Previous Workshops

Spring 2024: Drawing

This Workshop ran 12 February 2024 – 16 February 2024

A drawing skills workshop, using some of the wonderful objects from the Leathersellers’ Company Archive and Leathersellers’ Hall as inspiration. Students made detailed shaded drawings, using pencil and stump as well as charcoal pencil and liquid charcoal, working at either A5 or A4 scale.

Spring 2024: New Pattern Making / Classic Tailoring

This Workshop ran 12 February 2024 – 16 February 2024

Have you ever wondered what goes into the cutting and making of high fashion garments? This course guided students through the techniques used by designers to make inspiring 3D details in cloth. Panels, layers, pockets, collars and cuffs, design detailing creates the architecture of a garment!

Spring 2024: Watercolours

This Workshop ran 27 January 2024 – 10 February 2024

This three day course covered an introduction to materials, including colour mixing and brushes, an exploration of traditional techniques (including working wet-in-wet), as well as how to use watercolour to paint fine detail on hot pressed paper.

Autumn 2023: Etching

This Workshop ran 4 November 2023 – 2 December 2023

Etching is a 500 year old process and still very much used in the world today. During this workshop, students learned various techniques including, soft ground etching, sugar lift aquatint and developed prints that they were able to home and add to their portfolios.

Autumn 2023: Enamelling

This Workshop ran 4 November 2023 – 2 December 2023

In this workshop, students were taught techniques including shaping, bending, hammering, sawing, soldering, texturing and enamelling using silver, copper and brass.

Autumn 2023: Hand & Lock – 3D Beading

This Workshop ran on 27 October 2023

Combining traditional and cutting edge couture hand embroidery techniques, this Artistic Embellishment course was designed to give students a truly unique experience of a number of stitching processes. The techniques taught in this class are used regularly in London, Paris and New York couture houses and are often seen on the catwalk.

Autumn 2023: V&A Stone Carving

This Workshop ran 24 October 2023 – 26 October 2023

V&A East project in collaboration with the Art of Islamic Pattern and The Creative Dimension Trust, supported by the Nunnery Cafe & Bow Arts.

Open to students living, working or studying in the boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Redbridge or Barking & Dagenham, this three-day workshop gave students the opportunity to learn to draw, carve, and inlay precious stones into arches inspired by the Agra Colonnade. The work of students will form part of a semi-permanent display at V&A Storehouse in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London.

Autumn 2023: Miniature Painting in Watercolour

This Workshop ran 23 October 2023 – 27 October 2023

Using the surroundings of Leathersellers’ hall for inspiration, as well as some of the wonderful objects in the Leathersellers’ Company Archive, students learned to use watercolours and miniature paint brushes to paint a selection of small motifs that relate to the Leathersellers’ Company.

Autumn 2023: Leatherwork

This Workshop ran 23 October 2023 – 27 October 2023

Students began the first half of the week making small leather goods, including cardholders, keychain lanyards or A5 pouches. They learned basic leather-working techniques such as cutting from a pattern, saddle stitching, cutting, glueing, attaching hardware and various kinds of edge finishings. All the while practising and perfecting the techniques before moving onto a larger item such as a bag by midweek.

Summer 2023: Fortnums x TCDT Employment Programme: Human Resources & Visual Merchandising

This Workshop ran on 22 August 2023

During the final in a series of employment programme workshops, run in collaboration with Fortnum & Mason, students explored what it is like to work within the store’s Human Resources and Visual Merchandising departments. Each Fortnums x TCDT Employment Programme workshop allows students to meet with at least two different departments to learn about their role and growth in the business, what they love doing and some of the challenges. Speakers will also offer career advice should the students wish to grow their career in the visited departments.

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