About

CATHERINE LOCK & FRIENDS present HANDMADE CITY

A curation of walks, workshops and sessions which celebrate original craft & creative practice in the City of London.

HANDMADE CITY WALK
Guided by Catherine Lock, this walk explores the creativity that shaped pre-electricity London: the invisible hands and minds who crafted its unique spirit of place. Starting in medieval Clerkenwell and journeying to the Enlightenment-era City, we shall meet unsung talents – monks and jesters, stonemasons and basketmakers, apprentices and imagineers. Each stop illuminates a different aspect of their creativity, from purpose to materials, ingenuity and original thought. Listening for ancient bells, seeking out gilded treasures and encountering contemporary talents along the way, we shall discuss why these stories of original creativity matter today, and ask whether a hand-formed city is a more human city.

Along with her ‘original’ walk (from Farringdon to Bank), there will be exclusive London Craft Week walks ending in craft demonstrations: two walks which co-ordinate with a tour of the subterranean stone & woodwork workshops of St Paul’s Cathderal; three walks ending at St Mary-le-Bow where basketmaker, Hilary Burns MBE, will demonstrate the making of traditional baskets from historic City life & trades.

HANDMADE CITY WORKSHOP
Under the great bells of St Mary-le-Bow, Catherine invites you to join renowned basketmaker Hilary Burns MBE who will bring the basketry traditions of Cheapside street pedlars to life. Join Hilary’s workshop to make a strawberry seller’s traditional, split-willow ‘Pottle’ !

HANDMADE CITY MUSIC
Guitarist and luminary artist, James Boyd, weaves his ‘songtelling’ craft with the resonance of a guitar formed from ancient Fenland bog oak, giving song to the endangered skills of luthier Philip Taylor. In their makeshift workshop-stage, their artistry awakens the City’s quietened music traditions and voices.

The Handmade City walks, workshops and sessions have been created for London Craft Week by curator and creative director Catherine Lock. Catherine was co-founder of The New Craftsmen, a pioneering business championing modern makers, and today she connects audiences with heritage craft practices, brands and places through curated experiences and bespoke projects.

BOOKING
For timings, ticket bookings, details of locations, walks and further creative sessions, contact Catherine Lock:
E: catherine.lock@gmail.com
Instagram: @lock_catherine