Our children's classes mix textiles and art in wild and mischievous ways, giving kids a chance to explore materials, develop fine motor skills, get messy on occasion, and build confidence in their own creative power and their ability to contribute to a creative community. Class sizes are limited to 5 students, so sign up soon to reserve a place for your child.
Ready to Hand is a shoe-free studio, so please send your child/ren with comfortable socks or slippers
Try It! (1.5 hours; scheduled by appointment) Introduce your child to the colorful world of SAORI weaving with a quick tour of the studio and time for textile play. A loom will be set up for your visit and all materials necessary to make a colorful small tapestry or hanging will be available so that s/he can take a finished weaving home. No weaving experience necessary - SAORI is freestyle weaving!
Cost: $35 (includes materials) (12 and under)
After-School Fiber Fun (Weekdays, 1.5 hours; scheduled by appointment)
Time to unwind during a hectic school week. Our only limit will be our imagination as we explore the studios. Most days we'll spend the afternoons weaving on prepared SAORI looms, sharing the company of old and new friends. But we might try other fiber arts, "off loom" weaving using a variety of non-traditional materials, to create masks, jewelry , mixed media and sculpture. For girls and boys 6 and older - though in the SAORI way, we'll all work and learn together.
Cost: $120/month or $425/semester (includes healthy snack & most materials)
Busy Hands (1.5 hrs, scheduled by appointment)
Small children will learn creative processes their little hands can manage, with a bit of help. We'll use materials such as paint, pastels, clay, paper and wood as we wrap, tie and weave for fun. There can be music, stories, and even jokes, to inspire our projects. This special class is only for little ones 3-5 years accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver. Contact us for availability or to start a new class!
Cost: $35/ single visit or $125/4 consecutive visits (includes materials)
Interested? Here's what to do:
Class sizes are small at Ready to Hand, so please get in touch right away to enroll. Please email saoriphiladelphia@gmail.com or call 267.273.0636 to reserve a space for your child.
If your child is new to Ready to Hand, fill out the Child Registration Form and deliver the completed form to the studio along with a check for your deposit or payment. Contact the studio to pay by credit card (4% credit card fee).
Feel free to contact us to discuss which class might be appropriate for your child, or to schedule a visit so that we can introduce you and your child to the studio's creative opportunities. Sliding-scale class fees are available for families who qualify.
Scholarships: Ready to Hand offers reduced-rates and community-supported scholarships to young low-income students, most of whom live within walking distance of Ready to Hand's inner-city location. In return, each scholarship student is asked to contribute one woven project for display and/or sale in the gallery, to help fund their successors in the program. Please do not hesitate to inquire about scholarship opportunities for your child.
Weekend Workshops -- We plan monthly special workshops on topics ranging from making handmade holiday cards and ornaments, or weaving friendship bracelets and other jewelry, to Kool-Aid dyeing (for weaving), basketry, learning to knit or crochet, or sewing quilts and stuffed animals. These programs will often be taught by neighborhood artists and artisans exhibiting in the gallery. Please contact Leslie if you think your child would be interested in any of these programs, or if you have suggestions for other programs for children. We would be glad to find instructors for the widest range of crafts that will engage our young neighbors! Cost: $20-$50 / workshop (2-6 hours) (+/- materials)
Birthday Parties -- Contact us if you would like to schedule your child's birthday party in the studio!
School Vacation Programs -- We are planning special programs during school vacations based on a wide variety of themes and media - music, machines, robots, weaving, printmaking, etc. It's amazing to think what can be accomplished in the space of a week's school holiday! Space will be limited, so if you are interested in this type of program for your child, please contact Leslie soon to discuss programming options and availability. Tuition: will vary according to program content and family child care needs. Sibling discounts will be available.
Ready to Hand: SAORI Philadelphia, 731 South 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19146
saoriphiladelphia@gmail.com / 267.273.0636
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"Weaving community together one neighbor at a time"
"SAORI" Is a registered trademark of the Sakaiseikisangyo Co., Ltd. of Japan.