Open House Festival

Good Shepherd Studios

art studio, community/cultural

-, 1880

15a Davies Lane, E11 3DR

The doors to the building will be opened to the public. Not only will visitors get the opportunity to see "behind the scenes" but they will have the opportunity to bring along their food and drink and join the Our Pastures Community Garden Picnic, join taster sessions from site regulars and find out more about what takes place onsite. Activity fully booked? Waiting list: hello@weflockcic.org.uk

Getting there

Train

Leytonstone High Road

Bus

257, 145, 66, W13

Additional travel info

Nearest Bus Stop: Leytonstone High Road station Stop J & Stop F

Access

Facilities

Accessibility notes

Step-free access to the ground floor and toilets. No lift in the building so the 1st and 2nd floors are only accessible via stairs.

What you can expect

The walking tours will include opportunities to rest.

Create a free visitor account to book festival tickets

Drop in activities

Sun 22 Sep

12:00–16:00

Drop in: Our Pastures Community Garden Picnic

Join Our Pastures in the oasis of peace, calm and beauty of the Community Garden for live music, storytelling, forest activities and more.

12:00–16:00

Drop in: Open Studios | Pippa Ryan

Visit the studios of Good Shepherd Studios artist Pippa Ryan. To see the rest of the building, don't forget to book onto a Building Tour.

12:00–16:00

Drop in: Pastures Centre Open Day

Visit this multi-use centre and find out about all the facilities and activities it has to offer

14:30–15:00

Drop in: Insect Stories with guest "Little Sing Song"

Join Good Shepherd Studios regulars Insect Stories and Little Sing Song for intergenerational stories and songs on an insect theme.

Activities

Sun 22 Sep

Family activity

09:15–10:15

Multi-Sports for Children Aged 4-14 years old

An inclusive multi-sports group aimed at children aged 4-14.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Walking tour

10:00–12:00

Leytonstone Freedom Walk: Led by Peter Ashan

Explore Leytonstone's multi-ethnic multi-faith community from the c17 to the present day. Tour starts and ends at Good Shepherd Studios.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Family activity

11:00–12:00

Drama Taster: Interactive Storytelling with Magic Box

Join Good Shepherd Studios regular Lottie on an interactive storytelling adventure based on the odd things she finds in her Magic Box!

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Guided tour

12:00–12:30

Building Tour | Good Shepherd Studios

Find out about the building's history, see "behind the scenes" in artists'/creators' studios and hear about exciting future plans.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Family activity

12:30–13:00

Dance Taster: "Baby Dance" with Wee Movers

Join Fiona at this class where caregivers can come along and dance with their babies aged 0-9 months (slings not essential).

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Guided tour

13:00–13:30

Building Tour | Good Shepherd Studios

Find out about the building's history, see "behind the scenes" in artists'/creators' studios and hear about exciting future plans.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Family activity

13:00–13:30

Dance Taster: "Wee Movers" with Wee Movers

Children aged 2-4 years and their grown-ups are invited to join Good Shepherd Studios regular Wee Movers to explore movement together.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Family activity

13:30–14:30

Art Taster: Make your own cityscape with Art Lab Bluu

Join Good Shepherd Studios regular Irene and make your own foldable cityscape booklet. Suitable for all ages. Materials provided.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Other

13:30–14:00

Chair Yoga Taster with Jessica Green

Join Good Shepherd Studios regular Jessica Green for chair-based Yoga-inspired exercise.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Other

14:00–14:30

Vinyasa Flow Yoga Taster with Jessica Green

Join Good Shepherd Studios regular Jessica for high spirited yoga and relaxation that will leave you feeling more open, aware and alive.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Guided tour

14:00–14:30

Building Tour | Good Shepherd Studios

Find out about the building's history, see "behind the scenes" in artists'/creators' studios and hear about exciting future plans.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Guided tour

15:00–15:30

Building Tour | Good Shepherd Studios

Find out about the building's history, see "behind the scenes" in artists'/creators' studios and hear about exciting future plans.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Family activity

15:00–15:30

Forest School Taster with Flying Sycamores

Join Good Shepherd Studios regular Lucy for an introduction to ‘forest school’ activities and ideas, such as nature-inspired craft.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Other

15:30–16:00

Yin Yoga Taster with Nikki

Join Good Shepherd Studios regular Nikki and connect to yourself bringing calmness and a sense of stillness to the body and mind.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

Other

16:15–17:00

Short Films & Q+A with Joe Gilbert

Join award-winning filmmaker Joe Gilbert and explore his interest in architecture through his shorts on loved and lost buildings in London.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

About

History

Good Shepherd Studios is a building within a site located on a residential street off Leytonstone High Road. The site also comprises of the Pastures Centre and Our Pastures Community Garen.

The building was previously known as the Good Shepherd Building and was built around 1880 to facilitate a home for “fallen” girls.

Fast-forward a few decades and the site is now owned by the London Borough of Waltham Forest. In 2020 the buildings were under threat of demolition and redevelopment and became the subject of the “Save Our Pastures” community-led campaign.

After much petitioning, the site was saved and the Council invited bids to take a lease of the Good Shepherd Building. After a successful proposal, work commenced in August 2022 to bring the building back to life in the form of Good Shepherds Studios. Home to a collection of design-led co-working and community spaces, the foundations of Good Shepherd Studios are now in place and the community are being involved in the direction the space will take.

Our Neighbours

The site is shared between Good Shepherd Studios (which includes the building, garden and outdoor "People's Pavilion"), Our Pastures Community Garden and Pastures Leisure Centre and Lawn.

The Community Garden is run by volunteers who invite gardeners of all levels to join them on Saturdays and Sundays 10.00-13.00.

The Pastures Centre and Lawn is run by Waltham Forest Council and used for a number of leisure and sporting events as well as a weekday centre and art project (Snaresbrook Arts Project) for adults with learning difficulties.

Online presence

www.goodshepherdstudios.com

www.instagram.com/gsstudiosE11

www.facebook.com/GSstudiosE11

Back to top of page