Creative Bookmaking at Oxford Summer School
Monday 3rd August 2026 for 3 days
Creative Bookmaking techniques are used by many artists and hobbyists as a form of communication and artistic expression. They can be interactive, portable, challenge conventional book forms, and made from a wide variety of materials.
They range from simple folded shapes to more abstract and sculptural ones. This course will give you an introduction to this art form as well as insights into how you can incorporate it into your own creative practice or hobby. It is suitable for all, whether you are a practicing artist, a budding book artist, an avid card maker or simply someone who loves to make things with paper. It can also be a fantastic way to use printing off cuts or other left-over bits from projects.
Participants should be comfortable using a scalpel and steel ruler to cut paper and card to attend this course. Please note this is not a bookbinding course.
Introduction to corn dolly making at Oxford Summer School
Friday 7th August
Learn about the humble material of straw and how it can be used to make decorative and functional objects. Straw skills have been practiced for hundreds of years in farming and folk crafts around the world. Straw work and Corn Dolly making are both Red Listed Endangered Crafts after falling out of mainstream practice due to the mechanisation of crop harvesting.
Today, there has been a resurgence in interest as people appreciate the pleasure of working with a natural and sustainable material and the mindful aspect of working with straw. Some manual dexterity is needed for this course and it is suitable for beginners and those with some previous experience who would like to revisit or improve their skill set.
This course will introduce you to the basics of straw and corn dolly work so you can gain a good understanding of the materials and master a variety of straw working skills. Working with heritage wheat, you will learn how to prepare it and experiment with different plaiting techniques. The aim is to go home with 2 or 3 finished pieces to hang in your home or for gifts.
Previous events
Previous events 2025
Church Farm, Sunningwell Christmas Fair.
Beautiful and Useful Craft Fair 7th December. Fantastic craft/makers stall plus corn dolly workshop.
Modern Makers Winter Market, Yattenden.
Oxford Esty Christmas Market Sunday 16th November., Examination School, Oxford.
New Brewery Arts drop in straw workshop 29th October , part of the Cirencester History festival.
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair -16th - 19th October, Victoria Baths, Manchester.
Modern Makers Collective Summer School - Make a Decorative straw folk chandelier.
3 day Creative bookmaking, 1 day Introduction to corn dolly making & 1 day spiral straw work. Oxford Summer School
Drop in family events at Harcourt Arboretum, Pitt Rivers Museum
2024 Past Events
Church Farm Christmas in the Barn, Sunningwell, Abingdon 14th December, 10-4pm
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair Online Event
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair online event 7-9 Dec
Sandy Lane Farm 29th November
Milton Cotswold Market 1st December
23 + 24 November -Modern Makers Market, 10 - 4pm, Yattenden Village Hall, Church Lane, Yattenden, Thatcham RG18 0UE
17th - 20th October- Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair
14th & 15th September -Made by Hand: Heritage Crafts and Skills. Weald and Downland Museum
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/events/made-by-hand-heritage-crafts/
21st September - Drop in family event,Harvest Knot workshop, Kelmscott Manor
https://www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk
17th May - 15th June- ‘Remembering the Past: Creating The Future’
Studio Neath, 40 Queen Street Neath SA11 1DL
South Wales UK
Sunday 19th May - Urban Village Festival - drop in straw workshops. Textiles and straw work also for sale See here for details
Edgelands, Prism textiles group exhibition, 19th - 29th April at The Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, Clinton Road, E3 4QY For more info visit https://www.prismtextiles.co.uk
Saturday 27th April -Oxford Harcourt Arboretum Spring Fair - drop in straw workshops.10am - 4pm. See here for more info and workshop times
2023
Straw Skills workshops at various locations across the year including Oxford Summer School, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxfordshire Basket Makers, private events and commissions.
2022
‘Straw Skills Workshops’ - through 2022: contact pennymaltbymaker@gmail.com for themes and dates.
‘I am a work in progress’ at The Constance Howard Gallery, Goldsmiths University, 7th February - 25th March 2022
Associate Artist on “I am a work in progress” / The art of living with(out) drugs. This is a collaboration between a researcher, two artists, Isla Miller and Penny Maltby, and seven research participants. It forms part of an early-career research project led by Dr Fay Dennis and funded by the Wellcome Trust entitled ‘Mapping bodies and care practices: Making people who use drugs matter’
2021
In Search of Possibilities’ 21st - 31st October 2021, Prism Group Textiles Exhibition, The Art Pavilion, Mile End, London E3 4QY
‘Straw Skills Workshops’ - including corn dollies, Julbock (Swedish Christmas goat) - public and corporate (June - December 2021)
2020
Contributor to ‘Out of the Blue’ by Susan Aldworth, part of the ‘Illuminating the Self' Exhibition at The Hatton Gallery, Newcastle. 18th Jan to 9th May 2020
Link to notes from some of the 100 embroiderers who contributed to the project.
2019
‘AA2A Exhibition’, End of residency exhibition at Bucks New Uni, High Wycombe. Part of the Artists Access to Art Schools residency Scheme.
2018
‘Our Place’, The Gallery, The Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford, 16th November to 22nd December.
'The Art of Labor' Selected artist , July 22nd - October 14th 2018. San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, California 95113, USA.
'In My Hands' 27th September - 1st October 2018. Solo exhibition Magdalen Road Studios, Oxford.
Prism Textiles 'Transient' 30th May - 10th June 2018. Hoxton Arches, Arch 402. Cremer Street, London E2 8HD
'Processions' Selected Associate Artist to work with Modern Art Oxford to create a banner commissioned by The Artichoke Trust for PROCESSION on June 10th 2018
2017
'We Made This' , Pop up Exhibition, The Haven,Church Lane, Banbury May, 2017, Graduate Exhibition
2016
'Third Space' - OVADA, Oxford July 1- 17, 2016, group exhibition.
'Artopology', The Adavo Collection, Pitt Rivers Museum , Oxford March 24, 2016, one day pop up group exhibition in conjunction with Ovada.
2015
'Thinking/making, Does making help creative thinking?' Curious Projects Gallery, Eastbourne. Dec 5 2015 - Feb 5, 2016. Selected exhibition.
‘Milking the Dairy Industry’ Castle Quay, Banbury May 19- 6, 2015,group exhibition.
'Reinventing Research, The messy process' The Glass Tank, Oxford Brookes University, April 21-May 1 2015. Selected exhibition
'BABE' Arnolfini Centre for Contemporary Arts, Bristol, April 11-12, 2015, Artist Book Event
2014
‘Visualising the Invisible' Castle Quay, Pop-up Exhibition, Banbury, May 23-May 30, 2014
2012
Windsor School of Textile Arts Summer Show, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Ringmead, Bracknell, Berkshire Advanced Textile Workshop summer show
PUBLICATIONS
Bookmarks Project, XIII, XIV, XV. (2015-2017) in conjunction with UWE
Artists Book Yearbook 2016-17
biennial reference publication focusing on international activity in the field of book art .
Penny Maltby, Be the change
Article for Wovember.com. 22nd November 2016
Get Published Research Conference
Oxford Brookes University, 15th April 2016
Memberships
Heritage Crafts, Oxfordshire Basketmakers, Basketmakers Association, Guild of Strawcraftsmen,
Selected Memberships
2024 - Design Nation
2017 - Prism Textiles.
