Private View. October Gallery Education Exhibition. Beyond the Weave.......

Curated by the OG Youth Collective, the exhibition Beyond the Weave: Crafting Tradition, Sparking Play, will include work from contributors across the Education programme, including Primary, Secondary and Special Educational Needs schools, Creative Youth Groups and Artist Educators. Furthermore, featuring work by guest artist ZOUBIDA, founded by creative Sophia Kacimi.

The exhibition will explore the intersection of art and craft. Each work provides a playful response to tradition through experimental making that engages the senses. Tapping into the histories of traditional crafts framed within a contemporary context, these pieces reveal a synergy between the individual and the collective.

The concept of ‘Beyond the Weave' will be central to the exhibition, visually manifesting as a wooden pole around which visitors can strap-weave recycled fabric strips, working alone or in pairs. As the show unfolds, these strips will build into ever-growing braids, offering a living exploration of connection, materiality and communal play that mirrors the exhibition’s theme. The work playfully nods to the European maypole, where communities celebrate spring by dancing round a tall pole.

October Gallery’s Education Department aims to reflect the diversity of global and UK cultures through exhibitions and workshops with schools, families, community groups and artist educators. OG Education strives to establish a model for best practice in participatory arts and develops projects with a variety of schools and communities, offering art expertise, excellent teaching and high-quality results.

This exhibition and the work of the October Gallery Education Department are kindly supported by John Lyon’s Charity, Camden Council and St Andrew Holborn Charities.