About

The richness and diversity of the London Craft Week program, its wonderful cornucopia of crafts, makers, materials and locations might seem almost “too much” – wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had the time to explore all 300 events?

Our curated walking tours in partnership with Rue Pigalle distill for you the essence of our offering; the opportunity to connect directly with the makers and acquire an in-depth understanding of their practice. Organised by theme, each tour concentrates on a specific area of the city.

Tuesday October 5^th – Belgravia + Pimlico – £95 – 11:00am – 5:30pm

“From Portugal to Tasmania”  takes you from Belgravia to Pimlico. Some highlights of the day include an enamel demonstration by jeweller Jane Lunzer at Linley, a discovery of the indigenous timbers of Tasmania through the work of Tasmanian designer Brodie Neill, a spot of lunch and craft exploration at Daylesford on Pimlico, and antique Persian rugs restoration at Robert Kime.

We discover Portuguese artisans at the embassy of Portugal and end the day with a tour of the Crafting a Difference collective exhibit. Crafting a Difference will celebrate outstanding international contemporary craft set within the magnificent architecture, décor and fabric of the Argentine Ambassador’s Official Residence.

Wednesday October 6th – Covent Garden + The Strand + Crafts Council Gallery – £110 – 11:00am – 6:00pm

“Searching for the Meaning of Craft”  starts in Covent Garden before walking to The Strand and Two Temple Place.  Takumi in Japan is the word given to artisans who dedicate years to mastering and continually refining their skills.  The concept of skills is our departure point for this tour.

Two Temple Place a dazzling neo-Gothic gem on Victoria Embankment, commissioned by and built for William Waldorf Astor in the 1890s.

Later in the afternoon we enjoy a private tour of the Maker’s Eye exhibit at the Crafts Council gallery. The Crafts Council Gallery in London is a new public space dedicated to craft. It presents 150 craft objects made in the UK over the course of the Crafts Council’s 50-year history, as selected by 13 makers and one curator. The chosen objects cover a huge range of craft disciplines, techniques, and materials, and embrace many artistic and practical motivations.

Optional: Guests are invited to join the exhibit’s curator for dinner after the visit.

Thursday October 7th – QEST Trail in St James’s  + Mayfair – £95 – 11:00am – 5:30pm

“Contemporary Heritage Crafts” explores St James’s and Mayfair. On the QEST trail we discover how century old skills are entirely integrated in our contemporary world.

Historic costume maker Isabel Nellie Walters welcomes us at Floris, saddler Clare Barnett demonstrates the intricacies of saddle making, Sophie D’Souza shares the art of stain glass making.

In Mayfair we discover how hat making and porcelain can find inspiration in each other at Thomas Goode before enjoying an aperitif at The New Craftsmen in the company of exquisite British crafts.

Friday October 8th – Fitzrovia and Marylebone – £95 – 11:00am – 5:30pm

“A Cultural Medley” contrasts the traditional British flavour of Fitzrovia and Marylebone against the extraordinary geographic and cultural diversity of works displayed by galleries such as Ruup & Form, Tristan Hoare or the Artworkers Guild. We travel to Japan, Italy, Cuba…

The Artworkers Guild is a body of more than 350 artists, craftspeople and architects working at the highest levels of excellence in their professions. They represent over 60 creative disciplines. The Guild’s Honorary Architect, Simon Hurst, will be leading us in a tour of the Grade ll* Georgian townhouse which is home to the Art Workers’ Guild.

Other highlights for the day include  a visit of Tristan Hoare gallery on the magnificent Fitzroy Square, meeting the LOT2 collective at Ruup & Form,

and the exhibit at SoShiro house with Shiro Muchiri. And there will be more to discover on the day.

Sunday October 10th – Oxo Tower to Peckham Arches – £95 – 11:00am – 5:00pm

We “travel south” for the day to meet the makers of Cluster Crafts at Oxo Tower to enjoy, among other things, a special conversation with Canadian ceramicist Toni Losey and jeweller Claudia Lepik.

Founded in 2016, Cluster set the tone for art fairs that do away with middle men, dropped gallery representation and percentages skimmed off the top. Instead, it set out to be London’s most affordable art fair, featuring pure creation, unmitigated and unapologetic. Since then Cluster has grown into a celebration of diversity, style, material and themes, of ethnicity, background, age and class, a melting pot defined solely by the artistic necessity to express.

We meet the RCA textiles graduates and their creations but not before having stopped by the Taiwanese rush weaving exhibit. Then it’s all about ceramics with the revered Leach pottery studio followed by the ceramic globes of Loraine Rutt, founder of the Little Globe Company.

Rue Pigalle creates connections between women who are passionate about crafts, and between the makers themselves. As well as hosting conversations, workshops and much more, Rue Pigalle curates bespoke women-only international trips that explore the world through the prism of crafts. Its global membership of patrons, makers, galleries and curators connect in real life as well as through its digital Clubhouse. Learn more about The Club, by Rue Pigalle.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• We will be walking to all our destinations unless the weather requires that we take public transportation or cabs.
• Prices include all entry fees and tickets.Meals are booked at restaurants. Ticket prices do not include meals.
• A detailed itinerary with meeting times and locations will be emailed to you two days prior.
• Social distancing rules and all other mandated precautionary measures will be respected. Proof of double vaccination is required.