Creative Kids

Stained glass inspirations

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 16 November 2023

Stained glass was a popular feature in Victorian times, when it was often used to personalise people’s homes. At our November Creative Kids sessions we’ll be looking at the beautiful stained-glass creations in our collection before making colourful windows to decorate your home with.

As this can be a messy session, please wear or bring old clothes. Aprons are available. The session is best suited for children 2 to 5 years old.

All sessions include a tour of the Gallery, the craft activity, singing and snack time.

These are FREE sessions but donations in support of our public programme are always welcomed and can also be made via the Eventbrite booking page if you are attending either session.

Booking information:

Morning Session: 10am – 11.30am – Advance booking on Eventbrite. Please book tickets for all attendees.

Afternoon Session: 1pm – 2.30pm – Drop in with limited capacity. Please arrive on time and sign up at the front desk.

Image: Detail from Minstrel with Cymbals (1880s), designed by William Morris

Creative Kids

Make music, be merry!

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 19 October 2023

Music, instruments, and music makers are a recurring theme in the work of Frank Brangwyn. Explore the Brangwyn galleries and be inspired to make your own musical instrument.

As this can be a messy session, please wear or bring old clothes. Aprons are available. The session is best suited for children 2 to 5 years old.

All sessions include a tour of the Gallery, the craft activity, singing and snack time.

These are FREE sessions but donations in support of our public programme are always welcomed and can also be made via the Eventbrite booking page if you are attending either session.

Booking information:

Morning Session: 10am – 11.30am – Advance booking on Eventbrite. Please book tickets for all attendees.

Afternoon Session: 1pm – 2.30pm – Drop in with limited capacity. Please arrive on time and sign up at the front desk.

Image: Group Listening to Musicians, Frank Brangwyn c.1902

Close detail of the Peacock and Dragon design by William Morris

Creative Kids

Telling Stories like William Morris

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 14 September 2023

Discover the stories behind some of William Morris’s best loved patterns at our Creative Kids sessions for September.

William Morris loved to tell stories and the animals in his designs often came from ancient myths, classic children’s tales or the things that happened in his everyday life. At these sessions we’ll be making animal masks inspired by Morris’s patterns, telling stories and singing songs.

As this can be a messy session, please wear or bring old clothes. Aprons are available. The session is best suited for children 2 to 5 years old.

All sessions include a tour of the Gallery, the craft activity, singing and snack time.

These are FREE sessions but donations in support of our public programme are always welcomed and can also be made via the Eventbrite booking page if you are attending either session.

Booking information:

Morning Session: 10am – 11.30am – Advance booking on Eventbrite. Please book tickets for all attendees.

Afternoon Session: 1pm – 2.30pm – Drop in with limited capacity. Please arrive on time and sign up at the front desk.

Image: Detail from Bird & Peacock by William Morris © William Morris Gallery

Nandita Shankardass portrait

Family Day

Design and Dance! With Nandita Shankardass

WORKSHOPS

Monday 28 August 2023

The choice of what we wear can offer signals, create visibility and be a celebration of self-expression. In this workshop, Nandita Shankardass, founder of Welcome Movement © draws inspiration from Ashish Gupta’s motivation for his designs and Ashish Shah’s photography in the current exhibition Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender.

You will be guided on a journey of imagining and designing an outfit to express yourself, exploring the textures and movement of fabrics and the way in which they are created. You will then take part in a dance and movement experience to embody your design on the catwalk!  This is an activity for any age to enjoy and express through design and dance.

“We can express ourselves and our identity through the way in which we dress, the fabric we favour, the parts of us we decide to cover, those parts we show and the way it settles and falls on our skin. The colours we choose can give a clue or extension of how we feel. Fashion is a form of powerful self-expression, of making a statement without a sound, yet its presence creates a vibration, permitting the power of the movement and colour of the cloth to tell a story and create an energy around us.”  Nandita Shankardass

Dialled In: The Park

An all-day arts and music festival

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday 22 July 2023

Dialled In are back in Waltham Forest this Summer for Dialled In: The Park in Lloyd Park and William Morris Gallery.

Festival performers include drummer, composer and producer Sarathy Korwar, power-house singer-songwriter and Sarangi player Amrit Kaur, Tamil artist PRVNA whose infectious blends have already become renowned, rising singer-songwriter sister duo Qazi & Qazi, as well as a slew of secret special guests.

Look forward to workshops and activities including intimate poetry from Mehfil, a botanical walk with Misery and jewellery-making with Anisha Parma, all interlinked with our latest exhibition Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender. We’ll also be running festival activities at the Gallery, along with free tours of the exhibition.

DJs during the day include producer and DJ Ahadadream, Club Kali co-founder DJ Ritu, Bahrain duo party starters Dar Disku, Pakistan-based DJ Lyla, sister duo Sanasesh & Rishy Malik, Representation co-founder Yasser, Pakistani-Egyptian musician and writer Aisha Mirza and British-Tamil producer, selector and curator GoldTooth back-to-back with My Panda Shall Fly. Plus special guests on the mic.

Performances will take place across two stages in Lloyd Park with activities in the Park and in William Morris Gallery. The festival welcomes visitors of all ages and aims to bring together the local community.

Activities include:

  • Slogan T-Shirt Making – Inspired by Ashish Gupta’s notable slogan t-shirt designs, design and create your own slogan t-shirt. Bring an existing plain t-shirt to upcycle – basic t-shirts can be provided if you’re not able to bring one. Bookable from Tues 18 July for ticketholders.
  • Easy Embellishments Pop-Up – Find the beauty in your existing accessories and garments as we elevate the everyday through upcycling, embellishment, and adornment. Please bring an accessory, piece of clothing, or other item you wish to work with. Bookable from Tues 18 July for ticketholders.
  • Collective Collage Making – With magazines, paper, cutouts, stickers, pens and more, unleash your creativity and share your vision onto a collective collage board throughout the day. The collective collage will act as a living document of the event, as well as a legacy piece which will be displayed digitally after the event. Drop in throughout the day.
  • Community Clothes Swap – Come with something old, leave with something new! A clothes swap to breathe new life and love to your preloved clothing. Bring an item to exchange for another. It’s free, sustainable, and helps the community. Drop in throughout the day.

Artwork by Mumbai-based designer and artist Shweta.

This event is supported by London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Festival map:

Dialled In: The Park map

Belle, colourful and creative storyteller, is pictured with an array of rainbow colours in background

Family Day

Rainbow Storytime for Waltham Forest Pride

WORKSHOPS

Saturday 29 July 2023

Join us for Rainbow Storytime with the colourful and creative Belle, who’ll be telling stories that highlight the beauty of difference and inclusivity. We welcome LBGTQIA+ families, friends, and allies.

Drop in for free storytelling sessions at 2.40pm, 3.10pm, 3.40pm and 4.10pm. While you listen to the stories, we have a Pride flag colouring-in activity to enjoy. Numbers are limited for each of the storytelling sessions so please arrive in plenty of time – sign up sheets for each session will be available at our front desk on the day.

We offer a break-out sensory space for any children requiring some time away from the activities. Whilst you’re at the Gallery, pick up a Family Trail for ‘Ashish: Fall in Love & Be More Tender’ and complete it to win your prize! You can also take part in Waltham Forest Pride celebrations all day, just down the road at Waltham Forest Town Hall.

Read more about Waltham Forest Pride here.

Waltham Forest Pride activity programme: Waltham Forest Pride 2023 Programme

Ashish Gupta at this exhibition with mannequins in the background in Ashish designs

In Conversation with Ashish

With Ashish Gupta and Avani Thakkar

TALKS AND DISCUSSIONS

Wednesday 14 June 2023

Join us for an In Conversation with Ashish and Avani Thakkar. Together they’ll be taking a deep dive into Ashish’s expansive career and how his penchant for juxtaposition and contradictions led him to create such colourfully mischievous collections in response to the social fabric of our world.

The talk will be followed by a private view of the exhibition Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender.

Please ‘pay what you can’ for your ticket. Our suggested donation is £7.50 in person or £5 online.

  • 6pm – Doors open
  • 6.30 – 7.30pm – Talk followed by Q&A
  • 7.30 – 8.30pm – Private view
  • 8.30pm – End

The event will be live captioned. Please note that the live streaming has been cancelled. A recording of the talk will be uploaded to our YouTube channel following the event.

Ashish Gupta is a celebrated voice in international fashion. He has won the prestigious NEWGEN award three times and has been included in major exhibitions and presentations at The Victoria & Albert Museum, London and The Metropolitan Museum, New York. Ashish’s designs have been worn by global icons including Beyonce, Debbie Harry, Hunter Schafer, Rihanna, Charli XCX and Taylor Swift.

Avani Thakkar is a fashion and culture writer with words in Vogue, ELLE, Dazed, i-D, gal-dem, W, Nylon, The Observer, InStyle and other publications.

Image © Dave Bennett Photography

Rose design by William Morris.

Creative Kids

William Morris' Garden

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 20 July 2023

At our July sessions we’ll be thinking about William Morris’s love of the outdoors. So we’ll take a tour around the William Morris Garden in a ‘spot the flower activity’ and make paper plate flowers inspired by nature.

As this can be a messy session, please wear or bring old clothes. Aprons are available. The session is best suited for children 2 to 5 years old. Two sessions available, booking is essential.

All sessions include a tour of the gallery, the craft activity, singing and snack time. There are two 1hour and 30min sessions to choose from, at 10am and 1pm. Please register for one session only to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. If you are unable to attend please cancel your booking so that another child can take your place. In the event of cancellations, a number of walk-in slots will be available on the day. 

We have a space for buggy parking and our baby changing facilities have spare nappies, wipes, clothes and a few other items you might need.

There is a sensory area for under 2s or for those who need a calmer space, families are also welcome to use this space if they need to step away from the main session.

Please be aware that children must be accompanied by their adult at all times, and please ensure there is at least one guardian per 3 children attending.

Image: © William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

Catwalk image with model wearing Ashish designs

Creative Kids

Fabulous Fashion

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 15 June 2023

In our June sessions we will be inspired by the Gallery’s current exhibition, Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender. Make a cape and transform your everyday clothes!

As this can be a messy session, please wear or bring old clothes. Aprons are available. The session is best suited for children 2 to 5 years old. Two sessions available, booking is essential.

All sessions include a tour of the gallery, the craft activity, singing and snack time. There are two 1hour and 30min sessions to choose from, at 10am and 1pm. Please register for one session only to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. If you are unable to attend please cancel your booking so that another child can take your place. In the event of cancellations, a number of walk-in slots will be available on the day. 

We have a space for buggy parking and our baby changing facilities have spare nappies, wipes, clothes and a few other items you might need.

There is a sensory area for under 2s or for those who need a calmer space, families are also welcome to use this space if they need to step away from the main session.

Please be aware that children must be accompanied by their adult at all times, and please ensure there is at least one guardian per 3 children attending.

Image: © Chris Moore

Family Day

Elevate the Everyday

WORKSHOPS

Saturday 3 June 2023

Inspired by Ashish Gupta’s use of recycled vintage fabrics and vintage patches to create collage garments for his SS2020 collection, we’re going to bring old clothing to life with colourful badges and patches. So come along and get creative – for families with children of all ages. Whilst you’re at the Gallery, complete the Ashish Family Trail and claim your prize!

This is a free, drop-in event. No booking necessary. We have a break out sensory space for children needing a break from activities (must be supervised by their grown-up).

Read more about the exhibition here.

Image: © William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

Rezia Wahid: dancing in the womb

Book launch

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday 20 May 2023

The book foregrounds the making, the processes and the physicality of a woven artform.’Susie Campbell

Come and celebrate the launch of Rezia Wahid’s new book dancing in the womb, a colour hardback with stunning photographs by Paul Tucker and essays by the late Simon Olding, Catherine Harper and Hettie Judah. Rebecca Jacobs will host a conversation with Rezia, Paul Tucker and Sangeeta Banerjee, followed by a book signing and refreshments.

Rezia Wahid MBE is a textile artist and designer based in Walthamstow. dancing in the womb is published by Hesterglock Press.

 

 

Maids of Honour embroidery by May Morris

Creative Kids

May Morris’s Extraordinary Embroidery

WORKSHOPS

Thursday 18 May 2023

In May, we’ll be doing a special craft activity inspired by May Morris’s extraordinary embroidery.

All sessions include a tour of the gallery, the craft activity, singing and snack time. Please register for one session only to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. If you are unable to attend please cancel your booking so that another child can take your place. In the event of cancellations, a number of walk-in slots will be available on the day. 

As this can be a messy session, please wear or bring old clothes. Aprons are available. We have a space for buggy parking and our baby changing facilities have spare nappies, wipes, clothes and a few other items you might need. There is a sensory area for under 2s or for those who need a calmer space, families are also welcome to use this space if they need to step away from the main session.

Please be aware that children must be accompanied by their adult at all times, and please ensure there is at least one guardian per 3 children attending.

Image: © William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

Curator-Led Tour

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender

TOURS

Thursday 27 July 2023

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender is the first major survey exhibition of fashion designer Ashish Gupta. It will showcase over 60 designs, offering an unprecedented overview of Ashish’s subversive and playful practice. The exhibition features a major new commission by the Mumbai-based photographer and film-maker Ashish Shah.

See the exhibition with one of our curators as your guide. A great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the work and ideas behind Ashish’s creations.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Curator-Led Tour

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender

TOURS

Thursday 22 June 2023

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender is the first major survey exhibition of fashion designer Ashish Gupta. It will showcase over 60 designs, offering an unprecedented overview of Ashish’s subversive and playful practice. The exhibition features a major new commission by the Mumbai-based photographer and film-maker Ashish Shah.

See the exhibition with one of our curators as your guide. A great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the work and ideas behind Ashish’s creations.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Curator-Led Tour

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender

TOURS

Thursday 18 May 2023

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender is the first major survey exhibition of fashion designer Ashish Gupta. It will showcase over 60 designs, offering an unprecedented overview of Ashish’s subversive and playful practice. The exhibition features a major new commission by the Mumbai-based photographer and film-maker Ashish Shah.

See the exhibition with one of our curators as your guide. A great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the work and ideas behind Ashish’s creations.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Curator-Led Tour

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender

TOURS

Thursday 27 April 2023

Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender is the first major survey exhibition of fashion designer Ashish Gupta. It will showcase over 60 designs, offering an unprecedented overview of Ashish’s subversive and playful practice. The exhibition features a major new commission by the Mumbai-based photographer and film-maker Ashish Shah.

See the exhibition with one of our curators as your guide. A great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the work and ideas behind Ashish’s creations.

Read more about the exhibition here.

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