Workshop space for artists and makers opens inside stunningly renovated building, writes Vincent Burke A new creative hub has launched in the heart of […]By Waltham Forest Echo
Workshop space for artists and makers opens inside stunningly renovated building, writes Vincent Burke
A new creative hub has launched in the heart of Walthamstow Village.
Beulah Road Studios is an exciting renovation project, turning disused garages into a shared space for creatives. It’s home to a bookbinding studio and a multi-purpose space for workshops and exhibitions as well as community events.
The studios are the dream of Charlotte Wainwright, who has lived in Walthamstow for six years. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art and Central Saint Martins in London before setting up her own bookbinding business.
Charlotte wanted to find somewhere she could renovate and relocate her bookbinding business, with additional space for artists, makers and other creatives to share and hold activities in. The new studios, at 120 Beulah Road, are in a striking new building with a façade of handmade deep green and teal glazed bricks, fired in a traditional wood-fired kiln.
Charlotte explains: “I have always loved the glazed bricks of old pubs and the brown glazed bull-nose bricks of the traditional Warner flats that can be seen all over Walthamstow.
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“I wanted to create a sculptural and beautiful building using materials that identified with the craftsmanship and handmade nature of the creative activities within the studios themselves. I have really enjoyed hearing people’s reactions as they walk past the building, often reaching out to touch the bricks themselves.”
The studios contain six permanent workbenches to rent and a dedicated space that can be hired for community workshops, pop-up shops, exhibitions and shows. Over coming months the studios will host introductory courses on bookbinding, modern calligraphy, terrazzo casting and woodwork, as well as more community-based sessions, covering birth and the transition to parenthood.
Charlotte has a very clear vision for her studios: “I wanted to create a building with a unique purpose and visual identity; a creative workspace and way of life, not just develop a property and sell it.
“I plan to be here for a long time! I hope it will become an asset to the local community, and people will enjoy coming together and feel the benefits of creativity.”
Charlotte also plans to offer the space for free to suitable group sessions and workshops that could benefit the community in charitable ways.
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