We want art to be accessible to everyone, so we offer year round community arts activities and provide a support network for our artists across Purbeck. We hold our annual visual and performing PAW Festival once a year in late May/early June.
“The Purbeck Art Weeks (PAW) Festival celebrates art in all its various forms. It seeks to inspire and support visual and performing artists to achieve their potential, involves people from across the community and encourages everyone to participate and to enjoy a wide range of arts.”
Young People and PAW
We support young people by running exciting workshops in local schools, as part of our Purbeck Young Artists Scheme. These are led by experienced art educators and supported by a range of valued local funders.
During the Festival the imaginative work created by some of the 500 young people who participate in our schools art programme, is on display at Rollington Barn and other venues.
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Community Art Projects
Working in the community brings people together. Swanage, seafront boasts a Tree of Life, a smiling dinosaur, and swirling fish created by people from across the Purbeck community. We have created three murals as part of the Wareham Library Garden regeneration project and helped to fund a Sea Life Bench in Swanage.
Older people and those with special needs can get involved in being creative too, and a special Colourful Partnership event during the Festival celebrates their achievements.
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Art Workshops
A variety of workshops take place throughout the year. Some are run by PAW artists and are open to all, others are run for PAW artist to help them grow as artists and give them useful help with marketing, social media, running a business and so on. These workshops are informative, explorative and practical, as well as loads of fun!
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Visual Artists Forum
Our Visual Artists Forum helps artists to network and exchange ideas. We have regular social meetings and chat in our Facebook Forum.
Sketch PAW
We run a programme of sketching for our Members which includes sketching at Event Rehearsals during the PAW Festival.
In some years we sell sketchbooks at Rollington Barn and asked you to carry them with you around the festival, and draw and sketch whatever inspired YOU in PAW and Purbeck.
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Bursaries
If you want to develop a career in visual and performing arts, PAW could be your launch pad.
PAW Bursaries are awarded to those with exceptional talent who want to take the next step. (See PAW Bursaries).
Chamber Music in Purbeck Homes
Our series of Chamber Music in Purbeck Homes, such as Smedmore House and Creech Grange, is part of our winter programme. By becoming a Friend you are entitled to priority booking for these very special evenings and you can help fund our work as well as receiving regular updates of events.