Print, Play and Make: The Story of Inky Fingers Workshop

Inky Fingers Workshop is a socially driven creative print and making studio based in Exeter, offering hands-on workshops in screen printing, collage, zine-making, and experimental art.

As part of the Circular Social community, it sits within a wider network of independent businesses focused on sustainability, creativity, and community-led practice.

Making as a Shared Experience

At the heart of Inky Fingers Workshop is a belief that creativity should be accessible, social, and enjoyable. Their workshops are designed for people of all ages and abilities to come together and experiment with printmaking, collage, and mixed-media techniques in a relaxed environment.

Rather than focusing on perfection, the emphasis is on exploration, trying new techniques, sharing ideas, and discovering what can happen through play and process.

Printmaking with Purpose

A core part of the practice is screen printing and RISO printing, where participants learn how to create layered, colourful prints using professional equipment and recycled materials. The studio often works with low-impact inks and reclaimed paper, aligning with a zero-waste approach to making.

This makes the process both creative and environmentally conscious, showing how art production can be both expressive and responsible.

Collage, Zines and Experimental Making

Alongside printmaking, Inky Fingers runs collage and zine workshops where participants cut, layer, and assemble materials from recycled books, magazines, and ephemera.

These sessions encourage experimentation, turning discarded printed material into new artworks, stories, and visual narratives. Each workshop has a theme, but participants are free to interpret it in their own way, making every outcome unique.

A Social and Inclusive Space

Inky Fingers Workshop is intentionally community-focused, offering a welcoming environment where people can create without pressure or expectation. Many sessions are pay-what-you-can, reinforcing accessibility and inclusion.

The workshops are as much about connection as they are about craft, bringing people together in a shared space to make, talk, and learn.

Creativity with a Social Purpose

Beyond workshops, Inky Fingers has been involved in larger community and participatory art projects, including zine-making initiatives that bring together diverse voices to explore shared ideas and futures.

These projects highlight a broader mission: using creativity as a tool for expression, participation, and community storytelling.

Part of the Circular Social Community

As a member of Circular Social, Inky Fingers Workshop is part of a Devon-based collective of independent businesses that prioritise sustainability, collaboration, and local impact.

This network supports creative enterprises that work in more conscious, low-waste, and community-led ways, values that are clearly reflected in Inky Fingers’ approach to making and teaching.

Why It Matters

Inky Fingers Workshop shows that creativity doesn’t need to be solitary, expensive, or intimidating. It can be shared, experimental, and rooted in everyday materials.

By turning printmaking into a social, sustainable, and accessible experience, it helps people reconnect with making and with each other.

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