Talks, courses and workshops

Taking inspiration from our exhibition Ai Weiwei: Making Sense, this one-day workshop led by Auriol Herford is an opportunity to have an immersive pottery experience trying a wide range of techniques and approaches.

Experiment with different drapes, learn how to style and wear a sari with confidence and discover how the modern sari has evolved and been transformed by a new generation in this hands-on session led by Mehala Ford.

Sessions are sold-out except for the 1 July morning session. Join the waiting list via learning@designmuseum.org

Join us for an afternoon of green bliss at The Dame Sylvia Crowe garden located next to the museum. The event will feature short talks, guided tours, and horticultural activities for all ages with planting designer Susanna Grant and Hackney Herbal.

Learn simple architectural drawing techniques to capture details and the spirit of our iconic building on paper in this creative session led by artist and educator Wilson Yau.

Join this online lecture with Rose Kerr, Design Museum curator Rachel Hajek and Chief Curator Justin McGuirk to reflect on the story of porcelain mass production in China, discover this lost history of making and how it invites us to reconsider design history in the contemporary world.

Join our annual collaboration with the London Festival of Architecture showcasing progressive manifestos envisioning a more inclusive London, developed by emerging voices in architecture and the built environment.

In this hands-on workshop learn how to use fresh and dried flowers to naturally dye silk in this eco–conscious workshop with designer Georgia Bosson.

Discover how to make small precious objects from pewter using a technique that dates back to the Vikings in this creative workshop led by RubinoWilson studio.

Learn how to cast terrazzo using Eco Resin into silicone moulds to make your own coasters in this creative workshop in this creative workshop led by RubinoWilson studio.

Join us to discuss how the contemporary sari endures as a site of design innovation, self-expression and creativity and explore how a length of folded fabric can unravel complex issues of identity, oppression, resistance, emancipation and autonomy.

Join an afternoon of creative writing with poet, performer and producer Fausta Joly to produce your own little fictions and poetry inspired by encounters with the exhibition Ai Weiwei: Making Sense.

The upcoming free four-week summer school will include public lectures from leading academics and designers, financial guidance and workshops on funding small practices facilitated by course tutors from the design, museum and gallery sectors.

Join guides Andrew Mashigo and Lynn Cox for a special audio-described tour of the exhibition  The Offbeat Sari for blind and visually impaired visitors and their companions.

Join guide Edward Richards for a special tour of the exhibition The Offbeat Sari, delivered in British Sign Language.

Join the pioneering dance company Step Change Studios for an afternoon celebrating Bollywood dance and community. A specialist team will teach a wide range of dance styles for disabled children and adults, people with long-term health conditions, using dance to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of people from disadvantaged, and underserved communities.

In this creative class, learn how to crochet the MIY (make it yourself) recycled jersey chest bag designed by the Peju Obasa team for their studio series, encouraging everyone to get crafty.

In this creative session led by illustrator Lucia Vinti, learn how to combine analogue and digital drawing techniques to create a unique map of a location of your choice.

Join this introductory workshop inspired by the iconic designs held in the museum’s permanent collection and create your own screen-printed image using stencils on a tote bag or tea towel.

In this one-day decarbonisation workshop for businesses, learn about innovative design-led net zero solutions and discover methods and practical tools to measure and reduce carbon emissions in the workplace.