm-9:00pm, 

Children's art classes start Thursday 17th January 5:00pm-6:30pm 

and adult classes start on Thursday 17th January 7:00pm-9:00pm 

To keep up-to-date with events at The Laboratory follow us on twitter: @1the_laboratory or facebook: facebook.com/(1thelaboratory)

Thank you to my sister Nicky for running the newspaper craft activity, Sue Barnfield for running the draw one take one stall, Lea for the lovely cup cakes, my amazing friends and family for all your support, encouragement and belief in me and last but by no means least to my wonderful husband for being my technician,  photographer, chauffeur, accountant and my rock.

Spit Spot

Can you believe it is only 20 days until the official opening of The Laboratory art studio at Wat Tyler Country Park. The guys at Wat Tyler have worked really hard making sure the walls and floor are all painted and spit spot ready for us to move in just after Christmas. The Studio has been part of an £80,000 renovation project at the park and feature lots of energy efficient features including an under floor heating system - which we think will come in use in the New Year.

So here are the first pictures for you of the studio and where it is located at the park.

My lovely new studio - The Laboratory

 A blank canvas ready for new artists, new ideas to explore, experiment and create

The Green Centre - situated opposite The Laboratory

As you can see we have ample parking and space for large outdoor programmes!

The Labroatory will run art classes for beginners, more accomplished artists and children. You will also be able to book children's art parties for birthdays, weddings or special events.

Classes will start the week commencing January 6th 2013. To find out more information keep an eye of The Laboratory Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/1thelaboratory and twitter account @1the_laboratory or alternatively email the_laboratory@hotmail.co.uk

Artistic Future for Explosives Laboratory

Explore, Experiment and Create

THE EXPLOSIVES Laboratory at Wat Tyler Country Park is set for an artistic future with the site becoming an arts studio in the New Year.

One of the parks few remaining buildings from its time as an Explosives Factory, The Laboratory has recently undergone an £80,000 refurbishment as part of the Heritage Interpretation Project which has seen a complete transformation of the park over the past five years.

Following the refurbishment, part of the building will now be used as an arts studio by local artist Lisa Smith who will be offering a range of classes for all ages and abilities and children’s art parties for birthdays, celebrations and weddings.

Councillor Kevin Blake, cabinet member for leisure and arts at Basildon Council said: “The Laboratory has a rich history and the refurbishment of the building has been sympathetic to this, whilst at the same time creating a modern, usable space.

“Lisa has been working with us on a number of arts projects at the park, and has recently installed an exhibition based in the parks Green Centre. I am delighted that she will be using The Laboratory for this new venture and the art studio will really add to what is already a diverse range of activities on offer at the park.”

Run by the British Explosives Syndicate and owned by Swedish Industrialist Alfred Nobel (he of the international Peace Prize), The Laboratory was severely damaged by an explosion in 1916. The result of this can still be seen in the colour contrast of brickwork on the building.

Restored because of its heritage integrity, the refurbishment project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and whilst the outward appearance is unchanged, the building has been fully restored internally with double glazing and under-floor heating, making it an ideal venue for the new studio.

Lisa Smith added: “The use of recycled materials in many of my sculptures fits in well with the ethos of the park and its buildings and will help children and others to better understand how we can all live more sustainably“. 

 The Laboratory Arts Studio will open to the public on the 12th January 2013. For more information visit  www.1thelaboratory.blogspot.co.uk or call 07970332097