Screen Printing with Natural Dyes onto Paper
Workshop with Lara Mantell
Friday 18 April 2025, 10.30am - 4.30pm
£75
Venue: MAKE Southwest
Suitable for: Adults
Level: All Abilities
Join print designer Lara Mantell for a one-day screen printing workshop using natural dyes!
Lara Mantell is a print designer and modern alchemist, experimenting making colour for screen printing from local and sustainable sources.
During this one-day course participants will embrace the luminous natural dye colours that shift, combine, and metamorphose into new shades.
Participants will learn how to extract colour from bio-waste and plants, to create print pastes. Inspired by the gallery exhibition, local views, or by images they have brought with them, they will create designs onto paper, using cut-paper stencils.
These paper-prints may form the basis of a simple folded booklet, a small series of prints, or become a natural dye design resource.
This workshops is open to all abilities - no previous experience of natural dyeing or printmaking is necessary!
All materials and equipment will be provided.
Workshop participants must be aged 18 years or older to attend.
About Lara
Lara Mantell is a textile print designer and modern alchemist, who researches screen printing colours made from plants. At her workshops participants learn to print with natural dye colours that shift, combine and metamorphose into new shades.
As part of design duo Ceres, she collaborates to explore colours from local and sustainable sources. Ceres work with clients to design ecologically printed fabrics. They recently collaborated in the large scale production of natural dye printed hemp banners, installed by Company Place in Aberfeldy Village, Poplar. Alongside other projects, Ceres have designed and printed banners for Lambeth Town Hall, and a range of home furnishings for Heals Furniture. Ceres have established a natural dye print studio in Brixton, where they design textile patterns, and run bespoke courses.
Lara’s designs are inspired by her landscape drawings and paintings. Her recent MA focused on natural dye printing, and encompassed the ambitious challenge to bring this methodology into more mainstream practices. Lara teaches at West Dean College, is Specialist print and dye technician at UAL, and is Textiles lead for Foundation at City Lit. She is an advocate for sustainability and the importance of provenance and place. This social awareness has given her opportunities as teacher/organiser at specialist events; for example flax dyeing, collaborative ecological printing, Shibori dyeing with local plants, and giving talks about the resurgence of natural dyes in the textiles industry.
On the Day
All tools and materials will be provided.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are included and will be available on the day. There will be a short lunch break during the workshop and participants are welcome to bring a packed lunch. Our Café is also open should you wish to purchase other refreshments during the workshop - all participants receive a 10% discount voucher for food and drink purchased on the day.
On arrival, please make your way to the side gate of the Riverside Mill, through the courtyard and up the stone stairs on the side of the building. Please let us know if you require the lift.
Please be aware that you cannot use the Co-op car park for all day parking. The Methodist Church car park and Station Road car park usually have plenty of spaces. Click here for more information on our location and car parking for the day.
View MAKE Southwest's Cancellation Policy, HERE.