
What’s On
Delivering programmes for diverse audiences, participants and communities.
Events - Workshops - Shows - Festivals

Michael Williamson | The Roads We Travel Together
Michael Williamson is a London-born artist. They studied fine art and design, graduating with a degree in Fashion Design from Northbrook College, Worthing. They went on to intern at Alexander McQueen’s diffusion line, MCQ, followed by work in the fashion industry as a stylist, including stints for London Fashion Week and at the National Portrait Gallery, where he displayed one of his earliest installation pieces (in 2012) for the Gallery and Rankin. They continue to work in the fashion industry as well as creating YouTube Videos every Wednesday, profiling other artists and their shows to enable greater public access and discussions around art and culture.
Williamson’s work is themed around the lunar cycles, nature and the questioning of their experiences, opening their ‘life journal’ with the intention of exploring possible connectivities with feelings and personal journeys of others, particularly concerning artistic expression and appreciation and the healing power of both.
In 2023, Williamson went on a journey of self-discovery around their gender identity, coming out as non-binary - “I always knew I was gay but never felt my view of a gay man fit with the norm. I realised I was neither a he or a she.” Their work over the past two years has shined a light on this second coming out and the finding of a happier place in life and in their Queerness. The Roads We Travel Together continues in the same vein, utilising traditionally ‘masculine’ mixed-media and oil paints with more ‘feminine’-identified practices of Palo Santo, needlework and watercolours to interrogate the wounds of homophobia and the transformative powers of friendship, love, healing and the discoveries made along the way during life’s journey.
Opening times: West Norwood Picturehouse | West Norwood Cinema | Showtimes

Introduction to Watercolours - V&A Academy Online
Discover the lively personality of watercolour.
Through a series of exercises with expert tutor Leo Crane each week, you’ll explore a different way to use this versatile medium, from luminous manuscript painting to precision illustration and spontaneous mark-making.
By the end of the course, you will have tried out a variety of techniques, creating a mini portfolio of sample pieces and a final project:
Learn from our world-class experts wherever, whenever: watch classes live or view the recording later in your own time.
Time to explore: 12 hours of live classroom sessions over six weeks.
Consolidate your learning: watch over 20 specially commissioned How To videos to support your course. Receive feedback from the class tutor on your work.
Deepen your understanding: weekly Spotlight Sessions with V&A Curators, art historians and practicing artists explore the background to the projects.
Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials are available for six weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a minute.
A list of readily available materials will be sent out in advance of the course. This course is suitable for beginners and is open to participants aged 18 plus.
£240
Full information and booking through the Victoria & Albert Museum Part of the V&A Academy Online.

Introduction to Watercolours - V&A Academy Online
Discover the lively personality of watercolour.
Through a series of exercises with expert tutor Leo Crane each week, you’ll explore a different way to use this versatile medium, from luminous manuscript painting to precision illustration and spontaneous mark-making.
By the end of the course, you will have tried out a variety of techniques, creating a mini portfolio of sample pieces and a final project:
Learn from our world-class experts wherever, whenever: watch classes live or view the recording later in your own time.
Time to explore: 12 hours of live classroom sessions over six weeks.
Consolidate your learning: watch over 20 specially commissioned How To videos to support your course. Receive feedback from the class tutor on your work.
Deepen your understanding: weekly Spotlight Sessions with V&A Curators, art historians and practicing artists explore the background to the projects.
Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials are available for six weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a minute.
A list of readily available materials will be sent out in advance of the course. This course is suitable for beginners and is open to participants aged 18 plus.
£240
Full information and booking through the Victoria and Albert Museum. Part of the V&A Academy Online.

Bare Life Drawing Community Group Show
Inaugural group exhibition for a tour-de force of London’s life drawing scene.
We are proud and feel incredibly privileged to be hosting this first exhibition for award-winning* life drawing community Bare Life Drawing, in partnership with West Norwood Library and Picturehouse and featuring the various artists who attend (and enrich) Bare’s drawing sessions.
At Bare Life Drawing, creativity and connection are considered essential components of personal, spiritual and professional growth, with a mission to provide safe, inclusive, and welcoming environments for artists and creatives to connect, network, and forge meaningful relationships.
This exhibition strengthens the creativity and connections celebrated by Bare. It also speaks to our mission for developing human and capital through the arts, nurturing learning and growth through creation. One way we do this is by providing platforms for creative communication, of which our exhibitions programme is a hallmark.
Sales proceeds from all sales will go towards supporting contributing artists’ growth and funding public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling. Critically, a percentage of every sale will also be donated to Bare Life Drawing itself, helping to ensure its longevity and social impact.
Free to attend. Opening times: West Norwood Picturehouse | West Norwood Cinema | Showtimes
*Prestige Awards: Art School of the Year - London and South East England 2025/26

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
Life drawing continues apace at Packed Lunch Productions HQ, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
In September, we welcome new art subject Anuli to the life room.
"I welcome the opportunity to expand my creative practice in this intimate setting, a chance to explore identity and perspective through art." Anuli
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This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

2-day Portrait Drawing Crash Course with Jonny Kemp
In this 2-day creative crash course, you will explore different ways of starting a drawing, the essentials of drawing features of the face and the importance of light and shadow, taking your cue from a clothed artists' model.
The session, run in partnership with Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House, is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and informal, with tuition by award-winning artist Jonny Kemp, who appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2023.
Saturday, 27th September 2025 | 10 - 12 pm
Warm-up
Use guidelines to get the correct angles and measurements
Sculpt features by looking at the planes of the face
Create a long portrait by the end of the session
Sunday, 28th September 2025 | 10 - 12 pm
Warm-up
Use tone/lights and darks to create form
Break down eyes, nose and mouth into simpler shapes
Create a long portrait by the end of the session
—
Drawing materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Personal assistants attend free. Email hello@packedlunch.org for details.
Tea and coffee included.
£42.00

Portrait Drawing Crash Course with Jonny Kemp (Day 1/2)
In this creative crash course, you will explore different ways of starting a drawing and the essentials of drawing features of the face, taking your cue from a clothed artists' model.
The session, run in partnership with Crystal Palace Artists' Open House, is designed to be friendly, welcoming and informal, with tuition by award-winning artist Jonny Kemp, who appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2023.
En route to completing a long portrait at the end of the session, you will learn how to:
Use guidelines to get the correct angles and measurements
Sculpt features by looking at the planes of the face
—
Drawing materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Personal assistants attend free. Email hello@packedlunch.org for details.
Tea and coffee included.
£25.00

Exhibition Launch - Bare Life Drawing Community Group Show
Launching the debut group exhibition of award-winning* community group Bare Life Drawing.
Join us in person on Saturday, 20th September at West Norwood Library and Picturehouse for the launch of this free exhibition, featuring works from established artists and new voices of the Bare Life Drawing creative community.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
*Prestige Awards: Art School of the Year - London and South East England 2025/26
10% of all sales are donated to Bare, with the remainder dedicated to supporting the artists’ growth and funding our public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.

Portrait Drawing Crash Course with Jonny Kemp (Day 2/2)
In this creative crash course, you will explore different ways of starting a drawing, the essentials of drawing features of the face and the importance of light and shadow, taking your cue from a clothed artists' model.
The session, run in partnership with Crystal Palace Artists' Open House, is designed to be friendly, welcoming and informal, with tuition by award-winning artist Jonny Kemp, who appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2023.
En route to completing a long portrait at the end of the session, you will learn how to:
Use tone/lights and darks to create form
Break down eyes, nose and mouth into simpler shapes
—
Drawing materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Personal assistants attend free. Email hello@packedlunch.org for details.
Tea and coffee included.
£25.00
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on Queer experience.
We’ve had a blast working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. And the fun continues...
To highlight Ajamu's critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models into his studio who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
In September, we welcome one such creature, Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe.
"I've always been very shy of my body, at least in front of people, but I'm trying to get over that and push myself out of my comfort zone." Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Oil-paint-on-glass Animation Masterclass
Learn oil-paint-on-glass animation in this masterclass BAFTA-shortlisted, award-winning artist-educator-animator Oscar Wyndham Lewis.
En route to completing your own animated loops, you will:
Be introduced to seminal works exemplifying the oil-paint-on-glass animation technique
Learn general principles of animation practice and those specific to oil-paint-on-glass
Gain greater proficiency in animating and learn best practice with animation apps, with a step-by-step approach to instruction drawing on intuition and creativity
Learn mark making specific to oil painting on glass panels, including ‘moving’ the paint to engender movement
Bring to bear and share individual techniques/methods in oil painting or animating, embedding skills and proficiencies that lend themselves to moving-image making using oil paints on glass
This experience is part of Recorder - our latest moving-image production - and brought to you in partnership with Crystal Palace Artists' Open House 2025.
As a bonus, all participants will have the option of their work being included in the film, gaining both a film credit and experience with the production process.
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Everything will be provided, just bring your smart phone.
Any animation phone app is fine, with a tutorial on how to use it included.
All levels of experience with painting and animation are welcome and encouraged.
All ages are also welcome. Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult (parent/guardian) who is participating (with their own ticket) or observing (happy to sit aside from the session in the same space).
Refreshments will be included for the break, but feel free to bring a packed lunch. Refreshments will be included for the break, but feel free to bring a packed lunch. There are also innumerable local cafés and shops.
Aprons and gloves will be provided, but dress for the occasion. Oil paints are fun but leave a forever impression on clothes.
£75

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
Life drawing continues apace at Packed Lunch Productions HQ, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
First thing in October, we welcome artists’ subject Mariusz to the life room - new to the practice and keen to develop his modelling repertoire and experience.
"I came to life modelling from the other side of the easel - having previously attended life drawing classes myself, I was always curious what it would feel like to be the subject rather than the observer. That curiosity led me to audition for the Register of Artists` Models, where I recently passed my audition. This will be one of my first real modelling experiences, and I’m excited to continue learning and developing. I find the experience of life modelling to be both calming and quietly energising, something between meditation and physical stillness. I have a background in yoga and would like to bring some of that awareness and grounding into the poses." Mariusz
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Kink and Draw
Drawn to (and in) kink.
We’ve been so privileged to work with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X in offering life drawing in his South London creative haven. Every session has been a real success for drawers and models alike.
In July, we launched the kink-and-draw life drawing experience at Ajamu Studios, and it was such a success, we've gone and made it a regular thing.
So, in October, we look forward to welcoming art-nude diva Sir Kourtney Klévāge to the Kink and Draw life room.
As with our other life drawing experiences at Ajamu Studios, Kink and Draw accentuates the critical work around LGBTQIA+ experiences that is so much a part of Ajamu’s body-positive work, welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Participants are free to dress in their favourite gear - kink, cosplay etc. - and a changing area will be available.
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new and inspiring models.
The life drawing programme goes from strength to strength at Packed Lunch HQ, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
For our final second session, we welcome the epitome of physical creativity, art nude supreme Stefan Villette (@new_model_behaviour).
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on Queer experience.
We’ve had a blast working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. And the fun continues…
To highlight Ajamu's critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models into his studio who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
However, in October, we welcome a bit of experience, art nude Khrystién Alexander.
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on Queer experience.
We’ve had a blast working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. And the fun continues...
To highlight Ajamu's critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models into his studio who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
For our first session in November, we welcome art nude Clayton to the life room, a model new to the industry but quickly becoming a fixture of the circuit (and who is pure inspiration to draw).
"It's a new way of me expressing myself, and I'm here for it all." Clayton
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Kink and Draw
Drawn to (and in) kink.
We’ve been so privileged to work with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X in offering life drawing in his South London creative haven. Every session has been a real success for drawers and models alike.
Since July, kink-and-draw life drawing has been a part of the Ajamu Studios experience, featuring a different model each month bringing their own, special style of art-nude kink.
In November, we look forward to welcome the one, the only I Am Vanesa Palacios to the Kink and Draw life room.
As with our other life drawing experiences at Ajamu Studios, Kink and Draw accentuates the critical work around LGBTQIA+ experiences that is so much a part of Ajamu’s body-positive work, welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Participants are free to dress in their favourite gear - kink, cosplay etc. - and a changing area will be available.
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
We simply love hosting life drawing at Packed Lunch HQ, nestled in the South London oasis that is Cooper's Yard Studios. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
First thing in December, we welcome David Ieuan to the life room, who only began modelling for art groups this year! He's an incredible talent, not one to be missed.
"With a background in photography (and being chronically camera shy), it's been a revelation to start to see what people see, expressed through the marks they make. Each session, I'm amazed at the trust and understanding that builds between the artist and model - it's such a privilege." David Ieuan
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on Queer experience.
We’ve had a blast working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. This Autumn, the fun continues.
To highlight Ajamu's critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models into his studio who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
However, in September, we welcome professional artists' subject Jazz Brown - life model and creative alien - to the life room, a zest of the fantastic on the art modelling circuit.
“As unique as my fingerprint.” Jazz Brown
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
KataKata Festival Life Drawing
Life drawing for the soul.
We’re thrilled to be delivering Bare Life Drawing’s life drawing hour at this year’s KataKata Freedom Festival.
The KataKata Festival is an inclusive, accessible community event in Brixton, South London celebrating disabled and neuro-divergent creatives through live music, workshops and a host of local vendors. The festival is hosted by KataKata, a Black-owned community hub passionate about advocating for inclusive, joyous spaces for the Disabled and Neuro-divergent Community.
The one-day event runs from 2 - 11 pm -
THE PEACEFUL CHAPTER, 2 - 5pm: A quieter, less busy part of the day with limited tickets and including relaxed creative workshops and acoustic artists. Catered towards who prefer quieter spaces and relaxing environments.
THE PARTY CHAPTER, 5 - 11pm: Live performances from local artists, more creative workshops and speakers building up to party vibes, including DJ's and a silent disco.
The life drawing hour occurs at the start of The Party Chapter, with all levels of ability and accessibility needs welcome.
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Drawing materials, paper and boards are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
All ages are welcome. The model will be semi-clothed.
A BSL interpreter will be available on the day.

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
Life drawing continues apace at Packed Lunch Productions HQ, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
First thing in September, we welcome Dann Parry to the life room - experienced with online modelling, new to the in-person art nude experience.
"I'm an artist, so stepping into the studio as an in-person life model for the first time will mean swapping my pencils for poses. I'm excited to be on the other side of the canvas collaborating with fellow creatives." Dann Parry
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
Exhibition Launch - Michael Williamson | The Roads We Travel Together
Celebrating the latest exhibition by artist Michael Williamson with its second summer launch.
Join us in person on Saturday, 16th August at West Norwood Picturehouse for the sophomore launch of this free exhibition, featuring new work that explores aspects of the artist’s self-discovery and the transformative powers of friendship, love, healing and the discoveries made along the way during the life journeys of us all.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
The evening also celebrates the second summer launch of Interrelation, the debut solo show by artist L E Smith.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist’s growth and funding our public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.

Exhibition Launch - L E Smith | Interrelation
Celebrating the debut solo show by artist L E Smith with its second summer launch.
Join us in person on Saturday, 16th August at West Norwood Picturehouse for the sophomore launch of this free exhibition, featuring new original works that deconstruct and reimagine the ways we relate to ourselves and others.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
The evening also celebrates the second summer launch of The Roads We Travel Together, the latest exhibition by Michael Williamson.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist’s growth and funding public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
Life drawing continues apace at Packed Lunch Productions HQ, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
For our final drawing session for the summer in July, we welcome new art subject Adie to the life room.
“As a person who got into life drawing in the last few years, I enjoy modelling for others because I would like to contribute, and I find it interesting in seeing how others see and interpret me through their creativity and drawings. It's also an interesting experience being on the other side of the easel/sketchbook.“ Adie
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
—
Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
Kink and Draw (SOLD OUT - WAITLIST ACTIVE)
Drawn to (and in) kink.
We’ve been so privileged to work with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X in offering life drawing in his South London creative haven. Every session has been a real success for drawers and models alike.
Now, we up the ante.
In July, we launch our first kink-and-draw life drawing experience, featuring new art nude Imale Ndhlovu.
As with our other life drawing experiences at Ajamu Studios, Kink and Draw will accentuate the critical work around LGBTQIA+ experiences that is so much a part of Ajamu’s body-positive work, welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
“I'm approaching this, my first time life modelling, with curiosity, drawn to how kink and creativity meet through the body. I’m excited to see what surfaces in the charged space between tension, gaze, and expression.” - Imale Ndhlovu
—
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Participants are free to dress in their favourite gear - kink, cosplay etc. - and a changing area will be available.
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
Tickets via Eventbrite (SOLD OUT - WAITLIST ACTIVE)
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
Life drawing continues apace at Packed Lunch Productions HQ, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
First thing in July, we welcome new art subject Christopher Jay to the life room - a talented fine artist in his own right who can't wait to discover a new creative expression (and inspire the drawing public) from pose to pose.
“Art is always a prismatic experience, projecting what we see through our souls. I’m excited to take part in that from the other side of the canvas, having worked with some gorgeous, glorious models in the past.” Christopher Jay
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This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Exhibition Launch - L E Smith | Interrelation
Launching the debut solo show by artist L E Smith.
Join us in person on Friday, 4th July at the Picturehouse for the launch of this free exhibition, featuring new original works that deconstruct and reimagine the ways we relate to ourselves and others.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
The evening also celebrates the exhibition launch of The Roads We Travel Together by Michael Williamson.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist’s growth and funding public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.
Exhibition Launch - Michael Williamson | The Roads We Travel Together
Launching the latest exhibition by artist Michael Williamson.
Join us in person on Friday, 4th July at West Norwood Picturehouse for the launch of this free exhibition, featuring new work that explores aspects of the artist’s self-discovery and the transformative powers of friendship, love, healing and the discoveries made along the way during the life journeys of us all.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
The evening also celebrates the exhibition launch of Interrelation by artist L E Smith.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist’s growth and funding our public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.

L E Smith | Interrelation
L E Smith is a multidisciplinary artist working in digital photography, painting and sculpture. Born in south-east London to creative parents, Smith’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in themes of human connection, identity and self-relationship. Their work examines the fluid and often intricate interplay between the self and others, exploring the emotional landscapes of intimacy, vulnerability and transformation.
With over 12 years of experience as an artists’ model, Smith has developed a profound understanding of form, presence and the unspoken narratives that bodies convey. This background informs their approach to art-making, where physicality and emotion merge to challenge conventional perceptions of selfhood and connection. Their work often deconstructs and reconstructs the body - figuratively and conceptually - inviting viewers to question their own relationships with identity, gender and interpersonal bonds.
Interrelation is an exploration of the fluid, often complex connections that define us - our relationships with our bodies, our parents, our partners and the shifting landscapes of identity, capturing the vulnerabilities and strengths embedded in human form and presence. Smith invites viewers into a deeply personal yet universal dialogue on gender fluidity, intimacy and self-awareness.
This exhibition also deconstructs and reimagines the ways we relate to ourselves and others, asking: How do we see ourselves through the eyes of those closest to us? How do our physical forms become sites of memory, tension and transformation?
By intertwining personal narrative with broader human themes, Interrelation offers a space for reflection, connection, and the redefinition of intimacy in all its forms.
Opening times: West Norwood Picturehouse | West Norwood Cinema | Showtimes

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
It's amazing to be able to offer life drawing in our studio, nestled in the South London oasis of Cooper's Yard. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
For this session, we welcome new art nude Damien Jégo to the life room. An experienced massage therapist and wellbeing practitioner, this is another step along his journey of allowing his form - his body - to experience the world more fully, and of allowing this experience to better encapsulate and express his essence.
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This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Life Drawing at Cooper’s Yard Studios - SOLD OUT - WAITLIST TICKETS AVAILABLE
SOLD OUT - WAITLIST TICKETS AVAILABLE
A drawing oasis. A platform for new models.
Life drawing returns to our creative hub - and HQ - in Crystal Palace, South London, in the picturesque oasis that is Cooper's Yard Studios. This is an experience for all levels of drawing ability and featuring life models who are new to the craft or actively growing their creative practice.
First thing in June, we welcome new artists’ subject and bodybuilder Max to the life room - “Bodybuilding is first and foremost an art rather than a sport science, and as such should be approached in the spirit of creativity - public, shared and inclusive.“
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This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry and wet materials can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
Wine and soft drinks included in the price.
£20 per person
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Dulwich Festival
Presenting new and original work by artist Jo McCormick
“I aim to spark the imagination and ignite the enquiring mind. In my collages, I bring myriad threads together to form balanced compositions that strive for visual harmony. What will you spot in my work? The domestic architecture from your living room, your dog walking at the park? Snippets from your favourite museums or nostalgia from my archives that resonate with you? Fragments of your overheard conversations, your favourite song lyrics, my poetry and contemporary political debate? All these elements merge to form a feast for the eyes with an open narrative.”
Part of Artists' Open House at Dulwich Festival 2025.
Hosted in partnership with West Norwood Picturehouse. The artist will be on-site on:
Saturday 17th May, 10 - 5 pm
Sunday 18th May, 10 - 5 pm
Jo’s work is currently exhibiting at West Norwood Picturehouse daily (10 am - 10 pm) until Friday, 27th June 2025.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist and funding public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.

Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on Queer experience.
We’re excited to be working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. To highlight his critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
However, in May, we welcome Mauricia Lewis - writer, actress, life model, creative - to the life room, a tour de force on the art modelling circuit who's known for her exuberance and dynamism.
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This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability, because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

LOCO London Comedy Film Festival 2025
The LOCO London Comedy Film Festival is back!
The LOCO London Comedy Film is the largest festival of funny cinema in the world. And Packed Lunch is proud to be partnering with the LOCO family for it’s 2025 return, co-producing a programme of competition shorts, feature premiers and cinema classics to wow audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
LOCO is a not-for-profit foundation, run by volunteers, simply for the love of hilarity and a belief in the importance of laughter. Since 2011, LOCO has had London giggling along to the very best film comedies, championing the craft of comedy filmmaking and celebrating the UK’s rich comic heritage and humour from around the world.
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on Queer experience.
We’re excited to be working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to offer life drawing in his South London creative haven. To highlight his critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness, regardless of sexuality.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
In April, we say hi to Matty, a multi-genre photographer who has decided to grow his creative practice through life modelling - "It's always been something I wanted to experience, and being fond of the natural form and my own form, I'm not opposed to sharing with others, especially for creative purposes."
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This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability, because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Exhibition Launch - Jo McCormick | Fenestration
Launching the latest exhibition by artist Jo McCormick.
Join us in person on Saturday, 12th April at West Norwood Picturehouse for the launch of this free exhibition, featuring new collage works offering tiny windows into imaginary worlds.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
The evening also celebrates the exhibition launch of Londoners Underground by portrait artist Ben Chisnall.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist’s growth and funding our public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.

Exhibition Launch - Ben Chisnall | Londoners Underground
Launching the latest exhibition by portrait artist Ben Chisnall.
Join us in person on Saturday, 12th April at West Norwood Picturehouse for the launch of this free exhibition, featuring portraits celebrating London’s diversity and attempts to capture something of the experience of negotiating a city of 8 million strangers living in close proximity.
No RSVP necessary, just turn up!
The evening also celebrates the exhibition launch of Fenestration by artist Jo McCormick.
Sales proceeds go towards supporting the artist’s growth and funding our public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.
Ben Chisnall | Londoners Underground
“In this series, I wanted to create a portrait of a whole city through stolen moments of people traversing the capital, moments which are private and enclosed, but crowded in by strangers. By presenting the figures in a rigid grid format, I wanted to heighten this sense of figures isolated amidst bustling chaos, and perhaps also to suggest something of specimens in a display case.”
London-based creative Ben Chisnall is a self-taught artist working primarily in oils and acrylics.
A portrait of a city in transit, Londoners Underground celebrates the diversity of the capital and attempts to capture something of the experience of negotiating a city of 8 million strangers living in close proximity. It is part of a five-year project observing the lives of his fellow city dwellers, the ordinary and not-so-ordinary, all doing that most mundane and levelling of all London’s activities: taking the Tube.
Rather than attempting a likeness, every portrait is worked from a combination of quick sketches, photos and notes taken on the London Underground between 2018 and 2023. Elements from different travellers are freely combined: a particularly striking pose of one with the outfit or hairdo of another, with the expression or features of a third. Thus, the lines between portraiture and the creation of an imagined character are blurred.
The series now counts some 250 individual paintings, with each work painted in oils on a hand-prepared wood panel.
Ben has exhibited with the Islington Art Society, where he twice won the People’s Choice Award. In November 2022, he held a solo show at the Barbican Centre entitled Londoners Underground: Private Worlds in Public Places, with selections included in this show, his latest exhibition.
Opening times: West Norwood Picturehouse | West Norwood Cinema | Showtimes

Portrait Drawing Crash Course with Jonny Kemp (Day 2/2)
In this creative crash course, you will explore different ways of starting a drawing, the essentials of drawing features of the face and the importance of light and shadow, taking your cue from a clothed artists' model.
The session is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and informal, with tuition by award-winning artist Jonny Kemp, who appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2023.
En route to completing at long portrait at the end of the session, you will learn how to:
Use tone/lights and darks to create form
Break down eyes, nose and mouth into simpler shapes
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Drawing materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Personal assistants attend free. Email hello@packedlunch.org for details.
Tea and coffee included.
£25.00

Jo McCormick | Fenestration
“I aim to spark the imagination and ignite the enquiring mind. In my collages, I bring myriad threads together to form balanced compositions that strive for visual harmony. What will you spot in my work? The domestic architecture from your living room, your dog walking at the park? Snippets from your favourite museums or nostalgia from my archives that resonate with you? Fragments of your overheard conversations, your favourite song lyrics, my poetry and contemporary political debate? All these elements merge to form a feast for the eyes with an open narrative.”
Jo McCormick graduated from De Montfort University in 1991 and has worked consistently over the years, developing a multi-faceted socially engaged artistic practice that spans making and creating, organising and curating, educating and teaching, collaborating and empowering.
Fenestration refers to the arrangement of windows in a building, and this is an exhibition of textured, framed and unframed works designed by the artist as tiny windows into imaginary worlds. In keeping with the rest of her practice, this show dives into Jo’s intrinsic creative flow - expressing vibrant notions of psychedelic Victoriana and abstraction, described by pulling and pushing the brush across the surface, dropping wet into wet and layering wax resist, exploring the possibilities of paint with mixed-media.
“I vary the grip of my fingers to influence brushwork, line, consistency and form. Tapping into pareidolia – shapes in clouds – and slap bang doodling snatched snippets of visual ephemera from my ADHD everywhere.”
Jo is based in South East London and has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad, including group and solo shows with venues such as Ikon Gallery Birmingham, Fringe Biennale Venice and Cross Lane Projects London. Fenestration is her latest collection.
Opening times: West Norwood Picturehouse | West Norwood Cinema | Showtimes

Oil-paint-on-glass Animation Masterclass
Learn oil-paint-on-glass animation in this masterclass BAFTA-nominated, award-winning artist-educator-animator Oscar Wyndham Lewis.
En route to completing your own animated loops, you will:
Be introduced to seminal works exemplifying the oil-paint-on-glass animation technique
Learn general principles of animation practice and those specific to oil-paint-on-glass
Gain greater proficiency in animating and learn best practice with animation apps, with a step-by-step approach to instruction drawing on intuition and creativity
Learn mark making specific to oil painting on glass panels, including ‘moving’ the paint to engender movement
Bring to bear and share individual techniques/methods in oil painting or animating, embedding skills and proficiencies that lend themselves to moving-image making using oil paints on glass
This experience is part of Recorder, the latest moving-image project from arts charity Packed Lunch Productions, specialists in fine-art animation.
As a bonus, all participants will have the option of their work being included in the film, gaining both a film credit and experience with the production process.
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This masterclass in run in partnership with the BAFTA-qualifying Brighton International Animation Festival (4 - 6 April 2025) and creative haven Fabrica in the heart of Brighton.
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Everything will be provided, just bring your smart phone.
Any animation phone app is fine, with a tutorial on how to use it included.
All levels of experience with painting and animation are welcome and encouraged.
All ages are also welcome. Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult (parent/guardian) who is participating (with their own ticket) or observing (happy to sit aside from the session in the same space).
Cafés are available locally for lunch. Still, feel free to bring your own packed lunch.
Aprons and gloves will be provided, but dress for the occasion. Oil paints are fun but leave a forever impression on clothes.

2-day Portrait Drawing Crash Course with Jonny Kemp
In this 2-day creative crash course, you will explore different ways of starting a drawing, the essentials of drawing features of the face and the importance of light and shadow, taking your cue from a clothed artists' model.
The session is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and informal, with tuition by award-winning artist Jonny Kemp, who appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2023.
Sunday, 30th March 2025 | 10 - 12 pm
Warm-up
Use guidelines to get the correct angles and measurements
Sculpt features by looking at the planes of the face
Create a long portrait by the end of the session
Sunday, 6th April 2025 | 10 - 12 pm
Warm-up
Use tone/lights and darks to create form
Break down eyes, nose and mouth into simpler shapes
Create a long portrait by the end of the session
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Drawing materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Personal assistants attend free. Email hello@packedlunch.org for details.
Tea and coffee included.
£42.00

Portrait Drawing Crash Course with Jonny Kemp (Day 1/2)
In this creative crash course, you will explore different ways of starting a drawing, the essentials of drawing features of the face and the importance of light and shadow, taking your cue from a clothed artists' model.
The session is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and informal, with tuition by award-winning artist Jonny Kemp, who appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2023.
En route to completing at long portrait at the end of the session, you will learn how to:
Use guidelines to get the correct angles and measurements
Sculpt features by looking at the planes of the face
—
Drawing materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Personal assistants attend free. Email hello@packedlunch.org for details.
Tea and coffee included.
£25.00
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on LGBTQIA+ experience.
We’re excited to be working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to bring life drawing to his South London creative haven. To highlight his critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness.
And, while most of the models we'll be working with are just starting their journeys as art nudes, a number will know the life room well.
In February, we welcome one such diva: DMAC - artist, graphic artist and performer who loves sharing energy with fellow artists.
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability, because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Life Drawing at Finchley Church End Library
Everybody can draw. It’s true!
And we put it to the test at this life drawing workshop for all levels of ability. From short sketches to longer drawings, participants will be guided through an experience that will build your skills and confidence in figure drawing, regardless of the last time you drew.
Artists' model Roy Joseph Butler - Would I Lie to You?, Life Drawing Live and Drawer's Off - will be offering up a variety of poses that will no doubt challenge, but will also engage even the novice sketcher in exploring their creative side. And, he'll be semi-nude, providing form as well as discretion for the adventurous and the coy alike.
Figurative artist Joe Barrow will be your guide, providing tuition to develop skills, enhance practice and encourage personal creativity.
Materials are included, but feel free to bring your own.
In partnership with Barnet Library Service and the London Borough of Barnet.
FREE. Online booking essential.
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios
Drawing the Black body, drawing on LGBTQIA+ experience.
We’re excited to be working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to bring life drawing to his South London creative haven. To highlight his critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness.
We should also mention that most of the models will be will be taking their first 'steps' as art nudes, realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
In February, we welcome Picarlo to to the life room - “As an artist, I never dreamt or imagined myself being a life model, but as my creative practice evolves and develops, I’m ecstatic to embark on this new path.“
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability, because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.
Life Drawing at Ajamu Studios - SOLD OUT
Drawing the Black body, drawing on LGBTQIA+ experience.
We’re excited to be working with iconic artist-photographer, curator, archivist and activist Ajamu X to bring life drawing to his South London creative haven. To highlight his critical work around Black LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ll be welcoming life models who accentuate and celebrate the thrust of that work and their own inimitable Queerness.
We should also mention that most of the models will be posing for the very first time, taking that first step in realising the creative and discursive power of their bodies.
In January, we say hi to Deon Vashney - “To be life modelling for the first time feels like a dream come true. Never in my 26 years would I have imagined I’d have this opportunity. I owe a huge thank you to Ajamu for putting me forward as a candidate, and to Roy for taking the time to meet with me and offering such invaluable advice and pointers on how to excel as a life model. This is an opportunity I am deeply grateful for. It has taught me never to doubt myself when someone believes in my potential. A few years ago, modelling was just a dream floating around in my mind. Now, it’s becoming a reality, and I couldn’t be happier.“
This is an inclusive, accessible drawing experience for all levels of ability, because, frankly, everyone can draw. Believe it!
Boards, paper and materials are also very much included, but feel free to bring your own. Dry materials only can be used in the studio.
Hosted by Roy Joseph Butler, with guidance on where to begin and how to continue.
Spaces are limited, so please book online, and reach out if this is not possible.
£15 per person + £1.96 sales fee | Personal assistants free. DM for details.
Tickets via Eventbrite (SOLD OUT)
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Ever considered trying life modelling yourself? For information about gaining experience, ticking off that bucket list item or properly getting started in the industry, get in touch or visit the Starkers Academy.

Exhibition Launch - CPAOH Emerging Artists Initiative presents… Jonny Kemp
Launching the inaugural exhibition series for the Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House Emerging Artists Initiative.
Featuring recent work by portrait artist Jonny Kemp.
Join us in person on Friday, 17th January at the Picturehouse for the launch of this free exhibition profiling a creative whose art tends to casts a sardonic sideways glance at the overlooked banalities of life and asks, “what makes us accept the way things are?”
No need to RSVP. Just turn up!
Produced in partnership with the CPAOH and West Norwood Picturehouse.
Proceeds from all sales go towards the artist’s growth and funding public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.