About this Event
Draw “Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind“— Guided Sketch Tour at Somerset House (FREE)
Join us for a FREE 90-minute guided sketching journey through "Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind" — London Design Festival's most talked-about exhibition — at Somerset House. Discover 100+ extraordinary objects of art and design as "mirrors of the mind", bringing together the finest Chinese heritage techniques with modern technology and imagination.
90 minutes. Only 20 seats per session. Both sessions are expected to sell out fast.
>>> 📌Click here to book the 19 Sept session: <<<
>>> 📌Click here to book the 20 Sept session: <<<
Intro:
During the London Design Festival, go inside Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind at Somerset House — the landmark exhibition of 70+ artists tracing China's living craft heritage — with a professional exhibition guide and a pencil in your hand.
Sketching is the most honest way to see an exhibition. While you draw the curve of a gold thread gown or the fold of heritage silk, you notice what a quick walk past never shows you. At each stop, your guide reveals the ideas behind the work — the philosophy, the technique, the maker's mind — then gives you time to put it on paper.
⚠️ Only 20 seats per session — and just two afternoons. With the London Design Festival in full swing and the exhibition running for 12 days only, we expect both sessions to be fully booked well in advance. If you'd like a seat, book now — don't leave it until the day of the event.
🤝 Can no longer make it? Please cancel as early as possible. Every no-show takes a seat from someone who wants to join — there is a waitlist, and your cancellation goes straight to them. Cancel via Eventbrite in two clicks. Thank you for sketching responsibly.
What you need to bring:
- ✏️ Your own sketchbook and drawing materials (pencils, watercolours, an eraser — whatever you like to draw with). — A compact kit works best, as space in the galleries is limited.
- 👟 Comfortable shoes — you'll be standing and moving through the galleries. Seating isn't provided, which helps keep the rooms clear for other visitors.
- 💦 A water bottle — there are water refill points in the building, but a bottle is far more convenient, so you won't miss a word of the guide's commentary.
What your booking includes:
- 🧠 A 90-minute professionally guided session — a deep dive into the exhibition's ideas, with practical sketching tips along the way
- 🖼️ A curated route through selected works across the exhibition's three main areas
- 📖 The story behind every stop — the philosophy, the technique and the maker behind each work
- 🎨 Sketching prompts to get you started — No drawing experience needed. Complete beginners, professional artists and designers, and all kinds of creatives are all welcome — if you're curious, you're in.
The essentials:
- 📅 19 (Saturday) & 20 (Sunday) September 2026
- 🕑 3:30–5pm (please arrive by 3:20pm — the session starts on time, and the group moves through the galleries together)
- 📍 Somerset House, Embankment Galleries (South Wing), Strand, London WC2R 1LA
- 👥 Capped at 20 people per session — small enough for everyone to hear the guide and get a clear view of each work
About exhibition:
Initiated by Sun Media Group, Reviving Craft — Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Design is a premier international cultural platform rooted in China's rich, time-honoured craftsmanship and expressed through contemporary design.
The project brings together master practitioners of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), contemporary designers, artists and leading brands in cross-disciplinary collaboration, exploring new possibilities for traditional craftsmanship in contemporary life and on a global stage.
This is not a static display of heritage, but a living recontextualisation — through design, technology and curation — that makes ICH more legible, experiential and relevant to contemporary life. The London edition builds on the success of Paris (2024 at Museum of Decorative Arts over The Louvre Palace) and Milan (2025 at Serbelloni Palace), bringing contemporary Chinese cultural expression to one of the world's foremost creative capitals.
About :
This creative experience is an official program of the Reviving Craft — Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Design exhibition at Somerset House and is brought to you by the Early Masterworks (EM) Creative Club.
We're best known for our themed, untutored life drawing gatherings in some of London's most one-of-a-kind venues. You may also know us from the creative experiences we've created with the National Gallery, Open House Festival London, SOHO HOUSE, Urbanism/Architecture Bi-City Biennale (UABB), The European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Drawing Room, Firepit Art Gallery, Studio Wayne McGregor, London Latvian Centre, Arcus Sounds and more.
We create a warm, welcoming space for people of every background, age and skill level to meet, drink, draw and create. We don't teach drawing techniques — instead, we curate inspiring themes and prompts to lead particiants through a creative journey, and invite participants to share. We believe art connects people, and that sharing sparks creativity.
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Event venue & nearby stays
Embankment Galleries South Wing, Somerset House, Somerset House, London, United Kingdom
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