Yodomo Demos and Workshops at Life Lessons Festival
Join us at the Barbican on the 15th-16th of February 2020 to find the answers to life, the universe and everything.
The Barbican Conservatory. Image credit: Max Colson
Start your journey towards wellbeing by connecting your head and heart with your hands with drop-in Yodomo workshops and demos at Life Lessons Festival.
The inaugural Life Lessons Festival is a thought-led wellbeing event poised to deliver a weekend of meaningful talks from some of the most highly regarded thinkers of today. In support of its mission to promote wellbeing as a larger project of sustainability, higher thinking and community building, Yodomo has partnered with Life Lessons to offer drop-in demonstrations and workshops on mindful making in the Barbican’s lush Conservatory Space.
Watch and join in the process of bookbinding, carving a wooden spoon by hand or making fashionable accessories from recycled leather. See what mindful making you can dive into in order to support your own personal wellbeing.
Bookbinding demonstration with Kate Rochester - Saturday, 10:00 - 13:00 and Sunday, 16:00 - 19:00
Book artist Kate Rochester of Hanbury Press will demonstrate how to make a book by hand, instructing viewers on how to choose the paper and cloth, introducing specialist tools and how to begin with basic bookbinding techniques and structures.
Botanical drawing and papercraft with Isabella Mitchell - Saturday, 10:00 - 13:00
Look, play and create your own unique response to the Barbican Conservatory. In this drop-in workshop, illustrator Isabella Mitchell will show you how to use drawing materials to capture your surroundings. Then, inspired by Matisse cut-outs, you’ll learn how to distil brutalist architecture and organic textures down to their essential shapes and create your own concise collaged artworks.
Make a personalised leather fob and shoemaking demonstration with Carréducker - Saturday, 11:00 - 14:00, 16:00 - 19:00 and Sunday, 11:00 - 14:00, 16:00 - 19:00
Upcycle naturally tanned Italian leather offcuts into a beautiful leather fob to take home; great for keys, as a zip pull or name tag. You will learn how to burnish the leather, stamp your initials and attach the keyring either with saddle stitch or brass rivet in this fun leather workshop.
Then, watch master shoemakers Carréducker demonstrate the highly-skilled, traditional techniques involved in shoemaking, with a session on both Saturday and Sunday.
Lampshade making from sustainable fabric offcuts with Established 25 Atelier - Saturday, 13:00 - 16:00
Michelle Drew from Established 25 Atelier will demonstrate how to make a lampshade by hand, using sustainable fabric offcuts. Established 25 Atelier is a British homeware and fashion accessories boutique that combines contemporary design with quality craftsmanship. While they design, source and produce all items in the UK, the collection is inspired by and proudly reflects Estd.25's Caribbean and African heritage.
An introduction to pottery with Studio Ranj - Saturday, 13:00 - 14:00 and 15:00 - 16:00
In this 1 hour drop-in workshop, ceramicist Ranjit Dhaliwal will introduce you to the ceramic process and clay as a material, teaching you how to make a pot using basic hand-building skills and techniques
Jewellery and bag making from recycled leather with Eli Wislocka - Saturday, 16:00 - 19:00
Learn some basic leatherworking techniques whilst you make a clutch bag and jewellery with Eli from Love and Salvage. Love and Salvage run accessories workshops for those who want to work with leather. Only salvaged leather is used, keeping it out of landfill and in circulation for as long as possible. Eli Wislocka is the founder of Love & Salvage. Their mission is to use what they have to create fun and functional accessories.
Spoon carving demonstration with Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell - Sunday, 10:00 - 13:00
Seasoned maker and author Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell will demonstrate how to carve a wooden spoon. You’ll learn about the spoon carving process including how to select wood, knife techniques, working with the grain, and safe tool use.
Decorative basket making with Julia Clarke - Sunday, 10:00 - 13:00
Learn how to create a random weave sculptural basket in this drop-in workshop with Julia Clarke, an artist specialising in making with natural materials including cane, paper, thread and willow for indoor and outdoor spaces.
Textile weaving with Claire Whelan - Sunday, 13:00 - 16:00
London-based award-winning weaver Claire Whelan will be running a winding drop-in workshop focusing on colour and the human reaction to it. Claire has studied constructed textile design in London, and alongside her weaving activities also works at The Cass School of Art, Architecture & Design teaching constructed textiles.
How to Master Macrame with By-Me Katie
Learn how to hang plants with something you have made in the Barbican Conservatory. In this demo, maker Katie Mitchell from By-Me Katie will show you how to master the basic techniques of Macrame. Watch how to make a simple plant hanger or wall hanging and purchase kits on the day to join in and learn alongside her.
Learn how to reuse fabrics and make a simple cushion cover with Yodomo
In this drop-in workshop, you’ll learn how to make your own cushion cover using recycled fabrics. Derived directly from our course and kits using quality off-cuts, join us and unlock your creative potential while championing sustainability.
After a long day of workshops and life lessons on Saturday, join us for Creativity and Wellbeing Drinks from 19:00 - 21:00!