News
Come on in…
At our studios 165 talented designers lovingly make very cool fashion accessories, jewellery, home ware and so much more. Each piece has a story to be told and visitors have a joyous time doing their Christmas shop. Come on in to our Open Studios and see behind the scenes. Spread the word – forward this to a friend, download the Flyer PDF and join the event on Facebook.
Holborn: 25-27 November MAP | GUIDE
Cockpit Yard, Northington Street, London WC1N 2NP
Deptford: 2-4 December MAP | GUIDE
18-22 Creekside, London, SE8 3DZ
Fri 11am-9pm Sat-Sun 11am-6pm
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Heal’s Christmas Picks
To help you find perfect presents for your loved ones, Cathy Hogan, buyer for design retailer Heal’s, has picked inspirational gift ideas by Cockpit designer-makers for our special Open Studios showcase. Choices span from extravagant ‘Grand Gestures’ (see Lucy Martin’s City rings pictured) to pretty ‘Stocking Fillers’ such as Jo Heckett’s Heirloom Baubles – there is something for everyone. Not to mention ‘Fashion Forward’ designs for the seriously style savvy, ‘Exquisite Interiors’ picks for house and home and ‘Lux Comfort’ gifts to cosy up the winter months.
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Tree Time!
Always a showstopper, the Cockpit Christmas tree will feature beautiful bespoke decorations all created by Cockpit makers. Enter our FREE prize draw at Open Studios and you could take home the lot. Quirky Bauble Skulls in monochrome, pewter-glaze and pink rose finishes by ceramicist Anja Lubach sit alongside Tiny Angels by Laura Long – hand knitted using the finest lambs-wool and dressed in vintage lace trimmings. And Katie Barton’s Mistletoe made from British tweed has retro reflective berries – for glowing Christmas kisses. Find other stunners by textile designers Zoe Miller, Laura Theiss and Abigail Brown (work pictured); jewellers Stephanie Ray and Sally Lees and many many more…
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Paper-cut Stories
Storytelling is at the heart of our FREE Open Studios workshops which will get little ones creating this Christmas. In Holborn kids can make playful paper-cut cards to create festive scenes. The activity has been designed by Heather Weston of Bookery, who creates exquisite bespoke stationary and books. Award winning print designer Sian Zeng (pictured) has created an activity in Deptford with paper-cut theatres and puppets. Kids can have fun acting out their own imaginary festive tales. Workshops are on Saturday and Sunday at Open Studios and there is a maximum of 6 children at a time on a first come first serve basis (no booking). All ages welcome, but children must be supervised by an adult at all times.
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Hand Made Food
Blackheath’s lovely Hand Made Food cafe is popping back up at Open Studios with an abundance of delicious festive fare. As well as spiced mince pies, stollen and mulled wine they will be serving seriously good savoury dishes. Everything is hand made with the best produce from sustainable bakers and producers. Treats in store include: organic beef and prune tagine, braised pork, chickpea and chorizo with sourdough; Cavolo nero, mushroom and chestnut pies; smoked organic salmon sandwiches and the best sausage rolls we have tasted!
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Show Time
We will be welcoming back some of your Cockpit favourites for a special Alumni Showcase at the Holborn Open Studios. There will be jewellery by Scott Wilson and Catherine Hills (both celebrity favourites) and ‘Master Goldsmith’ Jana Reinhardt (work pictured), silverware by Bryony Knox and Siân Matthews, ceramics by Ken Eardley and Kate Schuricht, textiles by Pintuck (Mary Fellows) and glass by Hayhoe Designs (Sarah Hayhoe). In Deptford we will also be showing work by milliner Katty Janneh, ceramicist Sophie Cook, glass artist Wayne Charmer and textile designer Akiko Kingsbury. In addition to free tickets to Open Studios, Cockpit Arts Friends are invited to an exclusive Alumni Showcase preview. To find out more visit our website or email sally@cockpitarts.com.
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Fabulous Flyer
We are delighted with Fanny Shorter’s winning design for our Christmas flyer (detail pictured). The intricate piece was created to scale using scratchboard, which involved Fanny painstakingly cutting away the ‘white areas’ of the design. Inspired by Open Studios as a ‘treasure trove’ of Christmas gifts the image is set within a magical Christmas woodland. Look closely and many individual pieces by Cockpit makers reveal themselves. Is the deer by Katharine Morling wearing Katherine Wardropper jewellery? Are those stacking cups by Louisa Taylor and a chair by Lizzie Allen? Like a great story, it draws you in to find out and discover more…
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New Talent
A host of exciting new designer-makers have joined the studios in time for Open Studios. Among them are Eleanor Lakelin and Frank Boggis-Rolfe joint winners of our Wood Turners Award supported by the Worshipful Company of Turners. As well as places at our Deptford Incubator, the awardees have been provided with lathe facilities. Newbies in Holborn include Holloway Smith Noir, purveyors of fine lingerie and burlesque inspired accessories, Laura Thiess who creates contemporary ‘fashion forward’ knitwear and The Constructive Studio, ‘body and home pieces’ by Ian Scott Kettle and Craig Yamey.
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Creative Careers
We are also delighted to welcome three new participants on the Creative Careers programme at our Holborn incubator. Stacey Dee Robertson (Dee Dee Bridal – work pictured) creates bespoke and ready to wear bridal headdresses; Johnette Taylor is the ‘brains and brawn behind nette’. leather bags and accessories, and jeweller Lenique Louis creates avant-garde rings using the ancient hand crafted practice of lost wax technique. The second phase of this programme, which provides previously unemployed young people with a gateway to a professional career in craft and design, is being run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust with funding from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and Camden Recycling Ltd.
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The Cockpit Effect
Sarah J Miller produces beautiful ceramic decorations and witty graphic gifts. Her business sjm* was established in 2000 and now employs three people. The business has grown significantly and Sarah has recently benefitted from our Commercialising Creative Content project funded by the European Regional Development Fund. As a result of support from manufacture specialist and coach Nigel Rust the business has become more efficient and Sarah estimates that productivity has improved by as much as a third (33%). She commented: “We are better able to respond to high customer demand during busy periods such as the run-up to Christmas…” A good job, we think, as Sarah will also be showing work alongside Helen Minns and Charlotte Sale as part of ‘Created at Cockpit’ at the Southbank Centre Shop from now until the end of December.
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