Design Museum Academy Adult Workshop: London Design Festival
Workshop: Make Seaweed Streamers with Bethan Laura Wood
Join designer Bethan Laura Wood as she guides you in creating swaying seaweed forms from laminated paper pieces and assembling your own designs in this event as part of the London Design Festival 2025.
What to expect
Inspired by Bethan's installation for Hull City of Culture, you will be inspired and guided to design your own design pieces. You'll also learn how the studio collaborates with manufacturers to bring imaginative concepts to life.
Originally developed in 2017 for a takeover of the historic smokehouse during Hull’s City of Culture, Seaweed Streamers is a collaboration between the designer and the renowned paper merchant GF Smith. The installation combines the organic forms of British seaweed with structural details inspired by kite constructions. Crafted from vibrant paper, these seaweed forms gently sway, creating a suspended world of colour and shapes where nature, industry, and architecture meet.
In this workshop, Bethan invites you to experiment with laminated paper-cutting, twisting, and assembling it to create your own fantasy seaweed. You’ll be able to choose from pre-designed shapes to build your own streamers or design and hand-cut your own unique interpretations of these underwater plants. You will also learn more about Bethan’s practice and how the studio works through projects, collaborating closely with manufacturers to create innovative designs.
This project connects to the roots of Bethan’s creative journey, from her childhood obsession with transforming paper into imaginative forms, to the large-scale sculptural works she produces today.
Bethan's works are currently on display at the Design Museum, as part of PLATFORM: Bethan Laura Wood, an annual display dedicated to showcasing contemporary design practice.
Learning outcomes:
Learn more about Bethan Laura Wood’s design practice
Explore the possibilities of laminated paper for design
Combine colours and shapes in unique designs
Please note:
Capacity is limited, we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment
All equipment, materials and light refreshments will be provided.
This workshop is suitable for adults 18+
Facilitator
Bethan Laura Wood
Bethan leads a multidisciplinary studio that explores materiality, artisan collaboration, and colour. Her site-specific work reflects local cultures, while questioning sustainability and our emotional connections to objects. Bethan has collaborated with brands such as Dior, Cassina, and Rosenthal, and exhibited globally with Nilufar Gallery. Her works are held in the permanent collections of NGV Australia, the V&A London, and SFMOMA. In 2025, her first solo museum show opened at the Design Museum as part of PLATFORM, a new series of annual displays dedicated to showcasing contemporary design practice.
Book online
Booking information
Adult:£90
Adult Early Bird: £81
Student: £81
Student Early Bird: £73
Members*: 72
*Please note that this benefit applies only to the cardholding Member’s ticket and not to those of additional guests.
Early bird tickets are available until 18 August.
Suitable for Adults 18+
Visit this page for further Access information
Check out the Design Museum Academy refunds and cancellations policy here.
Additional information
This workshop is for participants aged 18 and over, and the content has been designed with adult learners in mind
If there’s anything we can do to help you participate, whether it’s around mobility, sensory access, mental health, communication preferences, or anything else, you’re welcome to share this with us at ticket checkout. This is entirely optional, and you can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with
You're welcome to bring a companion if you'd benefit from 1:1 support during the workshop. Companion places are free – please email the team at DMAcademy@designmuseum.org with your Booking information so we can reserve your spot
This session is led by one facilitator and includes up to 15 participants
If you have any questions or would prefer to chat to someone directly, get in touch with us via DMAcademy@designmuseum.org. We’ll do what we can to best support you
In collaboration with GF Smith
GF Smith works in partnership with brands, creatives, designers and specialists across the globe to source, curate and supply the world’s finest paper as the foundation for those that seek to create. As an independent business committed to community, colour and creativity, it is known for its exceptional range of creative papers, technical expertise, specialist services and warm, friendly approach.
Related display
Background image and carousel: Courtesy of artist Bethan Laura Wood.