programme
Workshop: Sculpting in Thread
£42
Please note the first-floor space is only accessible via stairs.
Workshop: Sculpting in Thread - Reframing the Mantis Lamp
Reimagine Meseme Studio’s signature Mantis Table Lamp through intuitive hand-stitching on sculptural paper forms.
Join lighting designer & maker Riya Panchal and artist Nicole Chui for a hands-on workshop embroidering miniature paper versions of Meseme’s Mantis Lamp. No experience needed – take home your unique sculptural piece!
Inspired by their collaborative CONCHA Embroidure collection – which translated footballers’ movements into dynamic stitchwork – this session invites you to explore texture, form and personal expression through embroidery.
You’ll gain insight into the designer’s and artist’s creative exchange while crafting your own keepsake artwork (note: this is a sculptural piece without live lighting elements).
This workshop celebrates how craft traditions can be playfully reinterpreted in contemporary design.
About Meseme Studio
Meseme Studio creates evocative decorative lighting that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Founded by Riya Panchal, the Blackhorse Lane based studio explores light, shadow and materiality through modular, emotionally resonant pieces that invite personalisation.
Find out more:
Follow Meseme Studio:
www.instagram.com/mesemestudio
ABOUT NICOLE CHUI
Nicole Chui is a London-based embroidery artist developing a distinctive 'disruptive' style that blends football culture with textile art. Her intentionally imperfect hand embroidery explores identity through intuitive, emotionally charged creations that challenge craft conventions.
Find out more:
Follow Nicole:
Instagram: @thatsewnicole
Facebook: ThatSewNicole
Open Studio and Sample Sale: Buttress and Snatch
Free - just turn up
Open Studio and Sample Sale: Buttress and Snatch
Open studios at our creative lingerie atelier with a tour behind the scenes to see specialist lingerie techniques and machinery in action. A unique chance to buy sewing patterns and specialist materials as well as design prototypes and style samples from our extensive archive collection.
Buttress & Snatch opens their creative studio doors to reveal how they've been revolutionising lingerie making since 1999, creating zero waste through their unique made-to-order approach.
Discover their remarkable approach to sustainability, where around 80% of materials come from waste. Explore their treasure trove of vintage fabrics, antique lace, deadstock trims, and high-end performance fabrics built up over two decades of salvage operations.
See how they combine these finds with carefully chosen new materials like hand-dyed organic cotton gingham from Kerala and heritage English Cluny lace made in Nottinghamshire for over 200 years.
This unique open studio experience showcases their "Make Love not Landfill" philosophy in action. Located in the tranquil garden space behind Blackhorse Lane Jeans Atelier, experience firsthand how good, honest work, creative freedom, and sustainable practice create lingerie that celebrates every woman's figure whilst supporting local makers and UK manufacture at every step.
About Buttress & Snatch
Buttress & Snatch is a pioneering lingerie and swimwear atelier operating since 1999, creating zero-waste custom pieces in their Blackhorse Lane workshop.
With 25 years of craftsmanship experience and notable clients including Madonna and Kate Moss, they champion the sustainable "Make Love not Landfill" philosophy. Using 80% waste-sourced materials, including vintage fabrics and antique lace, everything is hand-cut and made-to-order, supporting local manufacture whilst eliminating waste.
Find out more:
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The Waxed Herbarium Workshop: Exploring Craft and the Anthropocene
£50
Limited to 4 participants per session
Workshop
Explore Yesenia's Argall Avenue studio for a unique workshop that blends craft, ecology, and storytelling. You'll discover the fascinating world of ruderal plants, those hardy species that thrive in human-disturbed landscapes around the Lea Valley. These resilient plants have stories to tell about survival and adaptation in our changing world.
The workshop begins with a gentle walk through our local area, where you'll learn to spot and collect these remarkable plants. Back in the studio, you'll preserve your specimens using traditional beeswax techniques, creating your own hanging waxed herbarium. Each piece becomes a unique artwork and a material reflection on the relationship between humans and nature.
Through Yesenia's Material Teller practice, craft becomes a way of understanding our environment. The Anthropocene refers to our current epoch, in which human activity significantly influences the planetary systems. This workshop celebrates the intersection of traditional craft skills and contemporary environmental awareness.
You'll work with molten beeswax, learning traditional preservation techniques while creating contemporary art. The process is meditative and engaging, suitable for participants aged 12 and above.
Located in the heart of Argall Industrial Area, Yesenia's studio represents the area's evolution from industrial past to creative present. Her research-led practice explores sustainable materials and slow processes, fostering new ways of thinking and creating.
Come away with your own waxed herbarium, new knowledge about local plants, and an understanding of how craft can deepen our connection to the natural world around us.
Additional information: Wear comfortable clothes and closed shoes for the outdoor walk and making, which you don't mind getting messy, as we will be working with molten wax. Children (12+) should be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times
About Yesenia Thibault-Picazo
Yesenia Thibault-Picazo leads a research-led design studio exploring craft, ecology, and material culture on the edge of the Lea Valley. Blending experimentation, production, and critical practice, the studio engages with sustainable materials, slow processes, and collaborative making to foster new ways of thinking and creating in a changing world.
Find out more:
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Open Studio: Suite Comfort Upholstery
Free entry - drop-in welcome
Open Studio
Welcome to Suite Comfort, where the ancient craft of upholstery meets modern innovation in the hands of Sharon Hennessy. With over 30 years of experience, Sharon has mastered both traditional and modern upholstery techniques, transforming everything from 300-year-old temple chairs to contemporary regency sofas.
During this open studio, watch as Sharon demonstrates the intricate processes that bring beloved family pieces back to life, from stripping away old materials to carefully rebuilding each layer with precision and care. Discover the difference between traditional techniques using natural, compostable materials and modern methods, and learn how both approaches serve different purposes in furniture restoration.
This is your chance to explore the world of sustainable furniture restoration, where traditional upholstery's use of natural materials aligns perfectly with modern environmental consciousness. Sharon will share insights into her work on vegan suites, sustainable cushions, and wool mattresses, showing how age-old techniques can create innovative solutions for contemporary living.
About Suite Comfort Upholstery
Based in Argall Works, Sharon's expertise spans leather work, chair restoration, cane, rush, Danish cord, and seagrass work.
Her varied portfolio includes working with private clients to restore much-loved furniture and family pieces, creating bespoke window seats and banquettes, and collaborating with designers and artists on contract work.
Sharon offers a personal service where materials and fabrics are carefully discussed, using techniques and materials relevant to each piece of furniture. She also teaches at London colleges and offers private tuition in her workshop.
With a focus on sustainability, Sharon champions traditional upholstery's use of natural, compostable materials while exploring innovative approaches like vegan suites and sustainable cushions.
Find out more:
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Open Studio with Abi Huxtable
Free entry - drop-in welcome
A Glimpse into the Creative Process: Open Studio with Abi Huxtable
Step inside Abi Huxtable’s studio and experience her paintings up close. Discover how digital tools and AI shape her creative process before brush meets canvas.
Take an intimate look at Abi Huxtable’s artistic practice. Her open studio offers a rare chance to see her paintings in person. Abi will share insights into her creative journey, from early AI-assisted concepts to the final brushstrokes.
Whether experimenting with digital tools or working traditionally, her process bridges technology and tactile artistry. Ask questions, explore her workspace, and see how ideas evolve into finished pieces.
About Abi Huxtable
Abi Huxtable’s work explores the intersection of digital and traditional art, blending AI-assisted design with hand-painted detail. Based in CELL Project Space in the north of Argall Industrial Area, her studio is part of the borough’s vibrant creative community.
Find out more:
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Introduction to Woodwork - Build & Take Home a Bird Box
£81.96
Price includes expert tool training + all materials.
Take home your hand-built bird box.
Suitable for ages 16 and above. No prior experience necessary - just enthusiasm to learn new skills and comfortable clothes suitable for practical work.
Introduction to Woodwork - Build & Take Home a Bird Box
Get crafty at this engaging woodworking workshop where you'll build your very own bird box from scratch under expert guidance. Perfect for anyone wanting to gain confidence with woodwork and basic making skills, this hands-on experience combines practical learning with the satisfaction of creating something beautiful and functional.
Expert instructors Sean and Abdur will guide you through the complete process, teaching you a range of woodworking techniques that you can use for future projects. Each participant will cut, assemble and finish their own bird box, learning essential skills including measuring, cutting, drilling, and assembly techniques.
All tools, materials and safety equipment are provided, making this workshop accessible for complete beginners. You'll work with quality materials to create a sturdy, weather-resistant bird box that's ready to provide a cosy shelter for garden birds.
The workshop covers fundamental woodworking skills including safe tool handling, precise measuring and marking, clean cutting techniques, and proper assembly methods. Comprehensive safety instruction is provided at the start, ensuring all participants can work confidently throughout the session.
Located at the historic Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum, this workshop is part of The Tool House's mission to foster creativity and learning through accessible community making. Whether you're a curious beginner or looking to build on existing DIY skills, you'll leave with both a beautiful handmade bird box and new confidence in woodworking.
About The Tool House
The Tool House is an affordable shared community workshop and makerspace operated by Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum. Created in collaboration with The Fixatorium, we offer facilities for woodworking, electronics and 3D printing, designed to foster creativity and promote learning for makers of all levels.
Our mission is to create a welcoming, accessible and inclusive community-making space where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to learn new skills, create, and collaborate. We bridge the gap in affordable, accessible spaces focusing on creative engineering and STEM subjects in our corner of London.
Whether you're a seasoned maker, curious beginner, or home DIYer, we provide the tools and guidance you need. We run both free and paid workshops, always with a focus on making creativity and practical skills accessible to the whole community.
Find out more:
Follow The Tool House:
www.instagram.com/toolhousee17/
Turning Earth Leyton Ceramics Market
Free entry, just show up to the Ceramics Market.
On Sunday, visitors have the rare opportunity to get hands-on with two special workshops.
Spaces for these workshops are limited and booking is essential.
Ceramics Market
The Turning Earth Ceramics Market returns to Argall Avenue on 20th and 21st September for a wonderful celebration of craftsmanship, culture, and community. This two-day event brings together over 60 talented makers who are passionate about the art of ceramics, each showcasing their unique handmade pieces right here in our creative corner of London.
Step into a world where clay becomes art and discover the incredible skill and creativity of our ceramic community. You'll find everything from functional pottery perfect for your home to sculptural pieces that tell their own stories. Each maker brings their own style and technique, from traditional wheel throwing to contemporary glazing methods.
On Sunday, visitors have the rare opportunity to get hands-on with two special workshops:
Acclaimed ceramicist Hanna Salomonsson will lead a session on hand-building intricate ceramic flowers, perfect for those keen to learn a new skill or develop their practice.
Senior teacher Ben Sutton will run two raku-style firings, where participants can glaze a pre-made vase, fire it, and take home their finished piece at the end of the session.
Spaces for these workshops are limited and booking is essential; full details and booking links are available on the Turning Earth website.
Enjoy live music throughout the weekend, creating a vibrant atmosphere that celebrates our local creative community. Grab some delicious street food and make a day of it, wandering between stalls, chatting with makers, and soaking up the creative energy of Argall Avenue.
About Turning Earth Ceramics
Turning Earth Ceramics is a vibrant community of ceramic makers and enthusiasts based in London. We provide studio space, equipment, and support for potters at every level, from complete beginners to professional ceramicists.
Our mission is to make the ancient craft of ceramics accessible to everyone, fostering creativity and community through clay. We regularly host markets and events that celebrate handmade ceramics and connect makers with people who appreciate beautiful, functional art.
Whether you're looking to learn pottery with a beginners’ course, find unique pieces for your home, or simply discover the joy of ceramics, we're here to welcome you into our creative community.
Find out more:
Follow Turning Earth Ceramics
Open Studio: Oliver Smart Studio
Free entry - drop-in welcome
Oliver Smart Studio Open Studio
Explore Oliver's original drawings and sculptures up close. You'll see work in progress alongside finished pieces, giving you a fascinating glimpse into how ideas develop from initial sketches to fully realised artworks. This is your opportunity to witness the creative process firsthand and understand the dedication that goes into each piece.
Oliver loves talking about his work and is passionate about sharing the stories behind his creations. Whether you're curious about his solo practice or interested in learning about his collaborative projects, learn about his techniques, inspiration, and the journey each artwork takes from concept to completion. Ask questions about the creative process, the materials he uses, or the ideas that drive his practice.
Discover how Oliver balances different aspects of his artistic practice. From intimate drawings that capture fleeting moments to bold sculptures that command attention, his work demonstrates the breadth of possibilities within contemporary art making. See how different techniques and approaches can coexist within a single creative practice.
About Oliver Smart Studio
Oliver Smart Studio is the creative practice of award-winning artist Oliver Smart, specialising in drawings and sculptures that explore contemporary themes through both solo and collaborative work.
Based in London, Oliver's practice combines traditional techniques with contemporary approaches, creating artwork that engages viewers and sparks conversation.
His studio serves as both a working space and a place for dialogue about art making, creativity, and the role of contemporary art. Through open studios and collaborative projects, Oliver is committed to making art accessible and engaging for everyone.
Find out more:
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Breaking Bread: Bakery Walking Tour
£10
Breaking Bread: Bakery Walking Tour
Join artist Lucy Harrison on a 2.5-mile walking tour celebrating Waltham Forest's baking heritage, visiting local bakeries and historic sites while sampling delicious bread and pastries along the way.
Beginning at St James Street station, visit local bakeries and sites of baking history before concluding at the historic Bakers Almshouses on Lea Bridge Road.
You'll have the chance to sample delicious bread and pastries* from local artisans, hear fascinating stories about the borough's baking culture, and speak to local artisan bakers in Walthamstow and Leyton. Copies of the Breaking Bread Bakery Map will be given to the group.
The tour celebrates small businesses and shows how baking traditions have evolved over the years, incorporating different forms of bread from a range of local communities.
*Bread contains gluten and may contain nuts. Some pastries may contain dairy products, please ask if unsure.
Walk details
This 2.5-mile walk (on mainly flat surfaces and step-free) forms part of Lucy Harrison's 'Breaking Bread' project, exploring bread and baking in Waltham Forest and the Lea Valley.
Start Point: St James Street Station, E17
End Point: Bakers Almshouses, Lea Bridge Road
Bread contains gluten and may contain nuts. Some pastries may contain dairy products, please ask if unsure.
About Lucy Harrison
Lucy Harrison is an artist based in Waltham Forest, working on projects engaging with places, their histories and communities. Often working collaboratively, her projects include outcomes such as films, installations, events and publications.
Previous projects have explored sheds and allotments, community centres and sites of former nightclubs, the Warner Estate and the local printing industry, often using oral history and archival material as a starting point. Her project Breaking Bread (2024-25) explores bread and baking in the borough and the wider Lea Valley, and includes a Bakery Map, short film and events such as the Walking Tour.
Find out more:
Follow Breaking Bread:
Instagram: @breakingbread_wf
Facebook: Breaking Bread WF
Visit the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum
Free entry and activities - drop in welcome
Visit the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum
Join our crafting tables for some colouring, cutting and sticking. Be inspired by the pumphouse, tube carriage or model train room. All materials provided.
Young makers can explore their creativity at our drop-in craft sessions, which run throughout the day. Find inspiration in the towering engines, intricate machinery, or our charming model train room. Then bring those ideas to life at our crafting tables with colouring, cutting, and sticking activities. All materials are provided, so just turn up and dive in.
The museum celebrates the rich industrial heritage of Walthamstow and the Lea Valley Region. Watch the magnificent steam engines in action and discover how Victorian engineering shaped our local area. These working pieces of history demonstrate the skill and innovation of their makers over a century ago.
About Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum
The museum is centred around a Grade II listed Victorian pumping station which houses the original pair of Marshall steam engines, dating to 1895. The engines are still in working order, running on compressed air. Today, the museum offers a family friendly opportunity to celebrate the industrial heritage of the Lea Valley region.
Find out more:
www.walthamstowpumphouse.org.uk/
Follow Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum:
Workshop: Sculpting in Thread
£42
Please note the first-floor space is only accessible via stairs.
Workshop: Sculpting in Thread - Reframing the Mantis Lamp
Reimagine Meseme Studio’s signature Mantis Table Lamp through intuitive hand-stitching on sculptural paper forms.
Join lighting designer & maker Riya Panchal and artist Nicole Chui for a hands-on workshop embroidering miniature paper versions of Meseme’s Mantis Lamp. No experience needed – take home your unique sculptural piece!
Inspired by their collaborative CONCHA Embroidure collection – which translated footballers’ movements into dynamic stitchwork – this session invites you to explore texture, form and personal expression through embroidery.
You’ll gain insight into the designer’s and artist’s creative exchange while crafting your own keepsake artwork (note: this is a sculptural piece without live lighting elements).
This workshop celebrates how craft traditions can be playfully reinterpreted in contemporary design.
About Meseme Studio
Meseme Studio creates evocative decorative lighting that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Founded by Riya Panchal, the Blackhorse Lane based studio explores light, shadow and materiality through modular, emotionally resonant pieces that invite personalisation.
Find out more:
Follow Meseme Studio:
www.instagram.com/mesemestudio
ABOUT NICOLE CHUI
Nicole Chui is a London-based embroidery artist developing a distinctive 'disruptive' style that blends football culture with textile art. Her intentionally imperfect hand embroidery explores identity through intuitive, emotionally charged creations that challenge craft conventions.
Find out more:
Follow Nicole:
Instagram: @thatsewnicole
Facebook: ThatSewNicole
Permanent (2025) - Observatory Climate Installation
Free - just turn up
Permanent (2025) - Observatory Climate Installation
A thought-provoking audiovisual installation mapping 20 years of local climate through shifting, gradients of light. The quiet pulse of a changing world unfolds – not as data, but a luminous memory of a warming world.
The artwork translates raw climate data into a living environment of color and sound. Cooler periods display softer, lighter hues, while warmer times appear more visceral and intense, creating a visual and auditory timeline of gradual change.
Through carefully designed lighting and responsive soundscapes, the installation invites viewers to engage with our climate data in a sensory way—moving beyond statistics to a direct, embodied experience of environmental transformation.
Join us at Switchboard Studios in Blackhorse Lane, where we're exploring new ways to make environmental issues tangible and personal. Through interactive light and sound, Permanent transforms abstract concepts into something you can see, feel, and experience firsthand.
About Increments Studio
Blurring the boundaries between three-dimensional design and art, we create site-specific, immersive and interactive experiences. Combining backgrounds in graphic design and architecture, we bring a diverse skill set to inform thought-provoking and engaging works. By utilising new media applications such as creative programming, generative processing, light and sound we deliver sensory experiences to challenge perceptions or reinforce concepts.
The recurring thread through our work analyses the impact of human behaviour on our society and we invite viewers to reflect on the increasing complexities of the modern world. We are both perfectionists and are bonded by the beauty in detail. Our concepts are layered and complex, but expressed with care in a refined and cohesive framework.
Find out more:
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Open Studios: Colour Lab
The Colour Lab Open Studios is free to drop in for browsing and inspiration.
Colour Lab Open Studios - Reveals Ancient Pigment Secrets and Future Colour Innovation
Local colour researcher and trend forecaster Laura Perryman will open the doors to her working studio to the public for a special two-day "Colour Lab Open Studios" experience.
Drop in to Laura’s open studio for a self-guided journey through colour’s past and future. Explore her living laboratory, where ancient pigments meet cutting-edge sustainable dyes—grind minerals, see real research in action, and uncover stories behind the colours we take for granted.
The studio features four discovery zones spanning colour's timeline, from prehistoric cave pigments to cutting-edge bio-colours. Visitors can expect to see a modern colour collection, and attendees can explore mortar and pestle setups for hands-on pigment creation and more.
Saturday focuses on historical pigments and inks, while Sunday explores sustainable colour futures, including bacterial pigments, pH-responsive dyes, and circular colour economy principles.
Timed Colour Lab workshop-style sessions on both Saturday and Sunday will cater for various levels of engagement.
Colour Lab: From Field to Studio
Whether you are looking for a deep, immersive making experience or a more informal opportunity to drop in and observe, the programme has been designed to offer a flexible journey from field to studio.
To navigate the full weekend offering, you can explore the specific sessions below:
About Colour of Saying
Colour of Saying is a Walthamstow-based design studio dedicated to empowering designers, manufacturers and the colour curious to harness colour and materials as agents of change.
Founded by Laura Perryman, CMF (Color, Material, and Finish) designer, forecaster and author of The Colour Bible, Colour of Saying collaborates with businesses and brands internationally to champion the intentional use of colour for human and ecological good.
Find out more:
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Monochromatic: Art in Black & White and Single Colour At the Mill
Free entry. Some artworks available to purchase.
Monochromatic: Art in Black & White and Single Colour At The Mill
Sometimes less really is more.
Monochromatic showcases works created in two distinct styles: classic black and white offering dramatic contrast and bold composition, or explorations into the depth and subtlety of single colour palettes.
Artists were invited to experiment freely with subject and materials, creating a fascinating collection that demonstrates how creative restrictions can actually spark greater innovation. You'll find paintings, sculptures, prints, and mixed media pieces, all unified by their shared emphasis on tone and restraint rather than rainbow palettes.
The beauty lies in the variety. Some artists have embraced stark contrasts, creating works that practically leap from the walls with their bold graphic impact. Others have chosen subtle gradations within a single colour family, inviting you to look closer and discover the nuanced differences between shades you might never have noticed before.
Each piece tells its own story about what happens when artists strip away colour to focus on form, texture, and emotion.
Many works are available to purchase, with proceeds supporting both the artists and The Mill's ongoing community programmes.
About The Mill
The Mill serves as Walthamstow's living room, where art meets everyday life and everyone feels welcome to explore, discover, and be inspired. We believe imagination and creativity help people see things differently, express themselves, and inspire others. Our goal is building a welcoming community where everyone feels included, especially those who might not feel comfortable in traditional art spaces.
Born from a 2011 campaign to save the derelict St James Street library, this volunteer-run space thrives on local ideas.
Find out more:
Follow The Mill:
Morris Mania at William Morris Gallery
The Gallery is free and open to all.
Morris Mania at William Morris Gallery
William Morris (1834-96) has gone viral. Today, we find his infinitely-reproduced botanical patterns on shower curtains, phone cases, on film and TV, and in all corners of our homes, dentist waiting rooms and shopping centres.
One of our greatest designers, Morris argued that beautiful objects could only be created through a responsible and close relationship with the natural world and enjoyable, creative working conditions. These principles continue to influence subsequent generations of designers, makers and consumers today.
Morris Mania explores a complicated legacy. Over 125 years since his death, Morris’s work continues to grow in popularity. His patterns are now affordable, well-loved and available to people across the globe, something he failed to achieve in his lifetime. However, this has been achieved in the context of mass-production, computer-generated design, global capitalism and environmental crisis. Morris Mania considers the ongoing impact of Britain’s most iconic designer in our increasingly cluttered and commodified world.
Morris Mania is part of the Gallery’s 75th Anniversary Year programme.
About William Morris Gallery
William Morris Gallery is the only public gallery devoted to the designer, craftsman and radical socialist William Morris. Housed in the Grade II* listed building that was once Morris's family home, the Gallery displays the world's largest collection of his work, alongside contemporary exhibitions and an active events and learning programme. Our purpose is to share the rich artistic and social legacy of one of Britain's greatest designers. The Gallery is free and open to all.
Find out more:
www.wmgallery.org.uk/event/morris-mania/
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Telephone Box Greenhouse: Free Colouring Sheets - Collect and colour at home
No booking required - free pickup at the William Morris Gallery
Colouring & Design Workshop
To celebrate the opening of the red Phonebox Greenhouse conversion project just outside the William Morris Gallery, artist Sean Rodrigo, of The Fixatorium, has created a free colouring sheet activity for visitors of all ages.
Inspired by the whimsical fusion of nature and urban design found in his greenhouse installation, the sheet features line-art illustrations ready to be brought to life with colour.
Visitors can simply ask for a copy at the gallery’s front desk and take a moment to relax, unwind, and get creative—whether in the gallery café, on the nearby lawns, or at home.
This fun, family-friendly activity offers a playful way to connect with the artwork and the values of William Morris, celebrating beauty, community, and craftsmanship.
Bring your own colouring tools or borrow some from William Morris Gallery, and don’t forget to share your finished masterpiece on instagram using #PhoneboxGreenhouse.
Simply drop by the gallery, pick up a sheet, and colour to your heart’s content!
About The Fixatorium
The Fixatorium is an award winning design thinking studio based in Leyton, who tackle grassroots social problems using art, design, and technology for social good. They create innovative prototypes like mini food banks and recycled plastic products, supporting charities, schools, and community groups with cutting-edge solutions that build skills, solve real-world challenges, and inspire sustainable change.
Find out more:
Follow The Fixatorium:
www.instagram.com/thefixatorium
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555218527174
Remember: share your finished masterpiece on instagram using #PhoneboxGreenhouse.
Open Studio: Meseme
Free - drop-ins welcome
Please note the first-floor space is only accessible via stairs.
Open Studio: Meseme by Riya Panchal x KPKinan Glass, Mesmerik Lighting Collection Launch
Based at the Blackhorse Workshop, Meseme by Riya Panchal will be hosting their open studio to launch their latest lighting collection in collaboration with KPKinan Glass.
Join us for the launch of MESMERIK - a sculptural lighting collection by designer Riya of Meseme Studio and artist Kira Phoenix K’inan. This striking new series blends bubble-rich kiln-formed glass with precision-engineered metal forms, creating emotionally evocative, customisable lighting.
Visitors will encounter a debut set of lighting fixtures alongside a tactile material library, offering a firsthand look at the collection’s unique finishes. MESMERIK invites curiosity, touch, and conversation, transforming function into art. Explore light, material, and form in luminous harmony.
About Meseme Studio
Meseme Studio creates evocative decorative lighting that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Founded by Riya Panchal, the Blackhorse Lane based studio explores light, shadow and materiality through modular, emotionally resonant pieces that invite personalisation.
Find out more:
Follow Meseme Studio:
www.instagram.com/mesemestudio
Through the Lens: Hannah Bodsworth's Creative Studio
Free - just turn up for the Open Studio
£50 per Photography Session - booking required
OPEN STUDIO
Step inside Hannah Bodsworth’s photography and videography studio in Blackhorse Lane and discover the craft behind the imagery.
Hannah has been a photographer for over 14 years. From shooting London’s street style for The Evening Standard, to creating photography and video for Eastpak Bags, Joules Clothing, Goldsmiths Jewellers, Deichmann Shoes, JC Decaux and the NHS.
Come along to Hannah's studio to watch live portrait shoots, and get a little insight into the artistry, problem-solving, and technical skill behind every image.
PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION
Want to get in front of the camera? As part of the William Morris Design Line , Hannah is offering mini headshot sessions, on Saturday 20 Sept.
・ £50 per session
・ 30 minutes
・ Choose from 3 backdrops - white, grey, or oyster
・ 1 lightly edited image
・ Delivered within 72 hours
Perfect for creatives, freelancers, and anyone who wants a standout professional portrait. Limited slots available. Book yours now:
Please note - your shoot will be visible to other attendees during the William Morris Design Line.
ABOUT HANNAH BODSWORTH
Meet Hannah Bodsworth, the photographer who'll climb any ladder or shuffle along any ground to capture that perfect hero shot.
Based in her fully equipped studio in Blackhorse Lane's Switchboard Studios, Hannah specialises in lifestyle product photography, personal brand photography, and fine art portraits, bringing energy, creativity, and genuine human connection to every project.
Her impressive client roster includes Joules Clothing, Goldsmiths Jewellers, Deichmann Shoes, NHS, and Clear Channel, proving her versatility across commercial and editorial work.
From 2010-2015, Hannah captured London's vibrant street style for The Evening Standard, Guardian Observer and The Times, establishing her eye for authentic moments and compelling storytelling. Hannah thrives on well-researched briefs but stays reactive to create that extra magic that transforms good shots into extraordinary images.
When she's not creating compelling imagery for clients, you'll find her photographing her son and dog from their home on a 42ft narrowboat, embodying the creative spirit that sees opportunity everywhere.
Hannah represents the modern photographer who balances commercial success with artistic integrity, always ready for whatever it takes to deliver exceptional results.
Find out more:
Follow Hannah Bodsworth
www.facebook.com/hannahbodsworthphotography/
Open Studio: Embroidery Art & Football
Free entry - drop-in welcome
Please note the first-floor space is only accessible via stairs.
OPEN STUDIO
Following Nicole’s acclaimed 'Ruined' exhibition at OOF Gallery, Nicole opens her workspace to share her distinctive approach that merges hand embroidery with football culture.
Known for her intentionally messy, brash style, Nicole's work explores identity through intuitive stitching that challenges traditional craft norms.
Visitors can examine her textile pieces up close, discuss her creative process, and learn how football informs her artistic practice. The studio will showcase works that celebrate imperfection and emotional authenticity through thread.
About Nicole Chui
Nicole Chui is a London-based embroidery artist developing a distinctive 'disruptive' style that blends football culture with textile art. Her intentionally imperfect hand embroidery explores identity through intuitive, emotionally charged creations that challenge craft conventions.
Find out more:
Follow Nicole:
Instagram: @thatsewnicole
Facebook: ThatSewNicole
Colour Lab: From Field to Studio part 2 - Immersive Colour Making Workshops
General Admission Session 1 - Colour Mixing & Stories of Historical Pigments 11-12pm: £15.00 + £1.25 booking fee
General Admission Session 2 - Colour Mixing & Stories of Historical Pigments 1-2pm: £15.00 + £1.25 booking fee
General Admission Session 3 - Colour Mixing & Stories of Historical Pigments 3-4pm: £15.00 + £1.25 booking fee
General Admission Walthamstow Community Rate / Key Workers: £12.00 + £1.00 booking fee
Personal Colour Consultations - 5pm: £45.00 + £1.50 booking fee. Bring along your points of inspiration or start points for any colour palette or project and work with Laura for 45mins to discuss how to develop and refine for materials or applications.
Colour Lab: From Field to Studio part 2 - Immersive Colour Making Workshops
Local colour researcher and trend forecaster Laura Perryman will open the doors to her working studio to the public.
This intimate format allows visitors to get involved in real colour research in action while learning the fascinating stories behind everyday colours that most people take for granted.
The Colour Lab, a special participatory workshop space, features four discovery zones spanning colour's timeline, from prehistoric cave pigments to cutting-edge bio-colours. Visitors can grind ancient pigments using traditional mortar and pestle techniques, discover why certain colour combinations have shaped civilisations, and glimpse sustainable colour innovation, including bacterial pigments and pH-responsive dyes.
Saturday focuses on historical foundations, exploring the stories behind everyday colours most people take for granted.
Slow down, observe, mix and create unique colours and understand more intimately how to work hands-on to create a mindful palette.
What's Provided:
Colour mixing and painting tools, painting materials, aprons
Colour oF Saying Series
Whether you are looking for a deep, immersive making experience or a more informal opportunity to drop in and observe, the programme has been designed to offer a flexible journey from field to studio.
To navigate the full weekend offering, you can explore the specific sessions below:
About Colour of Saying
Colour of Saying is a Walthamstow-based design studio dedicated to empowering designers, manufacturers and the colour curious to harness colour and materials as agents of change.
Founded by Laura Perryman, CMF (Color, Material, and Finish) designer, forecaster and author of The Colour Bible, Colour of Saying collaborates with businesses and brands internationally to champion the intentional use of colour for human and ecological good.
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whac.art at yonder
Free entry, view during Yonder opening hours.
whac.art at yonder
whac.art presents an evolving showcase of works by Simon van Stipriaan and Ross Santamera, installed at Yonder for the William Morris Design Line and remaining on view beyond the festival weekend.
The display brings together process led pieces that sit between design and art, made using a mix of traditional and computational methods.
Visitors are welcome to drop in during venue opening hours to explore the work and learn more about the practice.
Yonder opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 10:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Please check the venue for any updates.
About whac.art
whac.art is a collaboration between Simon van Stipriaan and Ross Santamera.
The project showcases hand and machine crafted work that explores wealth, health and creativity, prioritising reflection, experimentation, and process over outcome.
Find out more:
Follow:
www.instagram.com/whac.art
Talk: Design That Connects
Free talk - booking essential
Please note the first-floor space is only accessible via stairs.
Talk: Design That Connects - A Conversation on Collaboration, Craft & Creative Chemistry
Lighting designer Riya Panchal (Meseme Studio), embroidery artist Nicole Chui, and glass artist Kira Phoenix K’inan will share how their collaborations grew into two unique lighting collections - blending embroidery, sculptural glass, and lighting design.
Expect insights into how they work, why they chose small-batch over mass production, and how design can be emotional, expressive, and personal.
This isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about what happens when creatives make space for each other’s voices and backgrounds, and how that shapes the objects we live with.
Based at the Blackhorse Workshop, Meseme by Riya Panchal will be hosting their open studios together with other makers/members in the building.
About Meseme Studio
Meseme Studio creates evocative decorative lighting that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Founded by Riya Panchal, the London-based studio explores light, shadow and materiality through modular, emotionally resonant pieces that invite personalisation.
Find out more:
Follow Meseme Studio:
www.instagram.com/mesemestudio
www.instagram.com/thatsewnicole
www.instagram.com/kpkinanglass
ABOUT NICOLE CHUI
Nicole Chui is a London-based embroidery artist developing a distinctive 'disruptive' style that blends football culture with textile art. Her intentionally imperfect hand embroidery explores identity through intuitive, emotionally charged creations that challenge craft conventions.
Find out more:
Follow Nicole:
Instagram: @thatsewnicole
Facebook: ThatSewNicole
ABOUT Kira Phoenix K’inan
Artist and Designer, Kira Phoenix K’inan, brings together fine art and craft through works on paper, inimitable glass sculptures, ephemeral installations and multi-exposure photography, which are sustainably and ethically produced in her studio in London. Today her collections are known for their rich colour palette, dynamic lines that intertwist into one another and works that are in constant visual flux.
Find out more:
www.kpkinanglass.com/about-kira-phoenix-kinan-glass-artist-values-articles
Follow Kira Phoenix K’inan:
www.instagram.com/kpkinanglass/
Behind the Brew: Neckstamper Brewery Tours
Free tours every 30 minutes
brewery Tour
The Neckstamper team are throwing open their brewery doors to share the craft that goes into every single pint.
Tours kick off every half hour on the half hour from 2pm to 5pm, giving you plenty of chances to join in. You'll get up close with the brewing kit that makes it all possible, from the gleaming fermentation vessels to the intricate systems that control temperature, timing and flavour development.
Feel the different malts, smell the aromatic hops, and understand how these raw materials combine to create the diverse range of beers that make craft brewing so exciting. You'll learn why certain combinations work, how small changes can dramatically alter the final product, and what makes each batch unique.
After your tour, settle into the taproom where fresh beers flow straight from the source. Taste the difference that local brewing makes, compare different styles, and chat with fellow beer lovers about what you've discovered.
ABOUT Neckstamper Brewing
Meet Neckstamper Brewing, where traditional brewing craft meets modern innovation in Lea Bridge’s dynamic Argall Industrial Area.
Adam Jefferies leads this passionate team dedicated to creating exceptional beers that celebrate both heritage and creativity. From carefully selected ingredients to precise brewing techniques, every step reflects their commitment to quality and craft.
Neckstamper embodies the maker spirit that defines this corner of East London, combining time-honoured brewing traditions with contemporary flavours and approaches. Their brewery serves as both production facility and community hub, where the art of brewing is shared, celebrated and constantly refined.
Website:
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The Waxed Herbarium Workshop: Exploring Craft and the Anthropocene
£50
Limited to 4 participants per session
Workshop
Explore Yesenia's Argall Avenue studio for a unique workshop that blends craft, ecology, and storytelling. You'll discover the fascinating world of ruderal plants, those hardy species that thrive in human-disturbed landscapes around the Lea Valley. These resilient plants have stories to tell about survival and adaptation in our changing world.
The workshop begins with a gentle walk through our local area, where you'll learn to spot and collect these remarkable plants. Back in the studio, you'll preserve your specimens using traditional beeswax techniques, creating your own hanging waxed herbarium. Each piece becomes a unique artwork and a material reflection on the relationship between humans and nature.
Through Yesenia's Material Teller practice, craft becomes a way of understanding our environment. The Anthropocene refers to our current epoch, in which human activity significantly influences the planetary systems. This workshop celebrates the intersection of traditional craft skills and contemporary environmental awareness.
You'll work with molten beeswax, learning traditional preservation techniques while creating contemporary art. The process is meditative and engaging, suitable for participants aged 12 and above.
Located in the heart of Argall Industrial Area, Yesenia's studio represents the area's evolution from industrial past to creative present. Her research-led practice explores sustainable materials and slow processes, fostering new ways of thinking and creating.
Come away with your own waxed herbarium, new knowledge about local plants, and an understanding of how craft can deepen our connection to the natural world around us.
Additional information: Wear comfortable clothes and closed shoes for the outdoor walk and making, which you don't mind getting messy, as we will be working with molten wax. Children (12+) should be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times
About Yesenia Thibault-Picazo
Yesenia Thibault-Picazo leads a research-led design studio exploring craft, ecology, and material culture on the edge of the Lea Valley. Blending experimentation, production, and critical practice, the studio engages with sustainable materials, slow processes, and collaborative making to foster new ways of thinking and creating in a changing world.
Find out more:
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Open Studio and Sample Sale: Buttress and Snatch
Free - just turn up
Open Studio and Sample Sale: Buttress and Snatch
Open studios at our creative lingerie atelier with a tour behind the scenes to see specialist lingerie techniques and machinery in action. A unique chance to buy sewing patterns and specialist materials as well as design prototypes and style samples from our extensive archive collection.
Buttress & Snatch opens their creative studio doors to reveal how they've been revolutionising lingerie making since 1999, creating zero waste through their unique made-to-order approach.
Discover their remarkable approach to sustainability, where around 80% of materials come from waste. Explore their treasure trove of vintage fabrics, antique lace, deadstock trims, and high-end performance fabrics built up over two decades of salvage operations.
See how they combine these finds with carefully chosen new materials like hand-dyed organic cotton gingham from Kerala and heritage English Cluny lace made in Nottinghamshire for over 200 years.
This unique open studio experience showcases their "Make Love not Landfill" philosophy in action. Located in the tranquil garden space behind Blackhorse Lane Jeans Atelier, experience firsthand how good, honest work, creative freedom, and sustainable practice create lingerie that celebrates every woman's figure whilst supporting local makers and UK manufacture at every step.
About Buttress & Snatch
Buttress & Snatch is a pioneering lingerie and swimwear atelier operating since 1999, creating zero-waste custom pieces in their Blackhorse Lane workshop.
With 25 years of craftsmanship experience and notable clients including Madonna and Kate Moss, they champion the sustainable "Make Love not Landfill" philosophy. Using 80% waste-sourced materials, including vintage fabrics and antique lace, everything is hand-cut and made-to-order, supporting local manufacture whilst eliminating waste.
Find out more:
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Open Taproom: East London Brewing Company
Free entry - drop-in welcome
Open Taproom
As part of the William Morris Design Line programme, we'll be opening up our normally closed-to-the-public-taproom for one afternoon.
On Saturday 20th we will open from 2-6pm with a variety of our favourite keg and cask beer on offer. Tasting flights will be available. To tie in with the London Design Festival, we will be running "Design your own East London beer mat" sessions and a competition for the best design.
About East London Brewing Company
We are an independent microbrewery located in Leyton, brewing award-winning cask and keg beers since 2011. We were one of the first craft breweries to emerge during the UK craft beer boom.
Find out more:
www.eastlondonbrewing.com/
Follow East London Brewing Company:
www.instagram.com/eastlondonbrew/
Devil's Botany Open distillery
Free entry - drop-in welcome
Open distillery
Discover East London's first absinthe distillery! Enjoy free tastings, distillery tours and learn about how our bold botanical spirits are crafted with heritage and innovation.
Our Leyton distillery opens its doors for you to explore the art of botanical spirit making.
Sample our award-winning absinthes and discover how we blend traditional techniques with innovative flair. Throughout the afternoon, enjoy free tastings and informal distillery tours where you'll learn about our craft process, from selecting botanicals to the final bottling.
This is your chance to experience Leyton's vibrant drinks culture firsthand. Our team will be on hand to share stories behind our distinctive green fairy and other botanical creations, all made right here in E10.
About Devil's Botany
Devil's Botany is East London's first absinthe distillery, crafting bold botanical spirits where heritage meets innovation. Based in Leyton, our distillery draws inspiration from East London's creative energy, producing award-winning absinthes and distinctive spirits rooted in tradition but made for modern palates.
Find out more:
Follow Devil's Botany:
Instagram: @devilsbotany
Twitter: @devilsbotany
Facebook: devilsbotany
Angry Dan Family Day at William Morris Gallery
Angry Dan Family Day is free, while paper stocks last!
Angry Dan Family Day at William Morris Gallery
On Saturday 20 September, in celebration of Morris Mania’s final weekend, join artist Angry Dan for Family Day! Screen print your own black and white copy of Angry Dan’s William Morris mural design.
Morris Mania explores a complicated legacy. Over 125 years since his death, Morris’s work continues to grow in popularity. His patterns are now affordable, well-loved and available to people across the globe, something he failed to achieve in his lifetime.
However, this has been achieved in the context of mass-production, computer-generated design, global capitalism and environmental crisis. Morris Mania considers the ongoing impact of Britain’s most iconic designer in our increasingly cluttered and commodified world.
Morris Mania is part of the Gallery’s 75th Anniversary Year programme.
About Angry Dan
I write limericks, illustrate them in bright colours, and paint them on the street. I have painted in towns and cities across the UK and overseas. I also draw maps.
My latest map of London was featured on the BBC, commended by The Mayor of London, and installed in the Olympic Park for London Mural Festival 2024.
Find out more:
www.wmgallery.org.uk/event/morris-mania/
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Alcohol-free brewery tour and taproom
Free entry - drop-in welcome or book a time for your tour.
Alcohol-free brewery tour and taproom
Join us for a fun and educational tour of a brewery that specialises in alcohol-free brewing, followed by a guided tasting with our brewer
Or just drop in to our taproom anytime to sample the best alcohol-free beer has to offer!
Nirvana Brewery will be opening it’s doors for an alcohol-free beer tasting and brewery tour! Our shutter will be open all afternoon for you to pop in and join us for a beer anytime from 1pm-5pm.
Plus our brewer James will lead brewery-talk drop-in sessions on the hour every hour giving the low-down on the magic behind alcohol-free brewing, followed by a guided tasting with a selection of four great Nirvana beers.
About Nirvana Brewery
Meet Nirvana Brewery, the UK's first dedicated alcohol-free brewhouse. Founded by Becky in 2016, this independent, family-run brewery in Leyton, East London is pioneering the no/low- alcohol movement with passion and purpose.
Using traditional brewing methods with hops, malt, yeast, and brewing genius, they're constantly pushing boundaries and reinventing classics.
Their mission is simple: bring the joy of beer to everyone, for the sheer joy of it. No rules, no alcohol, no worries.
Find out more:
Follow Nirvana Brewery:
www.facebook.com/NirvanaBeerCo/
Open Studio: Yukai Du Illustration & Animation Studio
Free - just turn up
Open Studio
This open studio event offers a rare glimpse into the artist's creative process, from initial sketches to finished animated pieces.
Discover Yukai's distinctive style, which blends traditional craftsmanship with digital techniques to create works pulsing with colour and movement.
As you explore, you'll encounter works-in-progress at various stages, discover the tools behind animated illustrations, and learn how visual narratives develop from concept to final piece.
This is your chance to engage directly with the artist's working environment and gain insight into the craft of visual storytelling in this vibrant workspace.
About Yukai Du Illustration & Animation
Yukai Du Illustration & Animation creates vibrant visual narratives that bridge traditional and digital mediums. Based in Blackhorse Lane's Switchboard Studios, the practice explores the intersection of illustration, motion graphics, and storytelling.
Find out more:
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