BRITISH MUSEUM

http://www.britishmuseum.org/

Admission free and open every day from 10am till 5.30pm - loads of great artifacts, history and art from around the world plenty to be inspired by - 

What's On...12 May – 10 July 2011 "Objects in focus" in Room 3

Discover the secrets behind this shadow-and-light box installation by contemporary artist Xu Bing, inspired by a Chinese painting in the Museum’s collection.

Nearly 5 metres tall, Xu Bing’s artwork is made using materials such as hemp fibres, dry plants, corn husks, crumpled paper and debris sourced from sites across London, placed on a backlit screen. Seen from the front, the work looks like the brush strokes of a Chinese painting, but step behind and the illusion is shattered. The installation was created on site by Xu Bing and will only exist for the duration of the display.

The work is the latest in the series of installations by the internationally renowned Chinese artist. Background Story 7 is a direct response to a hanging scroll of a Chinese landscape by Wang Shimin dating to 1654 and is specially commissioned for the British Museum.

The Espresso Room, Bloomsbury, London

 A petite haven for artisan coffee...THE ESPRESSO ROOM: Open Weekdays 7:30am-5pm; Sat 9:30am-2:30pm - is a really efficient and cute little (little being the operative word!!!) coffee shop just opposite Great Ormond Street hospital.  

The cafe won my respect for being the only coffee house that I've visited (and there have been many...) that sells KeepCups!!!! - in all colours and combination's too. 

KeepCup was designed as an environmentally friendly alternative to replace the increased amount of disposable cups used by coffee houses. It's a stylish and practical lidded commuter cup that replicates standard takeaway sizes and fits under the group heads of espresso machines. They are BPA free and non toxic and they have pretty good thermal properties -  keeping beverages hot 20-30 minutes longer than disposable cups!!!

FYI: The paper cup is made from a composite of materials: kraft bleached paper sprayed with a polyethylene coating. Paper cups are often impregnated with toxic dyes which make them difficult to recycle. The plastic lining in disposable paper cups means they are not recyclable. Biodegradation of a paper cup can take 50 years or more. It’s not just the cup and lid that go into landfill. On average, each disposable cup contains 5% of the raw materials involved in the process of making and delivering it.

Small acts can make a big difference – for better and for worse.

People's Supermarket...for the people by the people

The Supermarket is a sustainable food cooperative that responds to the needs of the local community and provides healthy, local food at reasonable prices. They aim offer an alternative food buying network, by connecting an urban community with the local farming community.

Visions and Values:

• To buy British produce where possible, and produce local to London.
• Provide choice and information to our members to help them make healthy decisions.
• To create a community supermarket that highlights the possibilities of consumer power and challenges the status quo.
• To minimise wastage, by creating prepared dishes from food coming up to its sell-by date, and by composting all other waste material

Persphone Books...

Persephone Books reprints neglected classics by C20th (mostly women) writers.

Persephone prints mainly neglected fiction and non-fiction by women, for women and about women. The titles are chosen to appeal to busy women who rarely have time to spend in ever-larger bookshops and who would like to have access to a list of books designed to be neither too literary nor too commercial. The books are guaranteed to be readable, thought-provoking and impossible to forget.

With their distinctive plain grey jackets and cream 'labels' for the title wording, all their books look the same from the outside yet inside, each is different, with the endpapers chosen especially to match the date and mood of the book.

DARKROOM

 Darkroom is a concept store on London's Lambs Conduit St. Darkroom specialises in hard to find and one of pieces whilst also presenting beautifully classic pieces and offer an eclectic range of fashion for men and women, interior and lifestyle accessories.

Some pieces like the beautiful tan leather bags that are styled on fast food 'take away' paper bags  are simply stunning... and the hand-knitted large knitted poufs are soooooo gorgeous!

Independent and timeless...Lambs Conduit Street

Located in Bloomsbury just round the corner from Holborn Station is Lamb's Conduit Street and is a rare find in such close proximity of the commercial bustle of Holborn. This quaint little street comprises of several independent traders, boutique shops, an old fashioned bookstore + a great tapas bar & even a public house or 2!

Check out KENNARDS a lovely little deli and grocers who have a timeless display of wares outside and a rare village feel to the area - they stock a wonderful range of delicious local and organic food, fresh fish + pastries and make up gourmet chocolate hampers too!!!

Beautiful Papers...

Faulkners have been trading since 1973 in Southampton Row in the heart of London. They are open 6 days a week, have an amazing selection of bookbinding tools, supplies & materials,

archival storage products, fine art paper and very special & beautiful Japanese papers. 

Their range of papers especially the handmade Japanese are truly stunning - if not a little expensive though.

Visit their very comprehensive website (and you can purchase online too) for a look at their beautiful range of papers and details of bookbinding courses...

COCKPIT ARTS...

Located in Cockpits Yard, just around the corner from Hatton Garden are the Cockpit Art Studios - an award wining social enterprise and the UK's only creative-business incubator for designer-makers. Focused on nurturing and supporting talented designers and artisans with a craft basis to their work it is a renowned hotbed of creative talent. It helps around 165 resident designer-makers to grow their businesses and hundreds more through their 'Making It' workshops and seminars.

The studios house all manor of artisans each producing a wide range of crafts; glass, ceramics, jewellery & fashion accessories, metalwork, silversmithing,  furniture & lighting designers as well as book arts and stationery and art led textiles. Although they don't encourage you just popping in on whim you can book appointments with individual studios or arrange for a tour to check out their wares.

As part of their incubator package as well as hiring a managed studio (including all services water/heating etc) in a creative environment from them at a reduced rate (presently £230 a month) they also offer the following services and support to get you going as an independent trader...

1. Open Studios public selling events
2. Promotional and selling opportunities
3. Office facilities and resource room
4. A team of on-site coaches
5. One-to-one business support
6. Workshops & seminars
7. Cockpit Arts Business Growth Loan Scheme
8. Access to our online networks
9. Broadband access 

INSPIRING...

Grey Annatomy by Fransisca Prieto - Between Folds is a series of three-dimensional wall hanging artworks made up from hundreds of envelopes, old sheet music, maps, books etc meticulously cut and folded into intricate and interlocking forms. Fascinated by the delicacy and diversity of these materials Francisca has transformed their ordinary life... find more of her work at www.blankproject.co.uk

EVENTS & FREEBIES...

As well as being actively involved in exhibitions and design shows Cockpit Arts Studios also hold their own 'Open Studios' twice a year where they throw open the doors of the studios to the general public and you can wander around & buy direct from the makers. 

Also a great opportunity to see who's doing what and be inspired by the best & brightest up and coming designers in their fields.

25th Birthday Open Studios

This June they will be having a special '25^th Birthday Open Studios' and makers will be selling designer pieces from their studios.

Special 25^th Birthday celebrations will include:

FREE ENTRY

- luxury pass-the-parcel for grown ups
- cava and cake in the cafes
- gorgeous party hat making for kids
- alumni ‘star’ showcase
- live music by Cockpit Arts / NADFAS Award winner Alex Bishop

Holborn: 10-12 June
Cockpit Yard, Northington St, London, WC1N 2NP
Fri 10 June (6-9pm) and Sat 11 – Sun 12 June (11am – 6pm)

Deptford: 17-19 June
18-22 Creekside, London, SE8 3DZ
Fri 17 June (6-9pm) and Sat 18 – Sun 19 June (11am – 6pm)

Cockpit Arts
Cockpit Yard
Northington Street, London, WC1N 2NP

T 020 7419 1959
F 020 7916 2455
E info@cockpitarts.com 

W www.cockpitarts.com