Slaughterhaus

I had an afternoon of inspiration yesterday with a friend, also a designer, looking at some of the workshops and studios in Lambeth http://www.lambethopen.com/.

We made it to the much talked about Papered Parlour http://www.thepaperedparlour.co.uk/ ,

'Clapham's best kept secret', and we weren't disappointed.

I have to say it really is every bit as good as the website shows. A hub of creativity, offering masterclasses in millinery, screen printing, dressmaking, quilting, photography, silversmithing, and more, with their finger on the pulse of what people want to do in the world of crafts and arts. The venue is lovely and we had a warm welcome, chatting with various people. We had to try out the cakes (delicious raspberry and coconut) drank tea out of vintage cups (water from a lovely duck egg blue antique urn which infortunately didn't heat up the water enough, and tea has to be hot!) and my friend chatted to one of the founders about her workshops.

My other favourite Lambeth workshop has to be Slaughterhaus Print Workshop, just round the corner from where I now live. It is so new, it hasn't got a website yet, but I immediately loved it, the equipment, layout and what they will have on offer in workshops over the next year - for beginners and for experienced artists. I'm sure I'll be trying out the drawing workshops and may do some printmaking, which I haven't done for such a long time. I think this will be a bit of a creative gem in Stockwell. Will post up website when it's up and running!

It is right at the back of the studios on 119 Hackford Road (off Hackford Walk) and it reminded me of M50 Art Community in Shanghai which I visited a couple of years ago. M50 http://www.m50.com.cn/en/about_m50.asp is a thriving artists' quarter and one of the most well-known creative spaces in Shanghai. A whole area full of old warehouses turned into studios. Hackford Road Studios are of course smaller than the Shanghai artists' quarter :), but it reminded me of M50.

Our own Vanguard Court in Camberwell is a wonderful working artists' community packed full of talent, including Flux Studios http://www.fluxstudios.org/ : wouldn't it be wonderful if Vanguard Court became as established as the one in Shanghai.