PJ’s Café

Rachel Stanners spoke to Preethi Sundaram and Jo Chevalier at her home in Brixton about their first endeavour to run their own café called PJ’s at the Making Uncovered event in April at the Brixton East Gallery.

Preethi and Jo both started out their lives in Brixton by renting a room from me and now have found their own flats with their partners nearby.

In a planning meeting I attended about Making Uncovered I heard we needed someone to organise a café for the event and immediately thought of Preethi and Jo. Both of them are fantastic hosts. Preethi has always wanted to set up her own café and is always creating new delicious recipes, and Jo is the baker in my life and another fellow creative. I knew together they would make a perfect team.

I proposed the idea over dinner one night but asked them to think carefully about whether or not they could manage it around their demanding jobs. Jo is a primary school teacher at Sudbourne Primary School and Preethi works as a women’s rights campaigner for the Fawcett society. Lucky for us, they agreed!

How long have you lived in Brixton?
Preethi: One year, since March 2012.
Jo: Nearly four years now.

Why did you decide to do the café?
Preethi: Because you asked us to!
Jo: Because you bullied us into it!
Preethi: No seriously, Making Uncovered sounded like an exciting, fun and creative event being run in our local community and we wanted to be a part of it.

Have you ever done anything like this before?
Jo: Never
Preethi: Not before this event, although lots of people at the event thought we did run a café full-time and asked us where it was!

What were you most looking forward to?
Preethi: Making a relaxed and fun environment for people to hang out in.
Jo: Making a pretty space. And the cakes!

What were you most nervous about?
Jo: Giving someone food poisoning!!
Preethi: Managing to organise it well when we are both so busy.

What went into organising the event?
Jo: We had a couple of meetings in which we delegated tasks.
Preethi: It was actually quite relaxed. We overlapped our jobs quite a bit but generally I was in charge of finding bakers and Jo was in charge of the aesthetics.

So who made all the delicious cakes?
Preethi: We tried to get some of the Makerhood bakers to help but unfortunately they weren’t available at the time so we ended up recruiting everyone we knew! Each of us baked…
Jo: … and I recruited fellow teachers, even a mum from school and lots of my friends. We also had friends and family of the Makerhood team. We were overwhelmed by how kind everyone was to volunteer and their refusal to accept payment for their ingredients. We are really grateful to them.

How did you go about decorating the café?
Preethi: We emptied our houses and put it all into the space! The design idea was to be simple and pretty.
Jo: We had a grey and yellow theme and lots of decorations but when we got to the venue we realised it didn’t need very much. It was a dream venue that really spoke for itself.

How did you feel it went?
Preethi: We loved it! It felt like a raving success. I was surprised by how much we sold. We sold everything – except some sweeties.
Jo: We were so pleased with how pretty the space looked and surprised how well it went, considering we had no previous experience. I was amazed at how much people love tea and cake.

Would you do it again?
Both: Yes!
Jo: We made a happy space and it was lovely to see friends chatting over tea and cake and really appreciate it.
Preethi: It made me want to open my own place. I can see there is a lot of joy in serving people a simple cup of tea. I loved interacting with strangers and meeting people from Jo’s school.
Jo: I think almost the whole of Sudbourne showed up!

Why do you love Brixton?
Jo: It’s an eclectic cocktail of people and places, and no day ever feels the same.
Preethi: It’s so vibrant! It feels like a place on the brink of something big and exciting happening.

What are your favourite Brixton spots?
Jo: Rosies. It was the first place I went to in the village. It had bunting in it and I knew straight away I would be happy here in Brixton.
Preethi: My favourite spot is at the top of Brockwell Park – you can see all of the city of London. It’s a fantastic view!

PJ's Cafe at Making Uncovered — PJ’s Cafe at Making Uncovered

Meet the makers: Clare Smith

Rachel Stanners meets Clare Smith of CAS at her flat on Clapham High Street, where she explains her unique painting technique and how she keeps painting around her fulltime job.

1. So when did you start painting, Clare?
Well, I always loved painting as a child. I was always drawing ornaments and things in my grandparents’ houses and then I did art at school. When I got to A-levels I decided to do art as one of the subjects. I really enjoyed it but my family wasn’t convinced about the job prospects for an artist, so I left after AS level and began a full time job in the Court Service. But I’ve always kept it up on the side, even with a full-time job.

2. Where do you work and how do you find the time or energy to keep painting?
I really enjoy my job at an investment management company. It’s a really supportive environment, and there are lots of opportunities to keep studying for further qualifications. My colleagues are really supportive of my painting. I’ve been commissioned by a few colleagues to do family portraits or personalised paintings, which has been a good way to keep up the work. I paint in the evenings or weekends – whenever I get a chance really. I used to have a space set up in my bedroom, but at the moment I’m actually sharing my room with a friend so I’ve had to set myself up on the communal dining table. It’s difficult to get started sometimes, but once I’ve sat down you can’t pull me away from it!

3. I can see you are about to start a new painting – can you tell me about it?
The theme of the painting is the Olympics. I’m planning to submit it to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. It might be a bit ambitious but I think it’s worth a shot, as there will be so many people displaying and it gets lots of visitors. It’s nerve wracking, but I want to give it a go.

4. The painting is all blue with some pencil marks at the moment- is this normally how you start a piece?
Yes, I normally begin by finding a good photo of what I want to paint and then I paint the background colour first, which in this case is blue. I paint the whole canvas that colour, sketching the outlines of the rest of the painting on top. After that I fill in the next biggest blocks of colour. I build the piece up this way, getting increasingly detailed. No one taught me this technique – it’s just come about over time. After some years painting I can now see that I have my own style and technique.

5. What’s your current sales strategy for your paintings?
My most recent paintings have all been of London, because I think they grab people’s attention. I’ve also painted scenes of Brixton to sell locally and on Makerhood. Over Christmas I did a market just outside Studio 73 in Brixton and I sold a few box canvases. I realised at the time that people like buying a piece that is ready to put straight on their walls, so I decided to frame some of my paintings. I am really pleased with the results and I plan to sell them for £100 each. I haven’t got any markets coming up but I’m hoping to improve my online sales through Makerhood and also by setting up an Etsy shop.

6. What’s the process if someone wants to commission you to do a painting for them?
I’ve done a few commissions and every process has been different. Some people know exactly what they want, while others have a lengthy conversation before finding the best photo or image for me to work from. I’ve done portraits of family members as well as personalised London paintings. They are always very different and normally take quite a lot of time to get just right. The charge varies based on size and complexity, but at the moment I am charging between £50 and £200.

7. Which artists inspire you?
David Hockney’s exhibition in London last year was very inspirational. I was surprised by the volume and, for example, the iPad paintings, which I wasn’t aware he was doing. I saw Monet’s paintings in Paris and was astonished at the size of them. I haven’t done any big canvases yet, but would like to one day.

8. Why did you join Makerhood?
I joined Makerhood because I applied for Crafty Fox and they recommended Makerhood to me. I’ve enjoyed meeting people through it.

9. What are your favourite places in the area?
In Clapham I love going for breakfast at Breads etc. Brixton Village is a hidden gem, which I’ve only just discovered so I am really enjoying exploring it.

You can buy Clare’s distinctive paintings at http://brixton.makerhood.com/cas.

Unpackaged: why Brixton’s WBC supports makers and local businesses

WBC is a leading UK wholesale packaging company – it is based in Brixton and still manufactures in Brixton, too. Despite its national reach, WBC is keen to support local makers and businesses, and sponsored our recent Making Uncovered festival.

We caught up with James Howard, the WBC Marketing Director, to learn the WBC story and how it can help local makers and independent businesses.

Tell us about WBC – how did it start, what are your products and what customers do you serve?

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Born the year Nintendo released the Gameboy and Lisa Stansfield went all around theworld – for more than two decades now we’ve flown the flag for independent retail. Big or small, we design and manufacture quality packaging and retail display solutions. Our products help independent retailers turn their products into profitable gifts and play the chains at their own game by creating that special point of difference.

Despite initial rebuffs by banks and financial services, it was a small £5,000 loan from the Prince’s Trust that allowed WBC’s managing directors Andrew Wilson and business partner Tim Wilkinson to buy a delivery van. This was the start of one of the UKs’ best known B2B packaging brands.

We supply over 850 lines of hamper and gift packaging, wine packaging and accessories, retail display, and bags for life right out of our warehouse just off Acre Lane. The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker isn’t so far from the truth when it comes to our client base. We supply everyone from artisan food outlets and producers, local cafes, street markets, wine merchants and breweries, colleges, garden centres, farm shops, food and drink associations, museums, charities – and even stately homes including the Queen.

Packaging

Our Kingsley range of retail display and merchandising are UK made, right here in Brixton. In fact the shelves are made from wooden reclaimed floorboards sourced in Brixton. What we love about them is that they are beautifully made signature pieces that really showcase product for market traders and retailers – pieces you’d never find in a supermarket!

Read Why WBC will never supply ‘bags for life’ to the major supermarkets

How can you help makers and small businesses locally?

Competition on the high street is tough, economically and financially it’s tough for small business. There are so many passionate artisan producers and innovative business ideas in Brixton and yet it seems that the big dogs always get the greatest share of the prize. We work with delis everyday who just get up and running only to find a Sainsbury’s local decides to move in next door and starts selling basics like milk and eggs at cut-prices they could never hope to offer.

We’ve learned the peculiar issues that small businesses are faced with. Price, Time, Space, Quality. So our model entirely reflects this:

We create quality solutions that help local retailers stand head and shoulders above the crowd and turn a profit.
We support retailers with training – how to maximise sales opportunities and merchandising solutions
Our customers have access to the UK’s largest range of stock packaging, all at trade prices so that they are affordable, with price points to suit every budget.
We’re online 24 hours a day
We deliver product in small volumes on a next day service so customers never need to overstock – many of our customers have space issues so we hold the stock so they don’t have to.
Bespoke and printing services allow local businesses to create a brand for their packaging

Why did you choose Brixton as your location and what do you like about the area?

Brixton has been the headquarters for WBC for well over a decade now, and we’re pleased to supply many of its small businesses. There is a fantastically close-knit community of like-minded people here. London can be a very transitory place to live, whereas Brixton has always had a grassroots feel about it that works well with our little WBC family.

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In recent years we’ve become much more involved with local initiatives like Brixton Market, Makerhood, local police charities, pop-up shops and others. In Brixton there’s a togetherness and willingness to knuckle down and all pitch in.

When the London riots took place in 2011, we made a cotton bag with ‘Make Tea Not War’ on it, which local businesses could sell with a portion of the profits going to youth charities. With the ties that David Bowie has with Brixton, it was fitting that the official Bowie tote bag made for the V&A exhibition and which sold out in 3 days, was produced by a company based in here in Brixton.

We love the vibrancy and now with new technologies and social media, the community in Brixton has become a much closer place, bringing us together with people and businesses we would never have met.

Check out the WBC catalogue on their website: http://www.wbc.co.uk/. Or read their blog with interesting recent stories: http://blog.wbc.co.uk/

Great locally made gifts from Diverse Brixton

Diverse Gifts and Gallery is a gift shop based in the heart of Brixton – at 65 Atlantic road – run by Anita Thorpe.

This week Diverse is running a showcase of 12 Brixton called ‘Makers in The Hood’. Locally made prints, greeting cards, beauty and hair products, accessories, textile artists and much more is on offer. The event ends on 28 April – be sure to check it out.

Diverse also co-sponsored Making Uncovered on 20 April. We caught up with Anita to hear her story and why she supports Makerhood.

How did Diverse come to life – and what do you love about selling gifts?

I started Diverse in the mid 1990s with a jewellery stall in Brixton Station Road.

I had the idea because back then Brixton was great for lots of things but good silver jewellery wasn’t one of them – and I am a real jewellery fan. I felt sure other people felt as frustrated as I did about what was on offer locally, so I decided to try and fill the gap. I knew nothing about retail and so had none of the constraints that a better knowledge of retail might have placed on me – I just did it. The stall was hugely successful and what started as a weekend hobby became a full-time business. I started adding some handmade gift products from Africa, and in 1999 we moved into our first shop on Atlantic Road.

What’s your mission – and how do you choose what to stock?

The mission is to bring well designed, affordable, uncommon gifts to Brixton. Over the last few years we’ve returned to our ‘handmade’ roots as the interest in craft has grown.

I like to think we are helping customers by providing a convenient alternative to the West End but we are also helping people appreciate and connect with local making talent.

Diverse stocks a wide range of work – art, jewellery, accessories, natural body products – even locally blended teas!

We select stock by attending craft fairs and trade shows, and we have held open calls for shop events like the ‘Makers in the Hood’ showcase, which we started recently.

What are your future plans for Diverse?

I’d like to keep expanding our handmade offer. There is a real interest in products with a provenance; where people can see design that’s original, learn about who made it and how it’s made, and appreciate the work that’s gone into making something. That local connection has become increasingly important to customers.

Also, for me as a retail buyer, it makes my job more interesting. It means I’m always coming across fresh new ideas and I can commission exclusive products for the shop, so I always have something different for our customers to see. It feels good to know I am helping other local enterprises to grow as well.

Why did you support Making Uncovered?

We have worked successfully with Makerhood members in the past and it was a chance to show our support for local makers. We are also holding our Spring Makers in the Hood event at the same time as Making Uncovered, so I hope people will come to see the work of other Makerhood members at Diverse. ‘Makers in the Hood’ ends on 28 April – hope to see you there!

African accessories

Mariatu Turay of Gitas Portal specialises in contemporary, African-inspired ladies’ and children’s fashion, handmade slippers, jewellery and handbags.

At Making Uncovered she will be showing how to make fabric headbands for children and adults, and how to make the best use of your leftover fabrics by turning them into coin purses.

What do you like about your art/craft? Why did you get into it?

I love the fact that I have free rein to bring an idea or vision to life and that my customers appreciate what I do. I got into it because I thoroughly enjoy designing and making clothes and accessories and I come alive when I do – can’t help myself.

Why are you taking part in making uncovered?

It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet people and share what I do and engage others in the actual making process, which ordinarily would be behind the scenes. People usually see the finished produce and not the making process.

What will you be teaching people and why should they sign up?

I’ll be running short, 20-minute workshops showing people how to make little purses and simple headbands that could also be used as a neckpiece. If you’ve got strips of material lying about in the house and you want to do something that’s simple, quick and fun to give to friends, with that added personal touch (you made it), then come along.

Talks and music at Making Uncovered

We’ve got some wonderful line-up additions to Making Uncovered on Saturday.

Our friends at The Thought Menu have brought together what promises to be a really interesting session exploring the intersection of technology, art, making and DIY. Talks will cover subjects from pinhole camera kits to Arduinos and DIY drones to large scale kinetic sculptures and the intriguing concept of “unmaking”. Have a look at the programme here.

The Thought Menu is at 6-7pm on the first floor of the Brixton East gallery.

We also have the incredible Bethia Beadman joining us for an acoustic session in the evening. Bethia’s music combines the intensity of PJ Harvey with the Lynchian glamour of Lana Del Ray and the doomed romanticism of Nick Cave. She has played festivals from Glastonbury to the Isle of Wight, supported Pete Doherty and toured in Courtney Love’s band. Have a listen here.

Also in the music section are A P Clarke and Gaia Marcus. A P Clarke is a long established musician on the London scene, playing an intense yet beautiful take on folk. Gaia, meanwhile, has been perfecting her rich style in the jazz and blues venues of the city. Together they will perform a playful mix of duets drawn from their wide set of influences.

We will also have the previously announced dance improvisation set from Seke Chimutengwende, South London’s pop-up choir and Librarians Wanted performing.

Music starts straight after the talks, at 7pm, also on the first floor of the venue.

We’ve also released some more tickets – in the expectation that some of those who’d booked won’t show up. Snap them up 🙂

See you Saturday!

Unlock your imagination: aboriginal art workshop

Aneta Srodon of Anetart has a passion for aboriginal painting, abstract art and photography.

At Making Uncovered Aneta will run a workshop in acrylic painting on canvas aimed at unlocking individual creativity. The workshop is suitable for adults and accompanied children, and costs £15 – 4 spaces are available. Book here.

Tell us about your style of painting

I practise dot painting derived from the culture of Australian Aborigines. I love this technique because in addition to the artistic and creative side, it helps people find relaxation by focusing on an activity carried out carefully.

What will happen at your workshop?

My workshop at Making Uncovered on 20 April is called “Aboriginal inspirations'”. It will encourage people to explore their creativity through dot painting. This original but simple technique gives remarkable decorative effects. No special artistic talens are required. It all depends on your imagination and improvisation. The participants will use the techniques I show them to create their own compositions.

I will provide all the materials, and everyone taking part will take their canvas home with them.

Making images, making meaning

Andry Anastasiou is an experienced local coach and workshop facilitator. One of her methods is to use ‘mind-mapping’ to explore and develop individual creativity.

At Making Uncovered Andry will be creating a giant community mind map, where visitors will be able to write a few words about their experience of the event and what they took from it. She will also be running workshops creating individual mind maps with participants.

What are mind maps and how do they work?

Mind-maps use colour, words, images and visual branches. By mirroring the natural way our brain works, by making connections between lots of different ideas, they are really great way to get you thinking creatively; apparently They can also stimulate you to remember more things in more detail, so they are a fantastic learning tool.

How did you discover this technique and how do you use it?

I discovered visual mapping about 15 years ago. I loved the way I could take a really complicated topic and map it out using words and images. It made things simpler and more understandable. And as I could include my own images and lots of colours I loved the creativity. I found so many benefits from visual mapping, using wheels of life, timeliness and mind maps. After visual mapping, I feel more skilled and resourceful; I can easily plan a course or project and I identify priorities with ease.

I use timelines, wheels of life and mind maps nearly everyday. I take my box of colours and a sheet of paper and I pick a topic to map a timeline or wheel. It could be planning my gardening cycle or organising an event or budgeting. I’ve discovered that I can map visually and I am creative even though I can’t draw well!

Why are you taking part in Making Uncovered?

I’m taking part in the event because I want to let more people locally know about my workshops my coaching and the creative use of visual mapping. I really wanted to be more involved in local community work and local community events.

What will you be teaching?

In the workshop, people will learn about the benefits of visual mapping, and they’ll create their own large creative visual image; either a mind map, timeline or wheel of life. We will use colour spontaneous imagery and discussion to help each person create meaningful images.

I hope that people will begin to see that mind mapping timelines and wheel of life can be done by anybody, with 20 minutes to spare and the topic they want to uncover, focus on or unravel.

“The good things in life and the hopes we carry with us” – Maggie Winall, Sewin Studio at Making Uncovered

Maggie Winnall is a textile artist from Brixton London UK.  She transform everyday materials into colourful, original, stylish accessories and art, hand-making everything herself.

At Making Uncovered Maggie will show her techniques and run a workshop applying her unique, empowering approach to personal transformation through textile art – affirmative appliqué.

What does your craft mean to you?

My aim is to create beauty and renew the life of pre-loved cloth, vintage fabrics, found materials and embellishments. I do this by mixing colour and shapes into abstract patterns and manipulating textures.

My journal writing inspires my ‘Affirmative Art’ range. I coined this and the phrase  ‘Hope in Your Handbag’ to represent my work with affirmations, which I apply to my handbags and art work, to serve as reminders of the good things in life and the hopes we carry with us.  I hope you enjoy my work.

Why are you taking part in Making Uncovered?

I am excited to be joining with other Brixtonian artists and makers, to share our range of talents and skills with the public. The event will give people the opportunity to see the wealth of talent here in Brixton and to see first hand (excuse the pun) what is involved in making by hand. I look forward to demonstrating my handbag making process, I will be machine quilting and hand sewing on the day. Hopefully it will inspire others to try textile art for themselves.

What will you be teaching people in your workshop and why should they sign up?

Hope in Your Handbag™ is a hand sewing workshop to make an oyster/card wallet. I like to make affirmations in fabric, affirmations help me focus on my aims and intentions for my day/life. I apply affirmations to oyster card wallets and handbags, seeing them reminds me of my intentions. This is what I will be sharing at the workshop. We will learn appliqué, how to use bondaweb, hand cutting cloth letters, hand stitching and learning a decorative embroidery stitch.

There will be lovely selection of coloured embroidery threads and vintage fabrics to choose from. Taking the time to make a fabric affirmation helps to remember it.

Maggie’s workshop is at 3pm on 20 April, and costs £11. All materials are provided, and you will take your wallet home with you. Please book on eventbrite – 4 spaces available.

The Elephant and Castle Maker Faire: call for makers closes on 21 April

A fellow Brixtonian Tom Lynch is one of the people behind the exciting Elephant and Castle Mini Maker Faire planned for 6 July this year. The original Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, California eight years ago. Its show last year had 800 makers and over 100,000 people attending. So it’s quite a scale!

A Maker Faire is a day of making, learning, crafting that is family friendly and welcomes all kinds of makers, both craft and technology-based – and those in between! It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning. It’s free for people to attend.

The call for makers is open until 21 April, so get your applications in!

Find out more about the Faire on their website: http://makerfaireelephantandcastle.com/about/