Otley Courthouse is a unique arts and resources centre for everyone, run by local people, in Otley West Yorkshire. Set in an award-winning building, a nineteenth century magistrate court, Otley Courthouse is open seven days a week offering a varied and exciting programme of world music, theatre, live literature events, comedy, dance and cinema screenings – enabling everyone in the local community to access a wide variety of arts and creative events.
Otley Courthouse held its first ever Steampunk Craft workshop in February’s school holidays as part of its school holiday activities programme. Children were visited by Philomena Spector, The Spectre Collector, who travels the world, collecting ‘ghosts and ghoulies, spirits and spectres,’ trapping them in exquisite bottles to make into beautiful jewellery and decorations for the home.
The Spectre Collector told stories of her adventures with ghost mermaids from Ghost Island in Japan, fallen angels’ wings and how to trap your common-or-garden Unwelcome House Ghost. She showed them how Steampunk is so much more than ‘Sci-fi meets Wild West meets Victorian England.’ The children put together cogs, chains, clocks, charms and other Steampunk symbols to make edgy, funky cards, jewellery and magnificent clay models.
If you are interested in taking part in future workshops for adults or children, contact The Spectre Collector on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spectrecollector
Other events coming up at Otley Courthouse: on Friday 13th March, the award-winning SOME PEOPLE HAVE TOO MANY LEGS, a powerful one-woman show by Manchester-based spoken word poet and performer JACKIE HAGAN, who tells an infectiously optimistic story of how she had her leg amputated without being told why. A story of hungover nurses, Kit-Kats and how being grown up means lots of glitter.
Tickets for the event are £8/5 in advance or £9/6 on the door. To book, call the Otley Courthouse box office on 01943 467466 or go online at otleycourthouse.org.uk for current events and activities.
