Ware Poets 28th Open Poetry Competition is now open for entries - cash prizes, the chance to have your poem published, and a new local prize!

There are cash prizes for the best poems, the best sonnet, and the best poem by a resident of Hertfordshire or Essex, as well as the chance to have your poem published.

Whether you're a seasoned poet or feel inspired to write your first poem, the competition is open to everyone (age 16 and over). Poems can be on any subject. They must be in English, be your own original work and no longer than 50 lines.

The entry fee is £5 per poem, and the closing date is 30th April 2026. Entries can be submitted and paid for online, or by postal form and cheque if preferred - full details on the Ware Poets website.... Read more

Create your own Easter themed mosaic!

Join us for a fun-filled hour of creative mosaic making during the Easter holidays with new Tutor Audrey from Montet Designs!

Her mosaic workshops are very popular here and in St Albans and she would love to share her tile magic back with you at Southern Maltings for Easter, where she sold out last year!

This workshop is designed for children, young people and adults too! Come as a family or with your friends and create beautiful mosaic art pieces that you can take home and cherish for years to come.

No experience is necessary, and all materials will be provided. Just bring your creativity and enthusiasm, and we'll take care of the rest! Suitable for all ages from... Read more

Spring Bunnies Sketching Workshop - take part in a lively and creative Easter-themed art workshop led by Lucy, an experienced teacher and art lead.

We'll explore the character of bunnies together, discovering how to capture their personality through line, shape, form, and texture.

The session will begin with warm-up activities and mark-making practice using graded pencils.

Next, we'll work on sketching rabbits using construction lines, choosing one drawing to refine and complete in more detail. More confident artists will have the opportunity to study photographic references and create their own bunny drawings independently.

Suitable for children aged 8 and above, this workshop is designed to build confidence and strengthen observational... Read more

Oil Pastel Owl Workshop - Join Local artist Keeda and art club teacher, in this creative drawing workshop!

In this workshop, you'll discover the vibrant world of oil pastels as we bring a textured eagle-owl to life!

We'll play with fun techniques like blending, sketching, stippling, and sgraffito to capture the owl's naturally expressive feathers and rich tones.

To finish your masterpiece, you'll follow a simple step-by-step guide to create a velvety, smooth starry night sky.

No experience is needed - just a willingness to get stuck in, get a little bit messy and enjoy the process of creating art. Make sure you wear your messy clothes!

Keeda says "I love experimenting with a wide range of mediums and materials in my... Read more

Flights of Ink: a Bird Mobile Workshop. Step into the flow of Indian ink and let your creativity take flight.

This session focuses on the deep, velvety tones of Indian ink and the meditative process of bringing paper birds to life.

The experience:

Ink & Pattern: We begin with the art of mark-making. You will explore the fluid nature of Indian ink to create contemporary patterns on heavy watercolour paper, moving from deep midnight blacks to soft, misty greys.
Sculpting Flight: From these patterned sheets, you will use templates to cut out your birds. Each form is designed to capture the essence of a bird in mid-air, turning your two-dimensional designs into a soaring flock.
Suspended Magic: Finally, your creations will be assembled... Read more

African Drumming Family Workshop - Back by popular demand! Come and make rhythm and noise by joining us for a Family African Drumming Workshop. Our Family drum circles are popular and have always sold out, so book in quick to secure your drums.

Come and join a fun African drumming family workshop session with Gambian drummer Seneke Sillah from Mbilla Arts.

Our family drum session invites all parents/carers and children to have the chance to learn djembe rhythms from West Africa.

It promises to be very loud, put a smile on your face and we guarantee you will have a ball!

Children of all ages and abilities welcome and must be accompanied by a parent or carer. Parents can purchase a ticket to learn alongside their children or for their... Read more

Creative Marbling Techniques - Join us for a new workshop with Anna from Marbling Magpie.

You will spend two hours learning all about marbling on paper from expert marbler Anna. This will include practical demonstrations of various marbling techniques and then practise of at least 4 different patterns using tools such as combs and sticks, in a great variety of colours. Each attendee will make approximately 8 marbled sheets of paper each, to take home at the end of the day when dry or use in the afternoon session.

For all those who have had a marbling taster with Anna at our markets, or in the February Half Term, this is an opportunity to really take a deep dive in exploring and understanding this beautiful craft.

What is marbling?
In essence... Read more

Marbled Collage - Join us for a new workshop with Anna from Marbling Magpie.

After spending two hours in the morning learning marbling techniques, the afternoon session will have you using some of your created papers to make your own collage. Not all the papers will be dry enough to take
use straight away, so Anna will also bring a stack of her own papers to use in this fantasy landscape or seascape collage workshop.
She will also bring die cutting tools and other accessories for the collage to create something truly special. Each workshop can be booked individually or together. There will be plenty of materials provided if you just want to do the collage part of this day and you can also just do the marbling session on its own in the morning.
... Read more

Join Local artist and art club teacher Keeda to draw oil pastel spring flowers.

In this workshop, you'll dive into the expressive world of oil pastels as we capture the bold colours of spring's first blooms.

We'll experiment with professional techniques like blending, stippling, sgraffito and impasto, to capture the delicate tones and details of Tulips, Daffodils and Crocuses.

To finish your masterpiece, you'll follow a simple step-by-step guide to create a velvety, smooth background that makes your bright spring blooms truly pop.

No experience is needed - just a willingness to get messy hands and enjoy the process of creating with oil pastels.

Keeda says "Nature plays a big part in my personal artwork and spring ignites... Read more

Doors 7.00pm, performance 7.30pm.

The Pantaloons are back at Southern Maltings, loved by our audiences for their sharp humour and lively storytelling.

Mud, blood and stiff upper-lips! Join the critically-acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company on a breathless race through the centuries in this delightfully inventive show that tells the entire story of Britain in under 2 hours. Have you ever wanted to see the life of Henry VIII told as a romantic comedy or the tale of the Spanish Armada reimagined as a light operetta? Probably not. But that won't stop The Pantaloons retelling great moments from the country's past in a variety of surprising genres! Featuring live music, audience interaction and wild historical inaccuracy.

Laugh-out-loud... Read more