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Crafts CouncilLearning

Families


In Partnership With

Activities for makers big and small


In Partnership With

  • Crafts Council Gallery
  • Craft and wellbeing
  • Craft education
  • Social practice

Family participants at Hey Clay! workshop. Photo: Iona Wolff

Crafts Council aims to provide high-quality making activities for families in a safe and nurturing space. We warmly welcome families to come and enjoy our gallery and exhibitions during our normal opening times. There are also plenty of opportunities throughout the year to enjoy family-friendly making events and explore our collection of handling objects. Come along and see how the power of craft can increase closeness, strengthen relationships and connect generations.

Saturday Craft Club

On the first Saturday of every month, we wheel our new Craftmobile out into the gallery for locals to enjoy. Each relaxed session provides families with a light-touch activity designed to help youngsters aged 5 years and up connect through craft.

To view upcoming dates and make a booking, see What’s on.
Please check dates in advance as the gallery may be closed between exhibitions.

If you have any queries, please email participation@craftscouncil.org.uk


  • Half-term printmaking workshop with illustrator NiallyCat

  • 3D-design workshop in the Crafts Council Gallery

Craftmobile

The Craftmobile is a playful and interactive learning station, inviting children to have a go at hands-on making and learn about materials.

3D designer Sam Brown from Studio Nice One co-created the Craftmobile with local families in early 2022. Young people with their parents and carers helped to develop the design, choose the colours, and select a name.

The Craftmobile is funded by The Richard Seager Arts, Craft and Design Award.


  • Our new family learning station, the Craftmobile

Plan Your Visit

The gallery is fully accessible and visitors may leave prams and buggies in our Welcome area.

We provide coat racks and bag storage during family workshops.

Baby changing facilities are available and we are a breastfeeding friendly space.

We don’t have a café on site but there are plenty of options nearby on Pentonville Road and Chapel Market. There are several small parks nearby and we are a ten-minute walk from Barnard Park Adventure Playground.

How to find us:

  • Located at 44a Pentonville Road London N1 9BY
  • The following buses stop near the gallery: 19, 30, 73, 189, 205, 214, 394, 476
  • Nearest stations include: Angel, Kings Cross, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington

Please contact us in advance to discuss access requirements and to book parking.


  • Young workshop participant

  • Local families co-create our new learning station

Our ethos

We recognise that no two families are the same and that ‘family’ can mean different things to different people. Your family might include a friend, a neighbour, a foster parent or carer. You may be a single parent or part of a same-sex partnership; some people have a chosen family.

We are committed to shaping an inclusive gallery and cultural sector and we will prioritise 60% of workshop tickets for families who are Islington social housing tenants as part of our ongoing partnership work with Islington Council.

Our family activities are underpinned by our approach to craft education, which we call ‘Make First’. Make First is all about getting materials into the hands of children and young people and using craft to play, imagine and develop ideas. We believe children really benefit from learning through making and that this works best when activities are open-ended and leave room for trying new things, failing and trying again! For us, the beauty is in the process rather than the end product.

We work with a range of artists and makers to deliver hands-on creative workshops in the gallery for families of all ages - from sculpture building to printmaking. If you’d like to work with us in future, please email participation@craftscouncil.org.uk


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Crafts Council
44a Pentonville Road
London N1 9BY

hello@craftscouncil.org.uk
+44 (0)20 7806 2500

Reg. charity no. 280956

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