Pattern Club Tanglebots

Construct and decorate your own wild weaving tanglebots using glue guns, motors and lollipop sticks. 

In this drop-in workshop we'll construct and decorate our own tanglebots using glue guns, motors and lollipop sticks. Tanglebots are robots that try to weave (though weaving is quite hard so they mostly make tangles). We'll control them using code examples and the free web-based software Strudel and see how complex patterns of movement can be made from simple parts.

This workshop is for adults and children over the age of 11. No experience with coding or textiles is necessary! Book in for one of the 30 minute slots.
This event is part of Common Threads Festival, a weaving and arts festival, happening in Sheffield city centre from 9 - 12 September 2026 and produced by The Bare Project.

You can also join us for a Pay What You Can home cooked meal served from 1- 2pm.

Please note: Capacity for each slot is 15 people. Please only book if you know you can make this event. A waiting list is enabled to help folks access this opportunity.

Ticket Info: Common Threads Festival activities are offered for free to ensure everyone can access this project. However, if you are able, please book a £5 ticket so that the free tickets are allocated to those who need them.

If you would like to add a donation to The Bare Project, please add a 'donation' to your order. This allows us to provide free tickets for our community partners and those who otherwise would not be able to access our events.

Access

• Common Threads Festival happens at the bottom of The Moor, near the Moorfoot building in Sheffield city centre.
• The festival happens outside so please dress for the weather. In severe weather conditions we will move inside the Aafly building at 108 The Moor.
• The street has paving and step free access.
• The installation has a small raised stage with ramp access surrounded by tall looms to weave onto.
• There will be some seating available at all workshops and performances.
• The nearest public toilets are in The Moor Market (approx 300 meters away).
• There will be a prayer space available on site.

For further information about Access or How to Find Us see our Access Page on The Bare Project website.

About the Artists

Pattern Club are based in Sheffield and its founders are Ray Morrison, Alex McLean, and Lucy Cheeseman. A ‘pattern club’ is where people meet to explore patterns in craft, technology, music, performing arts etc. We see no gap between heritage patterns e.g. in weaving and braiding and new patterns e.g. in live coding and contemporary ‘algorithmic art’.

About Common Threads

Common Threads is an international weaving project which invites women and marginalised genders to take up space in Sheffield city centre. It has been created by The Bare Project collaboration with the Higsad Alool Weavers, Re-Water; SunRit Culture Group; the Manor Weavers & other textile groups from across Sheffield.

The Bare Project is a theatre and interactive arts organisation based in Sheffield who work both locally and internationally. The Bare Project create ambitious and galvanising artistic experiences for audiences, rooted in big ideas and in-depth research. They often co-create these experiences with communities of place or shared characteristics.

Common Threads Festival has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to offer all activities with no or low cost. The festival is also supported with funding from Heritage Crafts UK and Sheffield Council.