Clerkenwell Design Week – A festival of creativity

Published: 20th May, 2011

ART, design and architecture junkies are in for a treat next week when a three-day extravaganza of almost all things creative comes to town with exhibitions, discussion and debate.

Clerkenwell Design Week, which kicks off on Tuesday, will see leading artists and designers showcasing their work in and around the area.

The House of Detention, an underground Victorian prison in Farringdon – recently the subject of a hotly disputed licensing application – will host an exhibition of patterns and illustrations as well as cutting-edge furniture designs. Designer Lizzie Mary Cullen is creating an interactive drawing space visitors will be able to contribute to. Based on Dickensian cartography, the artwork will wrap around the House of Detention.

Leading British handbag designer Lulu Guinness will have a similar display at Clerkenwell Gate, where visitors can pin up their own full body-sized portraits. 

In St John Street, the Farmiloe Building will host an exhibition of interior design, from lighting to “ultra-flexible” sofas.

Last year’s inaugural design week attracted 18,000 visitors.