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Upcoming recess Workshops:
We’re excited to launch recess—a new creative programming series at Playground.recess is all about creating space to pause, play, and reconnect with creativity. Our creatives host interactive workshops that invite guests to explore, learn, and make something new. Teach your community something you love!
This workshop series is presented in collaboration with safariiicamp’s Maddi Minicozzi, who is expanding their collective creative workspaces to Brooklyn, NY with a sister studio. Safariiicamp’s home studio is based in Oakland, CA. Interested in being a part of the new studio? Reach out!
Ticket Policy:
Some instructors offer sliding scale pricing. Tiered options appear when you select a ticket, with limited spots available on a first-come, first-served basis.Tickets are nonrefundable but can be transferred to a friend. If you can’t attend, let us know so we can help share your spot.
Questions? Contact Maddi Minicozzi at mgminicozzi@gmail.com.
OCT. 19TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Chelsea Bravo (Inne Space) -- Natural Dyeing & TeaCapacity: 12
From Waste to Wonder
Join Chelsea for a creative evening of natural dyeing and tea. We’ll begin with an onion-skin tie-dye workshop, exploring how everyday food waste can be transformed into beautiful DIY projects. The evening will close with a mindful Gongfu-style tea meditation, where participants will learn about the tea plant Camellia sinensis while enjoying tea together in community. 18” x 18” cotton bandanas will be provided for dyeing.
Artist Info:
Chelsea Bravo is a Brooklyn-born, London-raised multidisciplinary artist and educator with a background in fashion design and textiles. Chelsea views artmaking as a practice for fostering connection, imagination, and joy. She enjoys creating spaces where people can connect through creativity, often highlighting how materials seen as “waste” can be transformed into something new.
follow their work at @chelseabravostudio
@innespace
OCT. 26TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Christopher Blay -- Cardboard Loom WeavingCapacity: 20
Tension and Slack is a weaving workshop facilitated by art therapist, Christopher Blay. In this workshop, you will learn how to hand-build looms from cardboard and use yarn and other materials to create a weaving from start to finish. As you work, you will be encouraged to reflect on the areas of your life where you hold the most tension versus where you allow yourself flexibility and motion. This workshop is not intended to be a therapy session, but an open space to reflect, create, express, and build community. All materials will be provided.
Artist Info:
Christopher Blay, MA, LCAT-LP (she/her) is an artist and art therapist in Brooklyn, NY. Her creative practice is currently centered around lessons from her subconscious, dreams, and her inner world. Her therapeutic practice is psychodynamic and relational, informed by queer theory and focusing on identity and interpersonal work.
follow their work at @chrimoneytopher
NOV. 2ND, 2025
6PM-9PM
Ida Lajevardi (Yaaqee Studio) -- Beginner Wax Working & Grillz MakingCapacity: 10
Grillz Lab
Create your own custom grillz in this hands-on workshop with jewelry artist Ida Lajevardi. Learn how to take a dental impression, sculpt your grill in wax, and bring your personal design to life.
Choose from classic styles like a full cap, window, or gap filler—or pitch your own idea. By the end, you’ll either leave with your wax model or have it professionally cast, polished, and shipped from Ida’s San Francisco studio.
Material & Shipping Details (additional fee if you choose professional casting post- workshop): *you can decide at the workshop
Silver: ~$100 | Gold: ~$200–$280 (prices fluctuate)
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Shipping to NY via USPS: ~$15 (3–5 business days)
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Ida will finish/polish your grill at no extra cost, so you’ll only pay for materials and shipping
This workshop is open to anyone interested in jewelry, design, or the craft of grillz making. No experience necessary—just curiosity, creativity, and an appreciation for custom pieces.
Artist Info:
Ida Lajevardi is a San Francisco–based conceptual designer and grillz artist. She began her practice as a jeweler, focusing on custom tooth grillz and sculptural mouthpieces, and her background in Industrial Design heavily informs her approach to jewelry. Drawn to the way materials behave, she is interested in creating objects that defy traditional ideas of utility. Rooted in these curiosities, “Yaaqee Studio” took shape in 2020 in Tehran, Iran - her hometown.
In early 2025, she brought her work to California, where she reinterprets tooth grillz not just as accessories, but as personal sculptures that carry weight, hold presence, and embody attitude. Her practice explores grillz as sculptural objects - artifacts of identity, resilience, and self-expression. Drawing inspiration from weathered street objects, industrial materials, raw textures, and the juxtapositions of life, she creates pieces that challenge conventional ideas of utility while reframing jewelry as objects that both resist and transform.
Follow their work at @yaaqeestudio
NOV. 9TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Angel Leyba -- PoetryCapacity: 20
World Building: Sound As Shape
In this generative workshop we will discuss work from poets Ross Gay, Kim Hyesoon, and Julianna Spahr to better understand different ways sound can guide us through a poem when language doesn’t feel like quite enough. We will then experiment with our findings to write our own poems. Lastly we will share our work and open a discussion around the joys, challenges and shortcomings of writing- especially at a time where action in our communities is so vital. New writers are welcome and especially encouraged to attend.
Artist Info:
Angel (they/them) is a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominated writer and creative from South Bay San Diego living in New York City. They are an MFA student studying poetry and teaching creative writing at NYU. Angel is also on the Editorial Board of Sundress Publications. Their words have appeared in Dialogist, Mercury Firs, The B’K, Honey Literary and elsewhere.
Sliding scale pricing is available, with priority intended for QTBIPOC participants. The artist requests that the sliding scale be used only by those who this applies to. If it does, please feel welcome to select a sliding scale option. If not, we ask that you choose a standard ticket to help keep these spots accessible for those who need them.
follow their work at @_slutstation2
NOV. 16TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Imany Sewnami -- Crochet Coaster SetCapacity: 15
This beginner-friendly crochet workshop is all about learning the basics, while learning to make a set of four handmade coasters from start to finish.
The session covers how to start a project, work basic stitches, create a magic circle, and confidently cast off. It’s designed for anyone curious about crochet. The course is best suited to beginners - no prior experience needed! :)
All materials will be provided, including:
- Yarn for a full set of 4 coasters
- A crochet hook and hand needle
- A finished sample coaster to take home
- A handmade zine with clear instructions and future project ideas
- A craft bag
Artist Info:
Iman Usmani (she/her) is a multidisciplinary fiber and visual artist based in Brooklyn. Her practice centers on knitting, quilting, and crochet as a way to explore the cultural resonance of textiles and connect with learned skills. Through experiments with texture, color, and material, her fiber work often informs her visual art practice. She is also the organizer of NYC-based BIPOC craft circle that gathers monthly at local chai spots. Across both her art and community work, Iman is driven by a desire to archive memory and preserve the skills passed down by elders.
follow their work at @imany_sewnami
NOV. 23RD, 2025
6PM-9PM
Maddi Minicozzi -- Metal Embossing Capacity: 25
Explore the art of metal embossing in this hands-on workshop where participants will create small, decorative pieces using simple tools and techniques. Learn how to imprint patterns, textures, and designs onto thin sheets of metal, transforming them into unique ornaments, keepsakes, or embellishments. No prior experience needed—just curiosity and creativity!
All tools and sheet metal provided including:
** Proceeds from this workshop go directly toward creating safariiicamp’s upcoming sister location **
Artist Info:
Maddi Minicozzi’s journey began in Industrial and Interaction Design, where she first discovered the power of form, function, and human connection. Over the past four years, however, she has been drawn into the world of curatorial work and creative direction, where she found a deeper calling.
Passionate about accessible, non-institutional learning, Maddi created recess at @playgroundbk to bring community-driven workshops and creative exploration to everyone. In her practice, she builds spaces and narratives that provoke thought, invite emotion, and challenge how we see the world—blending design, purpose, and connection in everything she creates.
follow their work at @inconsistentswag_
NOV. 30TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
House of Momo -- Fabric Manipulation and Mending Capacity: 16
In this course you will learn 3 ways to manipulate and elevate 2D fabric into the 3D. Towards the end, opportunity will be made to apply the learned techniques to a personal garment or object that you would like to mend or elevate! This is a beginner-friendly workshop.
Materials We Provide:
- Fabric Swatches
- Needle and Thread
- All other tools for demos (stuffing,embroidery floss,etc)
Materials You Provide:
- That top you haven’t worn in a year, the thrifted pants that are perfect but just need a little something, etc ( i.e. whatever you want to adorn and give new life to)
Artist Info:
Momo is a multidisciplinary designer, artist and founder of HOUSE of MOMO. HOUSE of MOMO, founded in 2023, is a fashion art house which seeks to serve as a connection point between artists, designers, and organizers of New York City through skill sharing, workshops, events and collections. Their studio is currently based in Brooklyn, NY.
follow their work at @madebymomoo
DEC. 4TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Tajah Ellis -- Natural DyeingCapacity: 25
As we move into winter, the abundance of autumn must be stored, transformed, or released to make space for what’s next. In this workshop, participants will explore the fundamentals of bundle dyeing using discarded flora from local florists and wine remnants from Playground Wines—materials otherwise destined for waste.
We’ll experiment with natural color extraction and use pH modifiers to reveal a spectrum of tones as they bond to fabric. This process-centered session offers a sustainable, accessible introduction to natural dyes, with all materials provided for hands-on exploration. Each student will receive cotton fabric to work with and take home.
This workshop is open to everyone—child-friendly, beginner-friendly, and ideal for anyone interested in integrating healthier, low-impact materials into their creative practice. No science background required.
Artist Info:
Tajah Ellis (she/her) centers growth, decay, and circularity as regenerative forces, transforming deceased plant matter into vivid colors, textures, and patterns through intuitive chemistry, organic mapping, and biological emergence. Working through OUTOFSEAM and her latest project, noon, Ellis has shared her practice across platforms such as Haystack x MIT Labs, Genspace (as Artist in Residence), and NEW INC’s Creative Science Cohort. She holds a Bio-Inspired Design Certification from the University of the Arts London, has contributed to New York Textile Month and Parsons School of Constructed Environments, and most recently attended the Fabricademy at The Waag Institute.
follow their work at @outofseam_
DEC. 7TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Gail Minicozzi (HolyGail) -- ChainmailCapacity: 12
Lucky Badges
Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, students will learn how to create a small chainmail pin in the shape of their choice. The workshop will focus on the traditional european weave, with all rings, pins, and tools provided. By the end, each student will have a finished pin and a solid foundation in chainmail techniques that can be applied to future personal designs.
Artist Info:
Gail Minicozzi (she/her) is the founder of Holy Gail, a fashion and accessory brand based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work is driven by a deep interest in the relationships between contrasting materials and the ways traditional techniques can be integrated into contemporary fashion. She explores the intersection of materials and craft, blending metal, glass, and fabric. Each piece strikes a balance of form, function, and meticulous detail, while also carrying a sense of play and whimsy, because fashion is art.
follow their work at @_h0lygail
6PM-9PM
Tab Gordillo -- IkebanaCapacity: 15
Spatial Composition
Ikebana, also known as “the way of flowers,” is the Japanese art of floral design that highlights minimalism, intentional placement, and the quiet power of natural movement.
In this workshop, participants will explore the emotional language of flowers through form, space, and the beauty of imperfection. With a meditative, process-centered approach, we’ll focus on how empty space allows the mind to rest and ideas to breathe. You’ll learn to incorporate line, balance, and asymmetry in ways that reflect the harmony of nature and its subtle irregularities.
All will be provided including:
- Flower frogs: metal pin holders that anchor stems in place
- Ikebana vases: low-set bowl vases in a range of shapes, materials, and sizes
- Flowers varying in shape, color, and texture
- Flower scissors
- Floral tape and wire
- Watering can
Artist Info:
Tab Gordillo (they/she) is a multidisciplinary Art Director based in Brooklyn, dedicated to storytelling that reveals the beauty in life’s most unfiltered moments. Their creative practice lives at the intersection of the inner world and collective humanity, expressed through movement, beauty, and liminal space.
follow their work at @tabgordillo
DEC. 14TH, 2025
6PM-9PM
Nasac Gordillo Larco -- Leather Boot ShaftsCapacity: 20
Learn the basics of leather working, hardware application, and hand stitching in this beginner friendly course. We will explore the application of functional and decorative elements in the construction of these boot shafts and how the two can interact in their design.
The course was developed with a focus on styling one's existing pieces through the simple addition of this customizable piece, effectively offering an alternative to the overconsumption of garments.
All materials are included in the cost of the course: leather, thread grommets, studs, hammer, leather glue, earplugs, and leather puncher.
***50% of all proceeds will go to We the People, a food bank dedicated to feeding our neighbors in Bed Stuy.***
Artist Info:
Nasca Gordillo Larco (she/her) is a Peruvian born artist in Brooklyn, NY. Her artistic practice centers textural elements and 3d practices namely with fibers and sculpture. She views fostering creativity through a lens of constraint and resourcefulness, often placing art making in the context of sustainability.
follow their work at @nascagordillolarco
DEC. 17TH, 2026
3PM-6PM
Evilo (Olive) -- DIY Touch-Capacitive MIDI ControllerCapacity: 8
This intimate workshop guides you through assembling, personalizing, and mapping your own touch-capacitive MIDI controller — a sculptural instrument that responds to your gestures. Together, we’ll explore sound, touch, and technology as extensions of self, emotion, and story.
Each student will receive a custom circuit hand-soldered by the artist and be led through designing the instrument’s tactile surface (its “keys”) and mapping it into Ableton Live or the software of your choice. We will approach instrument-making as both art and tool — something tactile, expressive, and uniquely your own.
You’ll leave with:
- A fully functional and customizable, one-of-a-kind MIDI-capable sonic object, powered by a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller
- A personalized tactile surface, designed as an artwork and embedded with meaningful textures or objects
- An understanding of the code behind your instrument, including how touch sensors trigger MIDI signals and how to modify or rewrite the program for future experimentation
- Basic soldering skills
- Experience mapping your controller to Ableton Live and experimenting with sound, effects, and live performance possibilities
No prior electronics or music-production experience is required — just curiosity and a willingness to experiment. All materials are provided.
Bring something meaningful — small objects, trinkets, fabric, textures, images, your own artwork, even memories — to embed into your build. Let’s make something that truly resonates with who you are.
Artist Info:
Evilo (Olive) (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and DJ whose work moves fluidly across sound, sculpture, performance, and play. Guided by a deep curiosity about the relationships between humans, machines, materials, nature, and the cosmos, their practice seeks to reimagine how we relate to our tools, to each other, and to the invisible systems that shape our experience.
Through custom-built instruments—such as Serenity Synth, a sculptural ensemble of synthesizers, MIDI controllers, and preamps—they create spaces for tactile exploration, experimentation, and shared sonic ritual. Inspired by ecological forms and the ephemerality of the natural world, their instruments invite a return to presence, curiosity, and play.
follow their work at @_evilo__
JAN. 4TH, 2026
6PM-9PM
Nina Santini -- Crochet ScarfCapacity: 20
First-time and beginner crocheters will learn basic stitches and an adaptable scarf pattern. All skill levels are welcome, though we’ll review the fundamentals! Yarn and hooks are provided, or feel free to bring your own.
Artist Info:
Nina Santini is a lifelong fiber artist and has been crocheting for five years. Her work is inspired by nature and her travels. New to NYC, she’s excited to create with new people in new places!
follow their work at @nina_santini