The Art Workers’ Guild
The Art Workers’ Guild
The Art Workers’ Guild was founded in 1884 by young architects, artists, designers and craftspeople who wanted to create a place to meet and learn from each other, on an equal footing.
The Guild still holds to its founders’ principles, promoting dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and generations. Today over 100 creative fields are represented in the Guild membership, ranging from glass engraving and wallpaper design to architecture, film-making, ceramics and curating. This diversity makes the Guild unique; it is a sociable place where traditional skills meet modern design methods, where creative connections are forged and ‘learning by doing’ is celebrated.
The Art Workers’ Guild is based in central London, at 6 Queen Square in Bloomsbury.
The Art Workers’ Guild is launching the Creative Connections programme for 2026/27. The purpose of the programme is to create a space for creative people - who are in the early stages of establishing themselves professionally - to build supportive networks, develop their professional practice and get to know the Guild.
Successful applicants to Creative Connections will join a small cohort for the year-long programme. The programme will include hands-on workshops, talks, discussions and social events - all opportunities to exchange insights and ideas, encourage each other and navigate the challenges of sustaining a career.
The programme starts in September 2026.
I’ve really enjoyed the Creative Connections programme, everyone is so supportive…I think it’s quite hard starting out and it’s felt reassuring to have this group.
Because the group is diverse, and everyone has had different experiences and different amounts of time in their industry, I think we have a lot to offer one another.
The journey with Creative Connections has been transformative...For me, the experience has fostered a sense of being enveloped and accepted into a venerable institution with a group of diverse but like-minded individuals, providing a sense of belonging and community.
The programme is for any creative person* who has:
And who is:
There is no age threshold or limit.
* Our definition of creative people includes (but is not limited to): makers, architects, designers, art historians, curators, crafts people, artists. Please take a look at the Guild’s membership page to get a sense of the very wide variety of disciplines within our membership; you’ll see the Guild takes a broad approach to creativity.
Students nearing the end of their studies are welcome to apply to join the programme in September after they have graduated.
The £30 one-year programme of events will introduce you to other emerging creatives and more established practitioners, offering opportunities to share professional knowledge and experience, and develop a supportive, friendly network.
The Art Workers’ Guild has some 400 members from a very wide range of disciplines and professional fields, many of whom will contribute to the programme. However, Creative Connections is not about matching you with someone in the same field – it is about finding common ground and unexpected connections with people in other disciplines. It is about discovering insights that will help you consider the goals you want to set yourself, collaborations you hope to establish, values you want your work to embody. It is this kind of cross-pollination that makes the Guild a unique place and it is why we’d like to invite you to join the conversation.
Places will be limited so we hope those selected will commit to attending as many programme events as possible; the aim is to build networks that we hope will extend beyond the year of the programme and to get to know each other’s work and ambitions. We hope taking part will benefit your professional development, and that your skills, insights and perspective will enrich other participants’ experience, too.