As part of Bristol Print Collective, printmaker Jemma Gunning will be delivering a very exciting, interactive workshop during Print in Action Festival. We caught up with Jemma to find out more about her practice and Bristol Print Collective.

“Bristol Print Collective deliver printmaking workshops in pop up venues in galleries, festivals, and community spaces. Our aim is to keep the traditions of printmaking alive by offering accessible and engaging workshops for all members of society.” Bristol Print Collective was founded by artists Jemma Gunning and Victoria Willmott. They met in 2015 whilst studying an MA in Multi-disciplinary Printmaking at University of West of England, Bristol. They found that they each shared an interest for discovering DIY lo-tech printmaking and explored creative processes to make printmaking workshops transportable without large equipment.

In this way their workshops show how printmaking can be enjoyed outside of a studio in any environment and for all ages and abilities. With the latest additional members, Luke Wade and Sonja Burniston they all wish to encourage adults who may not have an artistic background to explore their creativity whilst learning a new skill. Demonstrating the creative and limitless possibilities they hope to inspire younger generations and other likeminded artists to pick up an apron and get inky!

During Print in Action Festival, they will be hosting a drop in, interactive workshop; “Come and help Bristol Print Collective carve a large-scale linocut on Saturday, that will be based around our adventures in Plymouth and our research into marine biology and conservation. On Sunday we will be printing the block with a heavy duty roller where you can get involved with the inking process.”

Alongside the large scale block you can also drop by their project space to create your own wonderful relief prints using their pre-carved lino cuts. Suitable for all ages and abilities… just drop in, roll up, and print! Book your tickets for Print in Action Festival here, and find out more about Bristol Print Collective here. You can also follow them on Instagram at @bristolprintworkshops