ISLANDERS are being invited to pick up a paintbrush, pen or piece of cardboard and help transform a St Helier gallery into one giant collaborative artwork this autumn.

ArtHouse Jersey at Capital House will become a changing creative space from Wednesday 14 October, when Jersey artists Hayley Gibaut and Sophie Harris – known collectively as The Stoodio – launch Make Your Mark.

Rather than arriving to see a completed exhibition, visitors will find a gallery ready to be worked on.

For three weeks, people of all ages and abilities will be encouraged to draw, paint, build, write, experiment and respond to what others have created, gradually transforming the space into a collective artwork.

The project will run from Wednesday 14 October until Sunday 8 November with drop-in opportunities alongside a programme of workshops and creative sessions exploring areas including experimental painting, graffiti, cardboard sculpture, movement, sound, fabric and sensory art.

Guest artists will also contribute music, performances and other creative activities, with collaborators including artist Emilie Knight and DJ David Gaspar.

Some of the activities will produce individual pieces to take away, while others will become part of the installation inside Capital House.

The artists say the intention is for every visit to offer something different, with new contributions building on, surrounding or responding to marks made by previous visitors.

Hayley Gibaut and Sophie Harris said: “There’s no right or wrong way to take part and you don’t need to think of yourself as an artist.

“We’re creating the starting point, but we genuinely don’t know what the finished work will look like because that will depend on everybody who comes in and contributes.”

The participatory part of the project ends on Sunday 1 November. Visitors will then be able to return from Tuesday 3 November until Sunday 8 November to see the completed artwork – the result of three weeks of contributions from people across the Island.

The project is part of ArtHouse Jersey’s New Work Programme, sponsored by Coutts Crown Dependencies, and was selected through the organisation’s Capital House Artist Takeover open call.

ArtHouse Jersey chief executive Tom Dingle said: “Instead of asking people simply to come and look at art, Make Your Mark invites them to become part of its creation.

“We hope that opens the doors to people who might not ordinarily think an art gallery is for them, as well as giving regular visitors a completely different experience of the space.”

The Stoodio was founded by school friends Ms Gibaut and Ms Harris, who share an interest in making art accessible and encouraging people to experiment and connect through creativity.

Ms Harris is a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, drawing, digital illustration and printmaking, while Ms Gibaut is an award-winning artist and ceramicist whose work combines influences from her Madeiran heritage and Jersey upbringing.

The pair have also developed The Stoodio as a community creative space with support from Andium Homes and ArtHouse Jersey.

The gallery will be open from 12pm to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday and admission is free with no booking required.

Full details of workshops and other ways to participate will be published on the ArtHouse Jersey website.