London Craft Week (LCW) returns for its 10th anniversary edition with a dynamic programme of events taking place across the capital from 13th–19th May 2024. Bringing together the work of established and emerging artists, makers and designers, the festival showcases the best of craftsmanship from around the world.
Celebrating this important milestone, LCW’s curated programme reflects on the evolution of the craft sector over the past decade. It pays tribute to the hero makers who played a crucial role in the sector’s transformation, contributing to the interest in high-quality, one-of-a-kind products, while anticipating the trends and developments that will define the next decade of craftsmanship.
Spanning craft, art, design, luxury, fashion and accessories, LCW delves into the narratives behind the world’s most exquisite objects, exploring inspirations, materials and processes, through a programme of immersive experiences, original exhibitions, masterclasses, workshops and demonstrations. Unsung hero makers, artists and brands are celebrated alongside famous artists and designers, national museums and contemporary galleries, embracing the sheer reach, diversity and serendipity that London offers as the world’s great creative capital.
LCW has been made possible through the support of its sponsors and partners and is particularly grateful to its Headline Sponsor, Serapian.
Partners
The Pimlico Road Series is supported by Grosvenor, The Park Royal Design District returns as a sponsor and The Mills Fabrica as LCW’s Innovation Partner for the fourth year running, each showcasing new makers, innovators and brands. Chelsea Barracks supports the inaugural edition of the new public art initiative Modern Masters with Chihuly at Chelsea Barracks.
Guy Salter, Chairman of London Craft Week says: “It seems like yesterday that The King & Queen launched the first London Craft Week in 2015. Now, in our tenth year, we host over 225,000 visitors, 520 events and 700 artists and makers. Our aims remain the same: to bring alive exceptional craftsmanship from across the UK and around the world by tapping into the energy, diversity and serendipity of our city. In a small way, I hope we have in turn contributed to London’s cultural credentials and reinforced the importance of making. One of the many things I personally love about our journey is the way in which the festival welcomes artist-makers from so many nations and backgrounds, who are brought together through shared creativity and the joy of making”
Highlights and new additions for LCW’s 10th anniversary include:
● A significant charitable initiative, Secret Ceramics, featuring more than 100 single-stem vessels created by leading artist-makers, celebrities, influencers and graduate talents, to support the opening of a new ceramic studio in White City, enabling young people to experience the power of working with clay.
● The inaugural edition of Modern Masters, is a free outdoor programme of contemporary art curated by the cultural placemaking and public art agency New Public in partnership with LCW. The first edition, Chihuly at Chelsea Barracks, works by renowned American glass artist Dale Chihuly.
● A destination for métiers d’art at the international arts hub Cromwell Place, with a programme celebrating elite craftsmanship, luxury and fine art.
● An expanded programme of International Pavilions, sharing global perspectives and spotlighting exceptional artist-makers from around the world. This year LCW will have six International Pavilions including China, South Korea, Malaysia and Austria.
● An expanded programme at the V&A South Kensington with artist-maker demonstrations activating six separate galleries and an international craft symposium addressing contemporary craft concerns.
● A series of exhibitions by leading craft galleries in unique locations, including an exhibition curated by Joanna Bird at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery with new work inspired by Sir John Soane.
● At Selfridges, LCW will present a curated edit for RESELFRIDGES, highlighting the makers and innovators using creativity and craftsmanship to give new life to unwanted items and waste materials – keeping products in circulation for longer.
● The Mills Fabrica returns as LCW’s Innovation Partner, presenting their Planet-Saving Innovations exhibition and interactive experiences, inviting a range of innovators and brands including Unspun, Colorifix, The Woolmark Company and Natural Fibre Welding x Purified to showcase their work across six key themes: climate change, water, land use, chemicals, waste and microplastics.
● Create Lates at the Science Museum will explore how arts and craftsmanship inspire science and tech, and cutting-edge research is used by artists and craftspeople.
● The inaugural edition of Craftworks by Jay Blades MBE at Shoreditch Town Hall will honour traditional techniques alongside contemporary craftsmanship to engage the next generation of makers
● Complementing the National Portrait Gallery’s latest exhibition The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure, the Gallery’s shop will host new work that reflects a diverse maker community and drop-in ‘Meet the Maker’ sessions.
● Championing the legendary forgotten makers of vintage furniture and lighting and celebrating the skill of contemporary makers, Merchant & Found will launch a 6000 sq ft Vintage Supermarket at the Vinyl Factory in the heart of Soho.
● Inspiring design and best-in-class interiors can be found as part of the Pimlico Road Series presented by Grosvenor and The Pimlico Design District in Belgravia.
Curated
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, LCW introduces a lineup of specially curated events, including, Secret Ceramics in partnership with FiredUp4. This charitable initiative, presented at SoShiro Gallery, showcases more than 100 single-stem vessels created by leading artists, influencers and graduate talents – but as the name suggests, contributors to this exhibition will remain anonymous until after a piece is sold. All works will be sold at a fixed price of £300 with buyers encouraged to make an additional voluntary donation. Collectors can look to identify works by established artists such as Kate Malone, Hitomi Hisono, Aneta Regel, Frances Priest, Lucille Lewin and Luke Fuller through their signature styles, but also acquire work by talented new-comers, whose work demands our attention through its beauty alone. Cultural influencers such as Zandra Rhodes, Kit Kemp and Nina Campbell are also making new works to the sale. The project will support the opening of a new FiredUp4 ceramic studio in White City, enabling young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to experience the power of working with clay.
To further mark the occasion of its 10th anniversary, LCW will launch a new partnership with cultural placemaking and public art agency New Public, to present the inaugural edition of Modern Masters, a free outdoor programme of contemporary art. The site-specific programme aims to celebrate the role of craftsmanship in the work of leading and established contemporary artists – since without critical skills such as welding, casting, glassblowing, and carving, modern art would not exist as it does today. The first edition, Chihuly at Chelsea Barracks, will feature works by renowned American glass artist Dale Chihuly, known for his vibrant, often grand-scale sculptures and installations shaped by gravity and centrifugal force.
Artisans
For 2024, the V&A South Kensington expands its partnership with LCW with a museum-wide programme of events that includes activations across six galleries and an international craft symposium. Demonstrations will take place across the Silver Gallery, Fashion Gallery, Tapestry Gallery, Ceramic Studio and Furniture Gallery, presented by master artisans including Julien Vermeulen and Matéo Laurent, who are renowned for their featherwork closely linked to the fashion industry; José Luis Sanchez and Gonzalo García with the art of gold thread embroidery; as well as established studios and craft bodies such as Atelier Weftfaced and Contemporary British Silversmiths. In addition, the V&A will host a symposium that will consider the future of contemporary craft, exploring new aesthetic developments, global and local approaches and the need to preserve craft skills for future generations.
For further programme details and tickets please visit www.londoncraftweek.com
Social Media @londoncraftweek
See also: Tamara de Lempicka at Sotheby’s New York
