By Katerina Karp, Visual Artist, art critic
When I first heard about PUSH 2025 at HOME Manchester, I knew I had to be part of it. This festival isn’t just a highlight of the Northwest’s cultural calendar; it’s a unique opportunity to explore, connect, and grow. For me, the chance to participate in the “Make Yourself at HOME with Cardboard Workshop. Constructing Pots” led by Manchester-based artist Maisie Pritchard was nothing short of transformative.
This workshop was a revelation. I’ve always worked in 2D, creating paintings, but recently, sculptural forms have been haunting my dreams. PUSH provided the perfect platform to take that leap – offering a safe space to experiment, professional guidance, and an inspiring atmosphere.
HOME Arches: A New Home for Creativity
The workshop was held at HOME Arches, a brand-new creative space on Whitworth Street West. Spanning three repurposed railway arches and 258 square meters, this free-to-use facility is a game-changer for Manchester’s artistic ecosystem.
HOME Arches is part of HOME’s Artist Development Programme and offers over 5,000 hours of free studio and workshop time each year. It’s designed to support residencies, co-working, and experimentation, providing artists with access to top-tier technical equipment and expertise.
Our workshop took place in Arch 3, a collaborative space designed to accommodate up to 30 interdisciplinary artists. The attention to detail in the design, led by Jon Matthews Architects, is remarkable. The character of the original arches has been preserved while transforming the space into a functional, inspiring hub for creativity. Importantly, the Artist Panel – comprising artists like Venessa Scott and Afreena Islam-Wright – played a key role in shaping the space to meet the needs of Manchester’s vibrant artistic community.
Maisie Pritchard and Her Approach to Art
Maisie Pritchard is an artist who knows how to inspire confidence and curiosity. Her work blends art and design, transforming materials like cardboard, paper, and wood into interactive and functional sculptures. She has collaborated with organizations like Castlefield Gallery and the National Festival of Making, and her ability to engage the public in the creative process is unparalleled.
For this workshop, Maisie asked us to create vessels – “pots” in any form that inspired us. She provided a range of objects for reference, but we were free to explore our own ideas. I chose a spiral-patterned, bottomless mug as my starting point.
First Steps in Sculpture
I decided to work with corrugated cardboard, cutting it into strips and assembling it into rings. My goal was to create a form that tapered toward the base. It turned out to be much harder than I anticipated. At one point, I felt like giving up, but with Maisie’s encouragement and a spark of determination, my hands seemed to find their own way.
The result was my first-ever sculptural composition: two delicate, lace-like cups on a slim base. This piece reflects the bond I share with my daughter – a recurring theme in my work. Using materials like egg cartons and packaging cardboard, I gave these humble objects a second life, transforming them into something deeply personal and meaningful.
My First Exhibition in Manchester
What makes this experience even more special is that the works created during the workshop will be exhibited at HOME. For me, this marks a significant milestone – my first exhibition in Manchester! Knowing that my sculpture will be displayed to a wider audience fills me with pride and reinforces my belief that I’m on the right path.
A New Chapter of Creativity
For me, PUSH 2025 isn’t just a festival; it’s the beginning of a new chapter in my artistic journey. I stepped out of my comfort zone, ventured into a new medium, and discovered that there’s so much more to explore.
HOME Arches has been a gift to artists like me – a space where dreams can take shape and experiments can flourish. I’m looking forward to participating in more workshops and seeing where this journey leads. PUSH 2025 has already changed me, and I know this is just the beginning.
