Arts Cafe March

For our March Arts Cafe, we’re delighted to welcome artist Andrew Howe, joined by artist and filmmaker Jill Impey and poet Jean Atkin, for an evening exploring place, memory and shared experience through sound, story and poetry.

Jill will begin the evening with a grounding meditation drawn from her socially engaged practice and used within the Hey! Earthlings! project as a way of rooting down and settling into a place. It offers a gentle moment to arrive, pause and connect with the space before the evening unfolds.

Andrew will then share reflections from the Hey! Earthlings! project, a multifaceted arts and heritage project in which people who have crossed borders worked with those offering welcome. The project was led by Participate Contemporary Artspace and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

He will speak about the ethical framework behind the project and introduce Participate Co labs, which has grown from the evolution of Participate Contemporary Artspace. Andrew will also share ideas for anyone interested in how similar multicultural projects might be shaped within their own communities, with pointers to a toolkit guide for further exploration.

During the evening we will also create a collaborative sound portrait of Shrewsbury, sharing imagined sounds and memories of the town and what makes it feel like home.

Poet Jean Atkin will read a selection of poems inspired by the themes of place, belonging and shared voices, with opportunities for audience response.

As always, Arts Cafe is about slowing down, being curious and spending time together in a welcoming, informal space. No experience needed. Just come as you are.

Arts Cafe is a new monthly evening event bringing artists, makers and the wider public together in a relaxed, welcoming setting.

Some people may remember Arts Cafe as a much loved programme that ran in Shrewsbury years ago. We’ve long wanted to bring it back, and we’re excited to be relaunching it at English Bridge Studios as an artist led, community focused series.

Held on Tuesday evenings, Arts Cafe offers a chance to hear directly from artists about what they do, how they work, and what inspires them. Each session will feature an artist or maker sharing their practice through talks, demonstrations, informal discussions or hands on tasters. The format is intentionally flexible, encouraging conversation, curiosity and exchange rather than formal presentations.

Arts Cafe is open to everyone. Whether you’re an artist yourself, studying, thinking about getting back into making, or simply interested in creativity and culture, you’re very welcome. No prior knowledge needed, just curiosity and an interest in the arts.

We see this monthly event as a space for connection. A place to meet others, share ideas, and feel part of a growing creative community in Shrewsbury and beyond.

Tickets £10

We’ve kept tickets affordable to make Arts Cafe accessible 🙌

Optional donations are welcome and help support the upkeep of the building, allowing us to continue running artist led events and care for this shared creative space into the future.

Parking is available nearby at Abbey Foregate car park.

Disabled access is possible by arrangement.