SNUG Launches Spring Programme to Support Creativity and Wellbeing

Tucked inside Aberdeen’s Anatomy Rooms, SNUG has become a quiet fixture of the city’s creative life. A warm, artist-led space where adults can pause, make art, and share a cuppa. Run by resident artists at Arkade Studios and charity All in ideas SCIO, SNUG blends calm with creativity in a way that feels refreshingly human.

This spring, SNUG is launching Grow, a new programme of free workshops designed to explore creativity as a tool for wellbeing and connection. Running across four Fridays in May, the project will bring together three small, artist-led groups to try different approaches, from stitching to sculpture to collage.

this article is sponsored by people like you

Would you like to see your advert here? Let's talk.

POST celebrates Aberdeen’s creative scene, spotlighting everything from theatre and music to visual art. Our focus is on showcasing the city’s artistic talent and helping local voices reach new audiences.

We believe creativity is vital to Aberdeen and its communities. Through features, event coverage, and artist profiles, we’re here to support underrepresented voices and share the stories that shape the city.

Sign Up Here

A chance to try something new

Each group meets once a week in the Arkade Project Room. Sessions are free, materials are provided, and no experience is needed. The only requirement is a willingness to try something new and attend at least three of the four dates (9, 16, 23, and 30 May). Spaces are limited to 10 per group and open to anyone over 18.

In the morning group, textile designer Helen Greensmith leads Stitch & Print Textiles, where participants will create fabric wall hangings using collage, appliqué and print techniques. Supported by artist Jenny Hood, the work will come together as a collective mural for exhibition in June.

Create individual work for a shared installation

Jenny Hood (Corvid Eyes) leads the early afternoon session, Seeing & Looking. Using guided photography tasks and simple collage techniques, participants will reflect on their surroundings and create two handmade zines. One capturing the present and another imagining how we might live with more intention.

In the late afternoon, sculptor Esther Helfer leads Whereabouts, a tactile workshop using materials like clay, cardboard and birch to explore how sculpture can create, hold and respond to space. The group will create individual pieces and a shared installation for display.

Create freely and connect with others

The SNUG team is clear that the project is about more than making art—it offers time, warmth, and the chance to create freely and connect with others.

The Grow exhibition will run from 6–15 June, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors can view the final artworks from all three groups and drop back into SNUG for its final sessions on 6 and 13 June.

SNUG sits within the creative hub of Arkade Studios, alongside the Arkade Gallery and just across the hall from Citymoves Dance Studio. Supported by the ACVO Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, it offers free access to art materials, books and tea every Friday, pausing during May for the Grow workshops.

To sign up for Grow, visit the registration form. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.