Author: Raf Malanga

In view of the current ongoing health emergency, London Craft Week has made the difficult decision to postpone LCW 2020. Originally scheduled to be held from 27 April – 3 May 2020, the festival will now take place from 30 September – 8 October 2020.

We are pleased to have put together a rich and varied programme of makers, disciplines and materials, with the valued support of our sponsors and programme partners, and we are excited to be able to start sharing LCW 2020 highlights, live on our website from 27 April 2020.

We appreciate that these next few months will be a challenging time for all and we are keen to support our artist-makers and programme partners, while keeping you – our loyal audience – connected at home.  In the lead up to the new festival dates, stay tuned to our digital channels for behind-the-scenes content and engaging insights from our craftspeople, programme partners and sponsors.

With very best wishes,
London Craft Week Ltd. 

Summer is almost over – here are the things we loved most from our partners in August and beyond!

Michelangelo Foundation x City & Guilds of London Art School Summer Programme

Four summer courses at City & Guilds of London Art School were chosen to be part of the Michelangelo Foundation’s inaugural Summer School Programme this year. The foundation funds eight young European artisans and designers to attend the renowned craft institutions each year, expanding their skills beyond their usual specialisation. The courses promote cross-disciplinary exchange, exploring etching, woodcarving, gilding and stone carving.

Cécile, a participant in the programme said: “Reuniting different arts and crafts professions can only make each other stronger. By communicating and exchanging our knowledge, we can generate new ideas and build a community to make a better tomorrow.”

The electrifying live music programme returns this year at Coal Drops Yard with some of the finest artists programmed by London opera-company Tête à Tête, Kings Place and Anthony Whitworth-Jones. A wonderful musical selection that features the likes of Ayanna Witter-Johnson, flamenco guitarist Paco Peña and young talents from the English National Opera. Plus don’t miss the Family Sundays of world music and street culture. A free and inclusive event that celebrates the unconfined nature of music.

Jennifer Lee: The Potter’s Space

Image credit: Le Chuck Studio

Kettle’s Yard, with the support of the LOEWE Foundation, is hosting an in-depth solo presentation of the renowned ceramicist Jennifer Lee. The winner of the 2018 LOEWE Craft Prize is showcasing 40 works made in different periods of her career as well as new pots especially commissioned for the exhibition. Visit Cambridge to see first-hand the potter’s refined process, her unglazed stoneware pots characterised by their smooth surfaces and rich colours. On until 22 September 2019.

Celebrating 30 Years of the Design Museum

Image credit: Design Museum (Shad Thames building in 1989)

This July marked 30 years since the founding of the Design Museum. Opening its doors in 1989 and established by Sir Terence Conran to promote awareness of design in education, industry, commerce and culture, it was the world’s first museum devoted to contemporary design. To celebrate its anniversary, the free exhibition Made in 1989 will revisit, through archival material on display, the birth of the institution thirty years ago. On until January 2020.

Marina Rinaldi by Roksanda

Image credit: Marina Rinaldi

In an exciting move, London Fashion Week favourite Roksanda Ilincic, has collaborated with the size-inclusive Italian brand Marina Rinaldi in a new capsule collection. The collaboration unveils strong and fluid silhouettes with the Serbian designer’s signature elegant colour combinations, taking inspiration from the works of artist Frank Stella in the Collezione Maramotti. Looking up to the powerful matriarch behind the Italian brand’s name, Roksanda has worked alongside plus-size specialists to deliver tailored outerwear for sizes 12 to 28, believing that no woman should be limited in her choices because of her body shape.