HELP CREATE THE

DEPTFORD CRAFT GARDEN

BACK OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

We need your help to transform this run-down front yard into an urban oasis in Deptford, a space for the whole community to enjoy nature and connect through craft

Cockpit has nurtured craftspeople for over 30 years. Without our help in the fragile, early stages, many gifted makers may have abandoned their careers. But at Cockpit they thrive.

This year we’re transforming our Deptford studios into a welcoming place for the whole community. In our new learning space, world-class artists will inspire local children – the makers of the future.

But we need your support for the final piece. Help us turn our run-down front yard into an inspiring Craft Garden, a much-needed urban oasis. We need to raise £15,000 to make it happen.

As well as being a space to relax and be inspired, the Craft Garden will host workshops and community events, alongside a new indoor learning and community space which is part of the new plans for the building, designed by Cooke Fawcett Architects.

Taking inspiration from Creekside’s unique ecological and industrial past, Sebastian Cox’s design for the new garden is centred on a birds-eye view of what this patch of land might have looked like had it been left untouched. Sinuous landscaping representing water will be edged with sediment using repurposed rubble from the building work, where drought-loving plants will thrive.

The area has a rich variety of flora, thanks to ships docking along Deptford Creek carrying seeds from far-flung places. Hence, plant species growing wild in the area include plants native to Greece and Mexico. All this will inspire the plant choices, as well as a desire to use plants that have a functional use for craft, for example those used in basketry and natural dyes.

The crowdfunding campaign kicks off on 25th April, on Art Happens (the crowdfunding platform fun by Art Fund). In return for your support, you can choose from an exciting list of rewards generously donated by Cockpit makers who can’t wait to see the garden come to life.

Register your interest be kept updated, and to recieve a sneak preview of the rewards before the campaign goes live.