Life Lessons 2020 at the Barbican Conservatory: Highlights
A mindful weekend full of inspiring talks and stimulating activities was had by attendees of Life Lessons at the Barbican Centre on 15-16 February 2020.
Located in the lush green surroundings of the Barbican Conservatory, Yodomo instructors led workshops in making leather key fobs, leather jewellery, macrame plant hangers, ceramics, illustration and cushion covers as well as providing insightful demonstrations on weaving, lampshade making, spoon carving and more.
Kate Rochester of Hanbury Press showed how to bind a notebook by hand using a variety of delicate and ornate papers and people were able to take home their own handmade notebook.
Katie Mitchell of By-Me Katie showed audiences how to master the art of macramé, with several participants purchasing kits on-site so that they could follow along with Katie.
Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell demonstrated how to carve a wooden spoon, showing off her talents with various tools and techniques.
Illustrator Isabella Mitchell led a workshop which prompted participants to draw the botanical surroundings of the conservatory as well as using paper cut-outs to create images inspired by the brutalist architecture of the Barbican.
Michelle Drew of Established 25 Atelier demonstrated her skills by making a colourful lampshade for an admiring audience using a variety of vibrant textiles.
Award-winning weaver Claire Whelan gave a demo on how to weave, allowing participants to try out traditional weaving techniques as taught by Claire.
Ranjit Dhaliwal of Studio Ranj gave a walk-through of the basics of ceramics, and participants were able to get their hands dirty with some clay.