Bow Families: collective exhibition making and designing creative self-portraits with Fatima Ali
Sunday 30th March 2025 , 11:00am to 1:00pm
Come and join Fatima Ali as we create a collective exhibition, designing your own creative self-portrait through drawing, painting and collage. Open to children and families of all ages – all materials provided.
Come and join Fatima Ali as we create a collective exhibition, designing your own creative self-portrait through drawing, painting and collage. Open to children and families of all ages – all materials provided.
Equipped with a range of fun drawing and mark-making materials, Fatima will work with children to create their own self-portrait using various materials and drawing/collage techniques, responding to a creative self-portrait and her portrait painting from the East London Art Prize Shortlist Exhibition 2025.
Children will also have the chance to exhibit their work to the public as Fatima will work with families to putting up the community memory blanket that is collectively created by local families for an exhibition at our Nunnery Café in April 2025.
In this workshop, children will learn about the possibilities of making portraits, a range of drawing and mark-making techniques, group work, collaboration, and how to put up an exhibition together.
This event is an inclusive, friendly environment which is accessible to all abilities and age groups.
Bow Families is a series of free, drop-in family art workshops that take place on the last Sunday of every month in the Bow Arts Courtyard Room. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity for local families to get creative and try something new! Each session is led by a Bow Arts’ Artist and all materials are provided.
More about Fatima Ali
Fatima Ali is a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, photography, sculpture, and spoken word.
Heavily influenced by the landscapes, colours, and textures of Africa, Fatima explores themes of memory, loss, and identity in her work. She believes that art can tell the stories of the world around us, highlighting the collective experiences that shape our understanding of self and community. Born in East Africa, Fatima now lives and works in Tower Hamlets. She trained as a social worker and holds a degree in Literature. She has always been creative whilst working in other disciplines, but has only recently returned to painting full time. Recent exhibitions include solo show E2 in Bloom, Rich Mix, London (2022), and group exhibitions Pictorial Coherence, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York (2024); virtual show Chaos Exhibition, M.A.D.S Gallery @ Times Square, New York (2023); Here and Now, Alternative Arts, London (as part of Black History Month, 2023); Brain Cake, Gaudi Room, Barcelona (2022); and In Focus, Rich Mix, London (2022).
Access information
The Bow Arts Trust courtyard room has step-free access throughout from street level, including to the accessible toilet, and is service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system. Accessible parking is not available on-site but blue badge parking can be found 500m away on Fairfield Road.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, or would like this information in an alternate format including Easy Read, please email nunnery@bowarts.com or call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3)
Access requirements could include things like providing equipment, services or support (e.g. information in Easy Read, speech to text software, additional 1:1 support), adjusting workshop timings (e.g. more break times), adjustments to the event space (e.g. making sure you have a table near the entrance) or anything else you can think of!
Transport information
Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ
Nearest station(s): Bow Road (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is a 6-minute walk away, and Bow Church (DLR) is a 3-minute walk away.
Bus: 205, 25, 425, A8, D8, 108, 276, 488 and 8 all service the surrounding area.
Bike: Bicycle parking is located at Bow Church Station. The nearest Santander Cycles docking station is at Bow Church Station.
