AN artist couple and their three daughters are spending the week welcoming creative youngsters to their temporary home – a studio at Firstsite.

Norwich-based artists Lawrence Bradby and Anna Townley are offering family activities from the venue’s learning studios during the day, and sleeping there in two tents at night.

Mr Bradby said: “We have a master bedroom, and the youngest sleeps in here with us.

“The eldest and middle children share a tent. All three children share a room at home so it’s not too different.

“The shower is all the way over in the office, so that’s a significant walk.

“It’s very quiet. Your footsteps echo in the building and you have this other experience of the paintings – it’s not a gallery experience, it’s a private collector’s experience.”

Twice a day, their temporary home has been thrown open for some creative family activities.

Long pieces of wood, screws, bolts and hammers were provided to create a den, a tent or whatever youngsters set their mind to.

On display on Tuesday afternoon was a makeshift, but sturdy tent put together by a family earlier that morning.

Meanwhile, a group of children, aged six to nine, from Lexden Lodge kindergarten’s summer holiday club, were working out what to create.

Manager Amanda Smith said: “We’ve never done this before – we’re always looking for different places to take the children that will stimulate their brain cells.

“They’ve enjoyed it so far and it’s nice for them to build on a larger scale.

“They did find the living arrangements quite novel.”

Mr Bradby said he found the varying ways parents taught, looked after and generally interacted with their children very interesting.

He added: “It’s been good. It is a lot more involved than some other activities and it leads to more collaboration between members of the family.”

Sessions end on Saturday. Visit firstsite.uk.net for information.