Local artists open their studio doors for Lambeth Open Weekend

On the first weekend of October artists and crafts people across the borough of Lambeth will be opening their studios, work spaces and homes to the public. Doors will be open on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October from 10am to 6pm.

Now in its fifth year, Lambeth Open is a unique opportunity to see a wide range of arts and crafts, including painting, sculpture, photography, textile design, jewellery and print making, and also to meet the artists and makers behind them, all for free. The event showcases the fantastic wealth of creative talent tucked away across Lambeth and of course, in Brixton.

Lambeth Open is also timed to coincide with the first weekend of the neighbouring Wandsworth Open House event, meaning that all over South London artists are opening their doors and inviting in the curious and the crafty. Venues vary from artists’ home studios to the large Portico Gallery in West Norwood.

There will be a broad range of work on show including: Gill Banks’ intricate textile pieces; Marcus Berns experimental metal sculptures; Lucy Dukes’ romantic watercolour landscapes; and John Bateson’s colourful paintings of Brixton life. Organiser and artist Tim Sutton (who also organises the very successful Urban Art Fair in Brixton) answered a few of our questions about the event.

Who is Lambeth Open aimed at?

Lambeth Open is open to all artists and makers living or working in the borough. We also welcome visiting exhibitors from outside the borough who want to join in our celebration of our colourful South London creative community.

Are you pleased with the number of artists participating, as well as the variety, this year?

Artists and makers are still signing up for this year’s event so it is looking as if we will have even more venues and exhibitors taking part this year, which reflects the growing popularity and reputation of this great event.

What opportunities does the event offer for the artists?

The Lambeth Open is run by Open Arts Project; a Brixton-based non-profit social enterprise. The aims of the organisation is to provide affordable and credible exhibition space for artists and crafts people, positive events that enrich the lives of local communities and fundraising opportunities for local good causes. So not only does this event benefit artists and makers, it also aims to enrich the lives of residents living in the borough. This year’s event will also be raising money for the West Norwood Southside Rehabilitation project by auctioning artists work at the Portico Gallery.

How would you like to see the event grow in years to come?

The event is relatively young so we are still growing. At the moment we receive no funding either from Lambeth Council (despite numerous requests) or from private sponsors, but this is something we are hoping to change in the coming years. Our event is a very effective way of showcasing this borough’s vibrant creative community and something Lambeth should be proud to support.