Ho Ho Ho! Join us at the Arthouse for a FREE Christmas Workshop on the 18th of December – we’ll learn how to make beautiful festive paper wreaths!
All welcome, drop by!
April 2022
During the Easter school holidays, we have been running workshops on housing estates accross Lewisham on behalf of Clarion Housing. Children on Orchard Gardens, Newstead and Leybridge Estates were given opportunities to experiment with new materials and techniques and make artworks which they took home to play with or use, making wings and wall hangings, and printing their own t-shirts. Thanks to artists Joana, Ruth, Leonie, Natasha, Ben and Ellie for facilitating the workshops.
To see all the fabulous things the children produced check out the blog and tumblr
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February 2022
‘Opening Up’ was part of the communal experience for summer 2021, and the Lewisham Arthouse outreach workshops once again provided the opportunity for local children and families to make art by looking, drawing, building, sculpting and lots more. We are so grateful our artists get to provide these arts and crafts events that bring the joy of art making to our South East London community.
Making Works are a series of hands on practical arts workshops for children and young people living on three local estates – Leybridge estate, Royal Road and Newstead. The workshops are part of the Lewisham Arthouse’s Education and Outreach Programme. The workshops focus on the use of recycled materials in constructive ways, develop children’s confidence in using power tools, problem solving skills and creative thinking, as well as their ability to work in a team in a fun and engaging way, using art to reclaim the green spaces with an interactive family activity.
The Making Works workshops started at Leybridge Estate in Lee back in July 2014, and have run about 10 weekly sessions each year, pretty much until the pandemic started. Since its inception, the workshop has been led by the highly experienced Artist Educator Laura X Carlé, along with support from other artists from the Lewisham Arthouse, and was led by another highly capable artist from the Arthouse, Ruth Beale, during Laura’s maternity leave.
For 2021, the project run 4 long sessions across the three estates. These included an arts and crafts summer events using the theme ‘Opening Up’ . The children were able to collaborate in creating an ever-growing art installation, with each child using paint or collage on a white cardboard box. The boxes were then attached together and piled up into an evolving puzzle. Later the children were able to take their own creations home, with some using it as decorated storage or as a diorama.
Following ‘Opening Up’, the next workshop theme was “We Are Here!”, the children created a silhouette or drawing of themselves using paint, markers or collage on a large piece of cardboard. The figures were attached to the fence of the houses, secured with bamboo sticks or leaning on walls. After finishing the silhouettes there was a time for reflection, before the figures were arranged in different theatrical positions. This event also ended with the children getting to take their own creations home.
Over the years these events have really benefited the families and children. They have been very enthusiastic about taking part, the parents like that the children can be outside engaged in an activity visible to all and one which involves clearly working together. It’s been really fantastic to see the green spaces used positively by empowering the residents to take control of their community environment, reclaiming outside areas for fun family activities. The workshops show art promotes a sense of belonging, fostering empowerment though having influence over spaces – suggesting the possibility of further improving the environment, fighting against helplessness and increasing community wellbeing. The children like that they get to take home their wonderful creations, and gain art skills through the process!
For the Lewisham Art House artists these workshops give the chance to help the wider community in South East London. The workshops help reflect upon the lived experiences by underrepresented groups, using art to encourage and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Lewisham Arthouse artists have been so pleased that the Making Works workshops went through the process of “Opening Up’ in 2021, so we can continue to support our community and spread the joy that art can bring.
To see all the fabulous things the children produced in this and previous years check out the blog and tumblr
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Experimenting with Performance, 2-4pm
Rhythms is a participatory workshop led by artist Luca Bosani focusing on performance making and rhythm. Through the introduction to three primary elements – repetition, stillness and inconsistency – the participants are invited to experiment with different performance rhythms, in collaboration and individually.
Peer Support Workshop, 4-6pm
Exhibition curator Séamus McCormack will lead an artist-led peer support workshop on ways of discussing and supporting practice. This participatory session consists of various exercises and will look at self-positioning, reflection and feedback on direction.
Aimed at emerging artists and students, it is advised toattend both sessions, but you can also only attend one.
Programmed in conjunction with Rain Wetting Thirst, at Lewisham Arthouse
Workshop Leader Bios:
Luca Bosani is an artist based in London. Solo exhibitions and performances include: ‘Too Early to Love You, Too Late to Kiss You’, Tate Britain, London, 2019; ‘Knaves of Radiance (paintings)’ Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall, London 2019; ‘Knaves of Radiance (Bolan edition)’, London, 2018; ‘Performing the unknown’, Hortensia gallery, KCC College, London, 2018. Group exhibitions include: ‘Singolar Tenzone II’, Kunstraum, London, 2019; ‘Score!’, Beaconsfield Gallery, London, 2019; ‘Singolar Tenzone’, OXO tower, London, 2018; ‘Knaves of Radiance (Bang Bang)’, Gallery 46, London, 2018; ‘Knaves of Radiance (The Bipotential stage)’, Subsidiary Projects, London, 2018; ‘Revolve Performance Art Festival’, Uppsala Konstmuseum, 2017; ‘Liberté d’action’, L’Amour, Paris, 2017; ‘Being alone together’, Crown Building, Liverpool, 2017. www.lucabosani.com
Séamus McCormack is a curator based in London. Curated projects include: ‘Scaffold’, Bomb Factory; ‘Rain Wetting Thirst’, Lewisham ArtHouse; ‘Jealous Wall’, Luan Gallery, Athlone; ‘SausageFest’, ArtBox, Dublin; ‘Traces’, IMMA, Dublin; ‘Roadkill’, IMMA, Dublin. Séamus was co-curator of both ‘Mobile Encounters’ and ‘Primal Architecture’, IMMA, Dublin. He currently works with New Contemporaries and was previously at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). He has written on the work of a wide range of artists, including Haroon Mirza, Leonora Carrington, Wolfgang Tillmans, Paul Sharits, Jonas Lund, Ulla Wiggen, Christopher Williams, Janine Davidson, Elaine Leader and Jennifer Brady. www.seamusmccormack.com
To book a place via eventbrite please click here
Free workshop to make your own table tennis bat.
For kids aged 11 and over and adults.
Come and join us at Lewisham Arthouse on 13th July 2019 from 11am-1pm
Free drop-in
Lewisham Arthouse
140 Lewisham way
SE14 6PD
London
In Ancient Greece a symposium was
a drinking party, but it was also a
‘thinking party’, a time to get together
and discuss interesting thoughts and
ideas. Like food and drink,
fun discussion of different opinions
was a form of art and play.
Come and be part of our Thinking Party.
We will munch upon
strange questions about what things
are real, what they are, and how we
can know about anything at all!
These are questions
for anyone and everyone
Children’s Thinkery
Sat 30 March, 12-1pm
Telegraph Hill Centre
(6-12yrs. Accompanied by an adult)
£2, book here
Adults’ Thinkery
Sun 31st March, 5-6.30pm
The Hill Station
Free, no booking needed.
A free drop in Christmas wreath making session for you and your family with a special winter punch to warm you on your way!
Join and make a few floral little extras to bring light to your home through winter, learn some of the old Christmas traditions that unite home and hearth with our Winter gardens.
Open to all, please feel welcome!
Drop in (first come, first served)
4-7pm, Saturday 15th December 2018
Lewisham Arthouse
140 Lewisham Way, SE146PD
Free fun for all the family
Children must be accompanied by an adult
With many thanks to Brockley Assembly for supporting this event.
‘Flower Power’ provided a popular series of nature-based seasonal events,
exploring different elements of nature and art and appealing to a wide range of audiences. The initiative will continue with further funding being sought, and future summer sketch crawls in Brockley’s community gardens, a ‘Flower Power’ legacy designed to become a regular feature on the local arts calendar.
A fun afternoon carving pumpkins
Photo credit: Elise Rose
On Saturday 27 October Lewisham Arthouse turned into a Halloween themed, pumpkin carving hot spot where families dropped in to create their very own scary lanterns just in time for the holiday.
Over 30+ children came along on the day, joined by artist facilitators and their guardians to design and carve out a picture of their choice. Taking inspiration from the spooky imagery on hand the group quickly got stuck into making the most of being welcomed to make a creative mess!
In addition to their lanterns, each pumpkin carver left with an early treat bag and in an effort to promote minimal waste and home growing – a pouch of their pumpkins seeds with instructions describing how to plant them in their gardens next year.
The activity was part of Lewisham Arthouse’s Flower Power programme, kindly supported by Brockley Assembly and developed in partnership with a number of local community gardens. The initiative ran throughout 2018, aiming to promote awareness and community care for the environment in engaging and creative ways.
27th October 4-6pm
Lewisham Arthouse is getting spooky this October with a FREE, halloween themed Flower Power FAMILY ACTIVITY. Drop in on Saturday 27 October (4-6pm) to design and carve your very own pumpkin lantern just in time for the scary season!
Help will be on hand as will a variety of pumpkins, tools, arts materials and inspiration. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Designers of all ages will leave with a scary pumpkin lantern as well as their seeds and instructions on how to plant them next Spring!
Facilitated by members of Lewisham Arthouse with many thanks to Brockley Assembly. The ‘Halloween Special’ is the final instalment of our Flower Power community initiative that has been exploring green spaces and care for the environment through the arts this Summer.
Open to all, please feel welcome!
Drop in (first come, first served)
4-6pm, Saturday 27 October 2018
Lewisham Arthouse
140 Lewisham Way, SE146PD
Free fun for all the family
Children must be accompanied by an adult
With many thanks to Brockley Assembly
Every Tuesdays 4-6pm
Leybridge Estate and Lee Green Lives
Creative drop in workshops on the grass at the Leybridge Estate
Tuesday 11th Sept – 4-6pm
Tuesday 18th Sept – 4-6pm
Tuesday 25th Sept – 4-6pm
Tuesday 2nd Oct – 4-6pm
Special event
Saturday 6th Oct- 2-5pm
Skills-based Masterclasses at Lee Green Lives community centre
Tuesday 16th Oct – 4-6pm, Lee Green Lives
Tuesday 23th Oct – 4-6pm, Lee Green Lives
Tuesday 30th Oct – 4-6pm, Lee Green Lives
Tuesday 6th Nov -4-6pm, Lee Green Lives
We are delighted to announce that we have been commissioned for the fifth year running to deliver Making Works workshops for young people on the Leybridge Estate in Lewisham. These workshops are funded by Clarion Housing and run by professional artists from Lewisham Arthouse.
Making Works creative workshops are open to all children and young people living at the estate, as well as their parents, on a drop-in basis. This year we will introduce a range of crafts and artforms, with painting, woodworking, fabric & sewing, paper & collage to produce costumes, hats, masks, theatre backdrops, banners, toys and sculptures.
This year, in addition to the usual outdoor workshops, we are organising 4 special indoor Masterclasses at Lee Green Lives community centre. The outdoor sessions will foster working on ‘big ideas’, whilst the indoors sessions will focus on new skills and individual projects.
The workshops are free and open to all. Call or text 07789 362 069 for more information, or follow us on Instagram: @Making Works.
1st September 2-4pm
1st September
2-4pm
Free
Meet at 2pm at Lewisham Art House
140 Lewisham way
SE14 6PD
London
FLOWER POWER is a series of Lewisham Arthouse – art events, focusing on local community gardens and care for our environment.
21 July 2018 2-4 pm
FLOWER POWER is a series of Lewisham Arthouse – art events, focusing on local community gardens and care for our environment.
Make Friendly Giant Flowers in Friendly Gardens
69 Ashmead Rd, London SE8 4DY
Entrances: Lucas St, Oscar St or Friendly St
Saturday, 21 July 2018
2 – 4 pm
Free
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Flower Power is kindly supported by Brockley Assembly.
14th July 2018 2-4pm
FLOWER POWER is a series of free art events throughout the summer, brought to you by Lewisham Arthouse in the Brockley area.
Our first three workshops have already taken place from making fantastic street clay ornaments to wake up Rokeby Road, and for making a mark with the local community to building dens and tunnels animals live in during a free W/e workshop in Luxmore Gardens. In total we already had over one hundred participants of all ages.
The FLOWER POWER project is designed to kick start an on-going process
of art based social engagement and care for our
environment, addressing complex issues surrounding the relationship between
communities and their local environments.
Join our next free drop in event STILL LIFE | Nature Morte – painting: Saturday, 14 July 2 – 4pm in Breakspears Community Gardens located on Breakspears Mews, just off Ashby Rd SE4 1UW for all ages – Children must be accompanied by an adult
Flower Power is kindly supported by Brockley Assembly, conceived and curated by Arthouse members, Alma Tischlerwood and Heather Steed .
http://www.lewishamarthouse.org.uk
13th – 16th September, 2017
Beecroft Garden School will be hosting an event at Lewisham Arthouse where all the art sold raises money for developing a special outside space and training for the children to revive Brockley’s tradition of bee-keeping!
Special Preview to reserve art work:
Wednesday 13th September 10am – 5pm
Visitors to Beecroft Garden School enter a reception area that has been designed as an open plan gallery and library space that is filled with works by children working both collaboratively and individually.
“The fact that art work is framed and exhibited around the school with a professional level of care clearly indicates the value placed on pupils learning and outcomes, fostering respect and self – confidence amongst the children” (Charlie Salter, Co-chair of The National Society for Education in Art & Design (NSEAD) South East Region)
All the works in this exhibition will be for sale in order to raise money for developing a special outside space for the children that will revive the local area’s tradition of bee-keeping. Beefriendly plants, hives and sculptures will all feature. The exhibition has already gained the support of art critics, gallerists and even the occasional collector eager to get work early.
“It’s great to see a school that understands bringing to fore a child’s innate creative spirit is of paramount importance. Who knows…perhaps one day one of the children from Beecroft Garden Primary School will be showing in the Tate, building architectural icons or writing life-changing novels.” (Oliver Basciano, Editor, International, of ArtReview)
Putting the arts at the centre of a Primary School’s ethos is a bold thing to do – but that’s exactly what Beecroft Garden Primary School has been doing since the school re-opened in 2012.
“The way you have developed the children’s creative skills and techniques, working on large scale cross-curricular projects, while maintaining outstanding academic results and Ofsted judgements, is truly inspiring! I always use your school as an example when teachers tell me that they do not have time to do arts projects due to needing to raise standards in English and maths.” (Philippa Beagley, Arts Award Trainer, Advisor, Moderator)
Telephone:
0208 692 2762
Email:
admin@beecroftgarden.lewisham.sch.uk
23rd February
All year groups at Myatt Garden Primary School focused for an entire week on the picture and subsequently all their learning and creative outpourings were inspired by ‘Penelope with the Suitors’.
I am extremely proud of the children’s creativity and the whole schools energy and skill in delivering this project. The exhibition displays not only every child’s work in the school, but the excitement and enthusiasm of their learning.
Well done Myatt Garden!
Karen Vost
Art Specialist Teacher
Myatt Garden Primary School
23rd July – 4th September 2016
Touch, bend, balance and play with large scale, colourful shapes and forms.
How do artists handle materials in their studio and how is this different to the way we experience the same materials in a gallery? Material World invites visitors of all ages to experience an immersive artwork and to handle, compose and play with materials together. Improvise with materials. Try touching the ceiling or two walls at the same time. Try connecting all the shapes together. Go under. Go over. Wrap a shape around you!
Material World is linked to the Materials and Objects collection display on Level 4 and devised by Laura X Carlé with Tate Families.
Drop-in for special artist-led sessions with the creator of Material World; Laura X Carlé.
Monday 8th August 2016, 2 – 5pm
Saturday 13th August 2016, 11am – 2pm
Friday 19th August 2016, 11am – 2pm
www.lauraxcarle.com
www.tate.org.uk
30th June – 22nd September 2016
(Thursdays and selected Saturdays, dates below)
Affinity Sutton, Lee Green Lives Community Centre and Lewisham Arthouse are pleased to announce that free Making Works workshops for young people will be available to Leybridge Estate residents for the third year running this Summer 2016.
Making Works creative workshops are open to all children and young people living at the estate as well as their parents on a drop-in basis. Participate and you could take home a little trophy, such as a spooky toy spider or a colourful flag!
These fun and engaging workshops have been commissioned and funded by the Affinity Sutton Community Fund and Groundwork. They are delivered by qualified artists and art tutors from Lewisham Arthouse, with practical support from the local Lee Green Lives Community Centre.
The project has run twice previously in the Summer’s of 2014 and 2015. In those past two years, children made fantastic and outrageous houses and castles; their own space ships; speedy go-cards; pyramids and much more, whilst learning how to use power tools along the way. All materials such as wood, colourful tapes, DIY tools, paper and paint are provided.
Lead artist and workshop tutor Laura X Carle says that it has been truly amazing to see the children enjoying themselves so much whilst learning practical and transferable skills for life when taking part in the creative activities. ‘They learn to share, to collaborate, to make practical decisions together, for instance when they build a house there is so much teamwork going on’. Laura and her team are looking forward to working with children who participated before as much as they are welcoming new participants.
Parents are welcome to join for a complete session or just a part of it. Children under 4 years must be accompanied by an adult throughout the whole workshop. Parents have commented on how much they enjoyed taking part together with their little ones. Rebecca, Isaac’s mum, said ‘it gets the children outside, getting creative and making together’. Dan, Natan’s Dad, commented ‘it was such a great idea to get the kids and adults outside, working together and having fun’.
For further enquiries about the workshops, please contact Adila Rose on 020 8285 4165 or Laura X Carle on 07789 362 069.
Workshop Dates:
Thursday 30th June 2016, 4.30-6.30
Thursday 7th July 2016, 4.30-6.30
Thursday 21st July 2016, 4.30-6.30
Saturday 30th July 2016, 3.30-5.30
Saturday 6th August 2016, 3.30-5.30
Thursday 11th August 2016, 4.30-6.30
Thursday 18th August 2016, 4.30-6.30
Thursday 25th August 2016, 4.30-6.30
Thursday 15th September 2016, 4.30-6.30
Thursday 22nd September 2016, 4.30-6.30
Visit to Tate Modern, Date TBC
Twitter: @makingworks
Tumblr: makingworks.tumblr.com
Saturday 18th June 2016, 12-4pm
Join Lewisham Arthouse artists Laura X Carlé and James Mackness at Lark in the Park this weekend. Laura and James will be representing Lewisham Arthouse and running the fantastic workshop Placard Factory, where children are invited to design and paint a placard and make a protest.
Laura works primarily with sculpture. The themes of her work come from situations that she witnesses in the social space. She produces objects and installations that aspire to challenge the spectator to question their own perceptions.
