The food was wonderful. The music was spot on. And yet what guests told me surprised them most was something else: how completely they lost track of their ego.
It happened at a recent birthday celebration, where I led a collage workshop for thirty-six guests. They sat down with paper, scissors, glue and one theme between them: the joys of life. I didn’t ask anyone to make anything beautiful or perfect, and slowly, self-consciousness fell away. People eased into not worrying about what a final piece would look like and started to play. Then, as they explored the materials, some of them began singing together.
I’m Sarah Ellen Masters, BA, MA, and I run Collé: collage workshops in London, creating supportive spaces where people explore, reconnect and build creative confidence through accessible making.
What people discover
People explore, and those who choose to can share what gets unlocked. My workshops are about creative curiosity and play, in good company, alongside tips from my years of collage practice. What people discover along the way often can’t be seen:
What you’re instinctively drawn to. I often encourage choosing the image that catches your eye first, even before you know why. It takes time to build a little more confidence in your own taste and expressive instinct, but we all need places to keep having a go.
The process is the point. There are no grades and no rule to finish. For many guests it's a new way of making, or one they haven’t visited in a very long time.
I always encourage mess. Tear it, layer it, cut it, stick it down. Nothing is wasted at a Collé workshop. If you cut something you don’t end up using, it will go into the next workshop’s materials, or maybe a neighbour on your table will find a use for it.
Something wonderfully imperfect to keep or give. Guests can take a finished or unfinished collage home, to keep for themselves or gift to someone else.
I’m inspired every time I watch people create side by side. Everyone works on their own piece, together. With no pressure to perform or to talk, conversation and laughter tend to arrive on their own.
Plenty of party activities ask you to perform: to be funny, to be quick, to get a good photo. Collage doesn’t.
That’s the heart of Collé for me: self-expression open to everyone, where creative confidence comes from making, not from being told you’re good, bad or ugly at it.
What’s behind the surprise
Everyone at this party was handed a blank postcard and a choice of themed collage packs.
Give people a supported way in, and they find their own marvellous way.
Most of us hesitate in front of an empty sheet, so I give people somewhere to begin.
Curated, hand-made starting points. I curated and made themed packs by hand. Guests chose how to use them: one piece, a handful, the whole pack or none at all.
Plenty to explore. Guests complimented my vast selection of materials, from 1950s newspapers and contemporary colour magazines to sparkling washi tapes. No two collages ended up alike.
Support when you want it. A handout for a spark, and a small canvas that went home with each guest. Use what sparks curiosity or joy and leave the rest.
It also happens to work especially well for people who find a blank page, or a traditional icebreaker, awkward to start from.
What the host originally asked for
It began with an exploration call. The host came with a clear vision: a collage workshop for 36 guests at a birthday celebration, with every guest leaving with something special of their own. We chose the theme, The Joys of Life, together, through that call and the conversations that followed. From there, I designed a curated workshop shaped around what brings joy to the host and their loved ones.
What guests shared with the room
At the end of the afternoon, some guests shared with the whole room what had surprised them most about doing the workshop. People spoke about how completely they’d lost sight of their ego as they worked. The host told me everyone had loved it, and that it had been a wonderful way to break the ice.
“Inspiring, fabulous and wonderful only begin to describe the experience - and Sarah herself. Some initial sceptics were readily converted by her calm, reassuring approach and that, coupled with an incredible array of material introduced many of the guests to a whole new creative process. Highly recommend for parties, team building - anything!”
I design and lead every session
My postgraduate research into mixed media collage and emotional connection, and my continued creative practice, shape how I design and facilitate each workshop: how much structure to give, how much to leave open, and what to hold back so people have room to respond and grow. It’s why every Collé workshop feels made for the people in the room.
One more thing, if you’re planning your own
Tell me the date and roughly how many people are coming, then book an exploration call with me.
If you’re looking for collage workshops or experiential creativity in London and beyond for a birthday, a hen party, a team day or a gathering, I’d love to bring Collé to you. Let’s find out what surprises your guests.
