Tufting Workshop

This workshop will guide you on how to create a 30x30cm rug with your own custom design.

Using an electric tufting gun and with the support and guidance of tufting artist Alena, you will be able to create a unique piece of artwork for your home. Using five colours, the design can be anything you wish; a landscape, a flag, a character or an abstract. All materials to complete your masterpiece will be provided, and you will complete it during the workshop and take it home with you.

The workshop will be led by local tufting legend Alena Ruth Donely of Manchester Tufting Workshops. MTW was established in 2020 with the drive to make the art of tufting more accessible to the general public. Originally from Blackpool, Alena’s studio is based at Islington Mill in Salford where she regularly delivers workshops. Queer Amusements can’t wait to welcome her to Aunty Social in Blackpool and get our tuft on.

Alena Ruth Donely is a freelance artist and workshop tutor specialising in rug tufting. Based in Manchester, Alena has utilised tufting guns to create artwork since 2016 and has been running Manchester Tufting Workshops since 2020. In her own art practice, Alena forms creativeness from mental health struggles and uses tufting as a self-soothing tool. Her artwork is playful, bright and garishly colourful; sometimes taking visual references from her hometown of Blackpool and her new home in Manchester.

Alena primarily runs public and private tufting workshops from her studio in Salford, occasionally facilitating live tufting sessions for private events offsite. She has exhibited in group exhibitions in HOME, Castlefield Gallery and The Whitworth, and run live tufting events for The Manchester Contemporary and Rochdale Town Hall. She has also been featured on BBC Radio 5 Live and collaborated with Salford Lads and Girls Club.

Photo by Charlie Jepson.

Presented by Queer Amusements with Queer Craft Club at Aunty Social.

If you have additional access needs (e.g. large print resources, BSL interpreter) Please let us know 7 days prior to the event by

• Emailing us using the ‘contact organiser link; or
• Email Queer Amusements directly at queer@queeramusements.com

Please note that this session is upstairs. Aunty Social in the process of installing a lift, which should be ready by Summer 2024. The event space is up a single flight of 14 steps then you go around the corner and there are two small steps. Once you’re upstairs there’s a loo. You shouldn’t need to come downstairs for anything until the end of the activity.