Blackhorse Workshop

Meet our new Director! Jo Clarke is an artist and maker with 20 years' experience in the non-profit sector, leading creative community based programming, mainly in East London. She has worked in social enterprise and cooperative development, and is the founder of London Green Wood CIC. We are looking forward to seeing where her leadership takes us next.

Giulia Shah, who has already been with us for a year, has also stepped up as our Deputy Director, working alongside Jo to deliver our mission. From working in gallery education to running her own residency, Residency 11:11, she has experience working in programming, operations, curation and facilitation. On her days off, she loves spending time in our metal workshop.

And we've also just welcomed Rosie Beaumont-Thomas, our new Marketing & Events manager. She joins us two days a week, alongside freelance work as a creative event producer. She is a writer, an amateur potter, and is looking forward to adding woodwork and metalwork to her skill set.

So as you can see, it's an exciting time for Blackhorse Workshop!

https://blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/people

Are you an artist / maker? Would you like to sell your products at Blackhorse Workshop?

Our free annual Christmas Market returns on 11th December (6–9.30pm) and we still have a few stalls available – if you are interested in joining us, please complete this form by Thursday 14th November, and help us raise the festive spirit level!

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Makers Showcase: Jeff Sugg

Jeff is a multidisciplinary artist with a long career in theatrical lighting, projection, and media design. In the last year he has begun to shift some focus to solo making with an emphasis on practical items. Working primarily in wood and brass he is currently creating singular pieces that are both practical and art. We absolutely love his work, which you can see more of at jeffsugg.com.

Are you looking to turn your passion for making into a career? Join our "career change" resident, Theo Blackburn on Friday 15th November at 6pm in our cafe.

To mark the end of his 3-month residency, the lovely Theo Blackburn will be giving a short presentation about all the things he's learned during as our Maker In Residence, here at the Blackhorse Workshop.

From joinery to welding, Theo will guide us through how he used these skills to make simple furniture and fabricate parts for a campervan.

Through an open discussion, Theo will be discussing how he's found balancing the craft with the economics of woodwork and how learning from a makers community can turn a creative passion into a more practical and achievable career change.

This presentation if free and open to all!

Coming up this month, our three week Introduction to Framing evening course, led by expert framer Joe Fergey, starts on Tuesday 12th November. Perfect for those posters you've left in an 'I'll get to that later' pile (don't worry, we all have one...)
Book here: https://tr.ee/XDPJWA1RJS

THE END OF AN ERA!

Last week, we said goodbye to our incredible Co-Directors Harriet Warden and Jenny Dewhirst after an entire decade at the helm. It's tough to sum up their phenomenal impact, but one thing's for sure; Blackhorse Workshop wouldn't be what it is today without their vision and leadership.

Harriet and Jenny, you've been an immense source of inspiration and will be truly missed. We shall do all we can to carry on your legacy, keeping the spirit you've poured into this space alive.

Good luck on your next adventure! Here's to an exciting new chapter!
warden

November is here! If you haven't tried metalwork yet, we've got some very cool courses coming up this month – including Introduction to Blacksmithing with superstar blacksmith/knife maker Sacha Lacey (starting Tuesday 12th November). There are still a few spaces left, and the course includes an induction, so get hammering 🔨💪
Book here: https://tr.ee/oEm5-5HeYx

👻 🎃 Happy Hallowe'en! 🕸🧟‍♂️

Our attendees at last week's Family Make Stuff Club produced these truly spooktacular ghoulish creations – all in just a couple of hours!

Make Stuff Club is a fun and creative after-school and holiday programme for kids aged 9-13 who love making things – no prior experience needed, just a sense of curiosity! Head to https://blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/courses-and-events and filter to 'Kids and Family' to book! 🛠️

Our always-popular course Woodwork Project: Traditional Oak Table returns on Wednesday 5 February. This eight-week course, led by the brilliant Emma Chesterman, is the perfect next step to hone your joinery skills, where you'll produce this gorgeous side table.

Book your space here: https://blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/course/?id=360

Even if you're a complete beginner, we've got courses for you – each of these two turned pieces were the maker's first attempt!

Our next Introduction to Woodturning takes place on 16 & 17 November, but you'll have book quickly as there are only a few spaces left.

Book here: https://blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/course/?id=332

Are you looking for something to do this weekend? We've still got a few spaces left on our Woodwork Project: Plywood Stool this weekend! Book here and take home your very own beautiful yet functional piece: https://blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/course/?id=309

Meet the latest addition to our Makers Showcase: Daniel Higgins

Dan is a maker specialising in wood and metalwork, producing bespoke furniture for indoors and outdoors, commercial and domestic. He has delivered a real a range of projects, from large-scale installations, right down to small pieces for homes, and small spaces such as boats and camper conversions. His background is in fine art and antique restoration, as well as industrial design.

Here are some of his incredible projects – his gold-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show Changing Tides garden featuring rusted metal planters; a rooftop seating set; and his very stylish pink shoe rack. It's always a joy to see his pieces leave the workshop for their new spaces!

If you’re new to woodwork, we thought you might like a new box to put all of your tools! Our updated and improved one-day beginners' course 'Introduction to Hand Tools: Toolbox' runs on Sunday 10th November and Sunday 15th December – and there are still a few spaces available on both. Book via the link in our bio.

Book your spot here: https://blackhorseworkshop.co.uk/course/?id=351

We are very excited to welcome our next studio resident, Shannon Swinburn.

Shannon is a Textile Artist dedicated to exploring the intrinsic connections between gender, textiles, and modern-day computing. Her work aims to highlight the often-overlooked contributions of women in emergent technology. She recently graduated from MA Textiles where her work was supported by the Haberdashers’ Scholarship, The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation Prize, and The Textile Society Student Bursary Award.

Until mid-January, she will have a space in our shared studio, where we will offer her technical support, skill training and artist development. During her time at Blackhorse Workshop Shannon is excited to research the history of craftswomen in the local area and hopes to expand the use of metal within her practice through learning how to weld.

We can't wait for her to join us – check out more of her work here: https://shannonswinburn.com

Today we said a very sad farewell to the brightest of sprites Roisin Francis (pictured on the right) who came to the workshop through the kickstarter scheme post covid.

Agnes, Eddy and Roisin who many of you will know were a wonderful trio ushering in the next generation of makers to the workshop, bringing energy and a dose of wildcap fun.

So it was fitting today that she went out in style with a beautiful funeral at the wonderful building of the tin tabernacle in Kilburn. Travelling in a bright pink 💗 hearse  followed  by a wonderful procession down Kilburn Higb Road to Paddington Cemetery where she was laid to rest in the company of author of Paddington, Michael Bond.

Roisin, rest in peace , you lovely soul. Thank you for the energy and kindness. With all our forever love from everyone at the workshop. 💜

So great to see so many people here already today for Open House Festival!

We'll be here till 5pm, so head down and see our hand built forge in action and demos on the lathes, not to mention a wonderful showcase of work by our makers!

And if you can't make today - it's party time tomorrow afternoon so head down 12-5pm!

Come celebrate!



@ l_d_f_official

Welcome Sacha ! 🛠️

We are very pleased to have welcomed the talented Sacha Lacey as our new Metal Lead and Workshop Technician.

Sacha Lacey is a self taught blacksmith and knife maker. He took his first steps towards a career in metalworking in 2018 when he started doing freelance labouring for an east London fabricator in his free time. He continued to take on freelance welding work, as well as holding a position as a welder and chaser at the Bronze Age foundry. In 2021 he started his own small business as a blacksmith and knife maker, and currently spends the majority of his time split between his work here at Blackhorse Workshop, his personal business and working for South London knife makers Blenheim Forge.

Book a slot on the forge or metal benches on Mondays and Tuesdays to chat to Sacha about all things metalwork, or join his Blacksmithing course, now running over three consecutive Tuesday evenings. (Because we know—swinging a hammer for a full day is intense!)

There’s always something quite incredible being made at the workshop.

This week we got to watch Artist Gabriela Schultz work on a tree trunk made from layers and layers of plywood for the Clifford Chance University of the Arts London Sculpture Award!

Congrats Gabriela!