Literary People
2025-09-11 19:00 - 23:00 (Europe/London) | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Literary People is your new favourite night of words, hosted by Arcadia Molinas, with musical accompaniment by Nicko Mroczkowski. Come to hear work from some of the brightest literary minds in London, on Thursday 11 September at SET Social. If it’s literary, it’s going to be there: poetry, fiction, theatre, and who knows what else! Only one way to find out.

A stellar line-up of writers will share their work: Elida Silvey, Devki Pachmantia, Ollie Ruis, Max Radtai and Izabella Scott.

Are you yourself a literary person? Open mic slots available too, bring your work and clear your throat. If it’s literary, we want to hear it.

Event details

Doors open at 7pm

Readings start at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £5 on Eventbrite.

Get your ticket now

Artist/organiser details: Arcadia Molinas @arcadia.molinas

Contact information: Any questions please email arcadia.molinas@gmail.com

See you soon.

Mono printing and surface design workshop – Communal Clay
2025-09-13 14:00 - 16:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Join local Peckham project, Communal Clay CIC, on Sunday 13 September, 2–4pm at SET Social for a hands-on Mono Printing and Surface Design workshop.

Explore creative ways to transform a clay slab into a unique ceramic piece using slips to create imagery, patterns, and textures.

Communal Clay is a not-for-profit organisation, with all profits beyond core costs used to run further community workshops. This is a fantastic opportunity to experiment, learn new skills, and connect with a supportive creative community.

Any leftover clay at the end of the session will be recycled for future use, minimising wastage and keeping the workshops sustainable.

Event details

Tickets: £15-£20

The session will last 2 hours.

All materials provided.

Participants have the option to have their work fired and glazed for an additional £10 fee on the day.

Open to all ages (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult).

Book now

Artist/organiser: Communal Clay CIC

Website: https://communalclay.cargo.site/

Instagram: @communal_clay

Contact information: For enquiries, contact communalclay@gmail.com or DM via Instagram above.

SET Titchfield and Tabernacle Open Studios 2025
2025-09-18 18:00 - 22:00
SET’s annual Open Studios opens two neighbouring sites in Old Street, one of London’s most vibrant art districts, this September. Visitors are invited to step inside working studios, meet artists, and experience the breadth of creative practice across the city. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to all.

Dates, times and addresses

Thursday 18 September, 6–10pm

SET Tabernacle – 91 Tabernacle Street, EC2A 4JN

SET Titchfield House – 69–85 Tabernacle Street, EC2A 4BD

Across both sites, meet artists working in painting, sculpture, textiles, design, and moving image.

Scaffolds – new exhibition at SET 91

At SET Tabernacle, visit SET 91, our newly launched in-house curated contemporary arts gallery. Its inaugural exhibition, Scaffolds, brings together early-career artists whose works explore grids, patterns, and everyday materials to spark inventive outcomes.

Learn more

Practical information

Free entry

Children under 16 need to be accompanied by an adult

No booking required

See all Open Studios

Throughout September and October, SET opens eight studio sites across London.

Learn more about all Open Studios

Poster design: Firpal (@firpal)

Turncoats: End the Era of Biennales?
2025-09-18 19:00 - 22:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Hundreds of biennales now flood the global design, architecture, and art worlds with under-funded, often impenetrable events. Frequently more focused on press than participants, these grandiose platforms dress up poorly paid trade shows with a veneer of glamour.

The most recent Venice Biennale, for example, resembled a tech-bro fever dream bristling with AI-generated exhibits and corporate sponsorships. Other biennales are little better, relying on contributors to forgo workers’ rights to turn abstract themes into mediocre curatorial spectacles with minimal wider impact.

Is it time to end the era of international art and architecture festivals? Join us at Set Social for a debate blending comedy, argument, and vodka.

Speakers/performers

Lee Ivett (chair), Baxendale and Head of the Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture in Preston @_baxendale (@lsofarch)

Zarina Muhammad, White Pube and co-author of Poor Artists @zarinamuhammad (@thewhitepube)

Meneesha Kellay, Senior Curator at the V&A and co-curator of the 2023 British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale @mishkk

Curator at Cosmic House @misanthropocene

Smith Mordak, Chief curator of the 2019 Oslo Architecture Triennale and former CEO of the UK Green Building Council, @smithmordak

Comedian @charliepartridgecomedy

Curated by: Phineas Harper @phinharpe, Deepika Upadhyaya @deepikaupadhyaya, Lucas Facer @lucalucalucasluca, and Smith Mordak @smithmordak.

Turncoats is presented in partnership with the Future Architects Front and Architecture Foundation.

Tickets

Tickets range from £8-£15. Please note: There will be no physical tickets, your name will be on the door. The site will show an error message until you enter an address in the checkout.

Get your ticket

From Threads to Words - ESEA workshop on death, grief and resilience
2025-09-20 14:00 - 16:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
In the spirit of ESEA Heritage Month, 53 Death Cafe invites you to join ‘From Threads to Words‘ – an exploration of death, grief, and resilience through the arts. This special workshop combines textile weaving with guided poetry creation, offering a reflective and embodied approach to memory and storytelling.

Participants will:

Engage in discussions on mother tongue, grief, death, and resilience.

Take part in guided poetry writing inspired by personal and shared experiences.

Learn simple weaving techniques to integrate written words into textiles.

Leave with a personalized woven poem honoring your stories and memories.

This event is especially for those who:

Seek a safe, shared space to reflect on grief, loss, and resilience.

Identify as part of the East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) community.

Event details

Date: Saturday, 20 September 2025

Time: 2:00 PM

Location: SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP

Tickets: £3–£10

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Get your tickets

Facilitators

Yian Zhang (she/her): Visual artist and community facilitator focusing on tactile-based practices and feminist diasporic narratives. Dedicated to neurodiverse and inclusive creative sessions.

Xizi Jo (they/them): Founder of 53 Death Cafe and health & wellbeing coach, creating generative spaces to explore death, dying, and resilience through art and conversation.

Space protocols

Neurodivergence-friendly: Flexible participation through writing, speaking, movement, or silence; grounding practices provided.

Trauma-informed: Optional engagement; emotional support and breaks available.

FLINTA-affirming: Safe space for women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender people.

Disability justice-informed: Efforts to ensure physical, sensory, and emotional accessibility.

For questions or accessibility support, please contact: 53deathcafe@proton.me

Event organiser info:

Organiser: 53 Death Cafe

Contact: 53deathcafe@proton.me

Mission: Creating inclusive, reflective, and generative spaces for conversations and creative exploration around death, grief, and resilience.

SET City of London - Open Studios 2025
2025-09-20 14:00 - 18:00
SET’s annual Open Studios opens three City of London sites to the public this September, offering a rare opportunity to step inside working studios, meet artists, and experience the diversity of the local creative community. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to all.

Dates, times and addresses

Friday 20 September, 2–6pm

SET Ceramics – 35 Crutched Friars, EC3N 2AE

SET Throgmorton Avenue – 15–17 Throgmorton Ave, EC2N 2BY

SET Hosier Lane – EC1A (Smithfield Conservation Area)

Spend an afternoon exploring four distinct studio communities, each with its own character and creative focus. Artists will be showcasing work across painting, sculpture, design, print, and experimental practice.

Discover SET Ceramics

Visit SET Ceramics, our newest addition to the City of London sites. The fully equipped ceramics studio features pottery wheels, a professional kiln, and dedicated making spaces. Visitors can step inside, meet ceramicists, and find out more about upcoming courses and workshops.

Learn more

Practical information

Free entry

Children under 16 need to be accompanied by an adult

No booking required

See all Open Studios

Throughout September and October, SET opens eight studio sites across London.

Learn more about all Open Studios

Poster design: Firpal (@firpal)

Communal Clay - Medieval Figurative Jug Workshop
2025-09-30 18:30 - 20:30 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Explore the art of face jugs using traditional hand-building techniques with clay. Figurative face jugs became popular in the 13th century as craftspeople embraced decorative and creative styles.

In this workshop, you will:

Use coiling techniques to create a jug form

Add features to sculpt a figure or face on your jug

Decorate your piece with locally sourced Peckham clay slip

Optionally have your jug fired and glazed with our handmade wood ash glaze

The session is focused on the tactile experience of sculpting, learning, and playing with clay. There is no pressure to produce a “finished” or “perfect” piece. Any leftover clay is recycled to minimise waste and keep workshops sustainable.

Event Details

Timings: 2-hour workshop sessions, 6.30-8.30pm on Tuesday 30 September.

Pricing

Standard and Concession tickets available

Concessions include young people (16–21), students from working-class backgrounds, disabled people, carers, single parents, and those receiving benefits

Additional £10 if you wish to have your work fired and glazed

MaterialsAll clay and tools provided; your work can be fired and glazed with wood ash glaze. Fired pieces ready for collection in 2–4 weeks, depending on drying conditions.

RefreshmentsThe SET Social bar will be open during the workshop.

Please note: Clay and ceramics are fragile before firing. Communal Clay is not responsible for breakage or damage during the drying or firing process.

Get your ticket

About the organisers

Communal Clay CIC is a not-for-profit organisation that runs inclusive, community-focused workshops. All profits after covering core costs are reinvested into future workshops.

Community Coffee Morning and Meet and Greet
2025-10-01 12:00 - 13:30 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Looking to connect with local organisations, groups, and services in Peckham?

Join us for a Community Coffee Morning and Meet and Greet at SET Social Peckham. This is a friendly and informal opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and explore ways we can work together to support our communities and service users.

Complimentary tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided, with other drinks available to purchase at low cost from the café. Whether you bring along flyers, ideas, or just yourself, you’ll find a warm and welcoming space to make meaningful connections.

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Everyone is welcome.

Event details

Date and time: Wednesday 1 October, 12-13:30pmTicket: Free – register via Outsavvy

Get your free ticket

Chess tournament for Gaza
2025-10-01 18:00 - 23:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Join us for the inaugural Peckham Chess Club Tournament at SET Social, with all proceeds supporting The Sameer Project—a donations-based aid initiative led by four Palestinians, providing emergency response support in Gaza.

This will be a Swiss-style tournament (starting promptly at 7pm), where every participant is guaranteed five games.

All abilities are welcome. Pairings will be adjusted by ranking and ability to ensure a level playing field.

Prizes include:

A ticket to a Communal Clay CIC (@communal_clay) ceramics workshop

A free one-to-one, one-hour chess lesson with Daniel Simons.

Come along for a brilliant evening – play chess, support a vital cause, and compete for prizes.

On the night:

Chance to try fun chess variants

Bonus prize for anyone who beats Adrien playing blindfolded

Event details:

Time: 6pm–11pm (must arrive by 7pm)

Tickets: £10

Sign up now

Organiser: Peckham Chess Club @peckham_chess_club

Contact information: For enquiries, please DM the organiser on Instagram or via Outsavvy.

Look at this if you love me - Group Exhibition at SET Lewisham
2025-10-02 18:00 - 2025-10-09 21:00
Look at This If You Love Me is a group exhibition curated by Fidelia Schlegl and Lucinda Purkis, bringing together artists who work with comics, zines, and DIY visual storytelling. The show reframes the intimate, often solitary act of drawing and reading as something that can spark connection, play, and community.

Alongside the exhibition, visitors can join a week of free artist-led workshops, explore a community kitchen, and enjoy live music and theatre. The programme culminates in a vibrant closing event as part of SET Lewisham Open Studios.

Event details

Dates: 3-9 October 2025

Opening Hours: Daily, 2–8pm

Private view: 2 October, 6–9pm (with food)

Closing event: 9 October, 6–9pm (performances and live music)

Location: SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, Loampit Vale, London SE13 7RZ

Tickets: Free entry to all events and workshops

Workshops (free to join, materials provided)

Saturday 4 October, 1–4pmQuick-Fire UFO Drawing with Lucinda Purkis and Kate Morris MillarA playful, collaborative workshop of fast-paced drawing. Explore geometric, freehand, and collage exercises, then combine everyone’s contributions into a large, collective UFO artwork.

Book your ticket

Sunday 5 October, 6–8pmImaginary Poster Making with Nice GmoUnlock your imagination by designing posters for events that don’t exist. Using only pens, pencils, and paper, participants will invent and illustrate new worlds through handmade poster art.

Book your ticket

Tuesday 7 October, 5–8pmCollective Story Construction with Fidelia Schlegl and Elisa TerraneraWork together to create a three-dimensional comic through drawing, painting, and collaborative storytelling. Expect to experiment with form, narrative, and transformation as your stories take on sculptural life.

Book your ticket

Wednesday 8 October, 6–8pmStorytelling in One Image with Isaac HeardExplore how selection, emphasis, and composition can shape narrative. Learn how to distill complex ideas into a single powerful image that carries an entire story.

Book your ticket

ArtistsAidan Ramsdale Quinn, Alex Treskman, Anaïs Sière, Eduarda Craveiro, Fidelia Schlegl, Gabrielle Bejani, Hallam Wood, Isaac Heard, Jack Trewin, Janne Dauer, Joe Kessler, Jordan Taylor, Kate Morris Millar, Louka Butzbach, Lucia Coppola, Lucinda Purkis, Nima Shafiani, Rebekka Homann, Saul Smith, Tommy Brentnall, Toni Stakenkötter, and Wai Wai Pang.

For updates, follow @lookatthisifyouloveme on Instagram.

Poster design by Edward Ström, with drawings by Fidelia Schlegl, based on works by Kate Morris Millar, Wai Wai Pang, Hallam Wood, Alex Treskman, Joe Kessler, and Louka Butzbach.

Offal Issue 2 launch party
2025-10-02 18:30 - 23:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
OFFAL is back with its second issue, diving once again into the world of literary leftovers, artistic experiments, and found fragments. To celebrate, the publication is throwing a bijou launch party at SET Social (Red Bar), with readings from some fabulous contributors, vinyl-only DJ sets, and playful antics to match the zine’s irreverent spirit.

Readings:

Richard Milward

Alice-Louise MacGillivray

Ned Beauman

Labeja Kodua Okullu

Plus digitally pirated voices resembling Alan Rickman, Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot, and Richard Burton

Music:

DJ Bobby Cleaver (Numbers / It’s Nice That)

Offal Soundsystem (Werk, Feeding Time)

Malarkey:

Whistling competition hosted by Stu Turnbull

Merch:

Grab copies of Offal #2 for £15 (20% off launch price!)

Aprons, cassette packs, USB sticks, sticker packs, and goodies from friends

Event details

Date and time: Thursday 2 October 2025 18:30 – 23:00

Tickets / Registration:

FREE entry

RSVP to offalindustries@gmail.com to be added to the guest list

About the organiser

Offal is a mysteriously produced ‘audio zine’ and printed publication, lovingly crafted from satirical scraps, absurdist monologues, and found literary fragments. Follow the project on social media or explore more online:

Instagram: @offalindustries

Website: https://offaloffaloffal.com/

Contact information

For all enquiries about the launch party: offalindustries@gmail.com

Quick fire UFO drawing workshop
2025-10-04 13:00 - 16:00 | SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, London, SE13 7RZ, United Kingdom
As part of the Look at This If You Love Me exhibition at SET Lewisham, join artists Lucinda Purkis and Kate Morris-Milliar for a free, playful, collaborative drawing and collage workshop. Participants will rotate between stations with a variety of materials—including paints, pastels, colouring pencils, sewing supplies, and collage elements—to create richly textured, UFO-inspired artworks.

At the end of the workshop, completed pieces will be attached to a wooden experimental UFO structure to form an installation, which will be displayed at the exhibition’s closing event on 9 October.

Suitable for all ages and skill levels (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult). Some materials may be messy, so wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and bring warm layers.

For access requirements, please email lucindapurkis@gmail.com

Suitable for all skill levels and all ages but anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Book your free ticket

Art for Aylesham: Community Art Fundraiser in Peckham Against Redevelopment
2025-10-04 14:00 - 18:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Art for Aylesham is a community art fundraiser supporting Aylesham Community Action’s campaign against the proposed redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre on Rye Lane, Peckham. Every ticket, artwork and donation will go directly towards ACA’s £50,000 legal fund for the upcoming public inquiry, helping to ensure the community’s voice is heard.

This creative afternoon will be filled with activities, including:

a pop-up exhibition of artworks

ceramics and crochet sales

life drawing and colouring-in workshop

long-format photography workshop

hands-on craft activities

and more!

This is a community-led event run by Aylesham Community Action with support from local artists and organisers. It is open to all ages. No experience or materials are needed, just bring your creativity and willingness to support the cause.

Event and workshop details

Date and time: Saturday 4 October, 2-6pm

Long-format photography workshop: Tickets are £50 per person. Booking is essential with limited spaces available. (Click here to book your place)

Peckham Life Drawing workshop: £10 or pay-what-you-can, ticketed, with some tickets available on the door (Click here to book your place)

All other activities: drop-in, no booking required.

Entry is a suggested £2 donation on the door, or pay what you can. Ceramics, postcard artworks, and textiles will be on sale at various prices, with all proceeds going directly to the campaign.

About the organiser

Find out more about the Aylesham Community Action’s campaign and donate via the CrowdJustice page: Peckham Not For Sale

Follow @acapeckham on Instagram, Facebook, and X

For enquiries, contact: ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com

Imaginary Poster Making Workshop with NICEGMO
2025-10-05 18:00 - 20:00 | SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, London, SE13 7RZ, United Kingdom
As part of the Look at This If You Love Me exhibition at SET Lewisham, join NICEGMO for a fun and imaginative poster-making workshop. Participants will create event posters for fantastical, impossible, or entirely made-up events—think palm-reading workshops at the Houses of Parliament, public debates on polyester at The Sydney Opera House, or communal teeth-brushing at the Nobel Peace Center.

A large archive of posters from previous workshops will be available for inspiration, and all materials—including pens, pencils, and A4 paper—will be provided. Feel free to bring your own materials too.

The workshop is suitable for all skill levels and ages (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult). The space may be chilly, so please bring warm layers.

For access requirements and enquiries, please email hello@0207gallery.com

For more inspiration, view the full archive of imaginary posters at www.nicegmo.com

Book your free ticket

Collective Story Construction Workshop
2025-10-07 17:00 - 20:00 | SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, London, SE13 7RZ, United Kingdom
As part of the Look at This If You Love Me exhibition at SET Lewisham, join artists Fidelia Schlegl and Elisa Terranera for a collaborative workshop exploring narrative and experimental drawing and painting on cardboard boxes.

The session begins with a playful writing game to generate absurd and funny short stories. Participants then translate these tales into visual narratives on primed cardboard boxes, considering the boxes as 3D comic panels or modular story elements. Together, the group will experiment with stacking, rearranging, and connecting the boxes to form dynamic, interactive story structures.

All materials are provided, though participants are encouraged to bring their own acrylic paints and brushes. Some materials may be messy, so wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and bring warm layers as the space may be chilly.

The workshop is suitable for all ages and skill levels. For access requirements or enquiries, please email schlegl.fidelia@gmail.com in advance.

Book your free ticket

Storytelling in One Image Workshop
2025-10-08 18:00 - 20:00 | SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, London, SE13 7RZ, United Kingdom
As part of the Look at This If You Love Me exhibition at SET Lewisham, join artist Isaac Heard for a focused, hands-on workshop exploring how to capture a full story within a single image.

Through a series of exercises drawn from both cartooning and traditional art, participants will practice editing and minimalism, paring back details to find just the right balance of information for a powerful visual narrative. By the end of the session, each participant will have created one image that conveys an entire story.

What to bring:

Lots of paper (A4 or A3 sketchbook recommended; A5 also works)

Pencils and a rubber (or your preferred medium, as long as it can be erased for editing)

The workshop is open to all ages and skill levels (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult). Please bring warm layers as the space may be chilly.

For access requirements or enquiries, please email lucindapurkis@gmail.com in advance.

Book your free ticket

SET Lewisham and Lewisham High Street - Open Studios 2025
2025-10-09 18:00 - 22:00
SET’s annual Open Studios opens two Lewisham sites to the public this autumn, offering a rare opportunity to step inside working studios, meet artists, and experience the diversity of the local creative community. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to all.

Dates, times and addresses

Thursday 9 October, 6–10pm

SET Lewisham – Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, Loampit Vale, SE13 7RZ

SET Lewisham High Street – 80–82 Lewisham High Street, SE13 5JJ

Look At This If You Love Me – new exhibition

During your visit to SET Lewisham Retail Park, check out the group show and closing event for Look At This If You Love Me. This show explores experimental visual storytelling inspired by comics, zines, and DIY culture, reframing often solitary encounters into shared experiences. Alongside the exhibition, the event will feature live music and performances.

Learn more

Practical information

Free entry

Children under 16 need to be accompanied by an adult

No booking required

See all Open Studios

Throughout September and October, SET opens eight studio sites across London.

Learn more about all Open Studios

Poster design: Firpal (@firpal)

Vocal Inhabitants: london launch party
2025-10-09 19:00 - 22:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Publisher Strange Region invites you to celebrate the launch of VOCAL INHABITANTS, an anthology of new experimental writing and visual art.

Join us at SET Social for an evening of live readings by contributors Galia Admoni, Ian Macartney, Flora Neve, James Rodker, and Harper Walton.

VOCAL INHABITANTS brings together diverse global voices to explore themes of communication, loss, and transformation. From the decay of thought between mind and page, to the fraying of personal relationships, the anthology celebrates new, abstract ways of expressing what often cannot be said. Though presented as an anthology, it is a singular work created collectively rather than part of an ongoing series.

Ticketing / registration: Pay-what-you-can on the door or via link below.

Book now

Artist / organiser details:

Strange Region is an independent press and experimental literary platform based in Bristol, UK. Founded in 2022, they publish writing by artists, novelists, and poets while using publishing as a collaborative, performative space. Their work celebrates writing as creative practice, performance, and exploration of the precarious, often overlooked edges of human experience.

SET Open Decks - Weekly DJ Open Booth Nights (extended)
2025-10-15 18:00 - 2025-10-16 00:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
SET Open Decks is a weekly night happening at SET Social where the booth is open for anyone who wants to play, experiment with tracks, or just hang out with other local DJs.

Every third Wednesday of the month, SET Open Decks expands into an extended session, running from early evening through to midnight. The booth stays open throughout, giving more time to play, listen, experiment, and settle into the space.

The extended session keeps the same open, easy-going approach as the weekly night. DJs who want to play can put their name in a hat, with 30-minute slots drawn at random on the night. There’s no fixed format and no expectation to perform. You can step up to the decks, dip in and out, or stay off the booth entirely and enjoy the music.

Whether you’re a DJ testing new material, someone learning by watching others, or just there to enjoy the music and the atmosphere, everyone is welcome.

From time to time, SET Open Decks will also host informal workshops and skill-sharing sessions covering DJ techniques, library organisation, and industry tips. Keep an eye on @set.social.peckham for announcements.

Event details

When:

Regular Wednesdays: 9.30pm – midnight

Every third Wednesday: 6pm – midnight

Bring your gear: Vinyl or USB is welcome

Who’s it for: Open to everyone, from first-time DJs to experienced selectors, and anyone who wants to listenSign up: Check in with the hosts in the Red Bar when you arrive

Artwork by @dutchiestudio

Altogether Without - Group Exhibition at SET Lewisham
2025-10-16 12:00 - 2025-11-08 18:00 | SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, London, SE13 7RZ, United Kingdom
Altogether Without opens at SET Lewisham on 16 October 6-9pm.

Bringing together photographic works, projected video and light installations in a darkened space, Altogether Without stages an encounter with the (in)discernable gap between the still and the moving image. Through a play between darkness and light, the show seeks to shift and trouble perceptions of duration and the ephemeral.

Exhibition details

Private view: 16 October 6-9pmPublic exhibition dates: 16 October – 8 NovemberTimes: Friday 3-7pm, Saturday and Sunday 12-6pmLocation: SET Lewisham, Unit 1, Lewisham Retail Park, Loampit Vale, London SE13 7RZTickets: Free entry. No need for appointments.

Artists include:

Kit Derbyshire @kitd._Sofia Gil de Biedma @sofia.gildebiedmaJack Jeffreys @jack.zevSylvain LarrièreEric MargolisDaniela María & Kit Rimmer @daniela9maria @kitrimmerJunko Theresa MikuriyaOttilie Winfield Wilenski @ot_rt_

Closing Event – short film screening

The exhibition will conclude with a special screening of 16mm short films, co-curated with Cici Peng. The programme is centred on the work of filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa, who passed away in April of this year, celebrating his playful experiments with 16mm film.

The screening includes Nishikawa’s Tokyo Ebisu/Shibuya duology, featuring in-camera visual effects capturing Tokyo’s busiest metro line, alongside Sound of a Million Insects, Light of a Thousand Stars, in which Nishikawa buried a 100ft roll of Tungsten film beneath fallen leaves near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant from sunset until sunrise. Through this methodical approach, chance emerges within his structured cityscapes as traces of light, commuters, and cars appear as unexpected surprises.

Also included is Vincent Grenier’s Time’s Wake (Once Removed). Grenier, a colleague of Nishikawa at Binghamton University, describes his film as “a strange contradiction between liveliness and frozenness.” Using home movie footage and an earlier, unseen version of his film, Grenier constructs an “endearing but removed artefact” of personal memory, highlighting the nature of the image as “altogether outside, without intimacy, and yet more accessible and mysterious than the thought of the innermost being” (Maurice Blanchot).

A surprise film will also be announced before the screening begins.

Entry: £5 / Free drinks provided / Contactless or cash payment on the door.

Screening Programme

Sound of a Million Insects, Light of a Thousand Stars | 2014 | 2 min | Tomonari Nishikawa

Tokyo – Ebisu | 2010 | 5 min | Tomonari Nishikawa

Shibuya – Tokyo | 2010 | 10 min | Tomonari Nishikawa

Time’s Wake (Once Removed) | 1987 | 12 min | Vincent Grenier

Surprise film | TBC

Anti-university Now Super Simple Oscillator Building Workshop
2025-10-17 14:30 - 17:30 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Super Simple Oscillator Building Workshop invites participants to explore the basics of DIY sound-making through a hands-on electronics session at SET Social, as part of Anti-university Now 2025.

Open to all levels and backgrounds, this workshop introduces how to build a small oscillator circuit using only a breadboard, a few capacitors, and other simple components. Together, we’ll create noisy little instruments and experiment with how electricity becomes sound.

Facilitated by Pei, a multidisciplinary artist working with experimental noise and DIY electronics, the session encourages playful engagement and curiosity rather than technical perfection. All materials are provided, and participants will take home their own mini sound device at the end of the session.

This workshop offers a chance to get hands-on with electronic sound, share ideas, and connect with others interested in noise, experimentation, and the joy of making.

Ticketing / registration:£6 per person. Booking required.To register, please email amulatto38@proton.me

Organiser details:

Led by Pei (@pppppphhhh6759), a London-based multi-disciplinary artist working primarily in sound art. Pei’s performances and works have been showcased in various venues such as the London Short Film Festival (Rio Cinema), Aaja Basement, and Greatorex Gallery. Their practice merges DIY electronics, noise performance, and the exploration of experimental music.

Additional information:Any questions please email amulatto38@proton.me

Arts for Dementia
2025-10-20 11:00 - 12:30 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Arts for Dementia warmly welcomes you to a new 10-week Ceramics and 3D Arts programme with artists Helen Johannessen and Molly Bonnell.

These relaxed, creative sessions are designed for people living with dementia and their companions, with each session offering a gentle introduction to hands-on 3D art practices, including clay ceramics, plaster casting, and more.

The programme is completely free, with all materials provided. No previous art experience is needed. It’s all about having fun and giving it a go!

Event details

When: Every Monday 11am – 12:30pm from 6 October to 8 DecemberWhere: SET Social Peckham, 55a Nigel Road, SE15 4NPTicketing/registration: FreeNumbers are restricted, so if you are interested in joining, please email christina@artsfordementia.org or call 020 36339954.

SET Open Decks – Weekly DJ Open Booth Nights
2025-10-22 21:30 - 2025-10-23 00:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
A weekly open decks night for DJs, music lovers, and anyone curious to listen in.

SET Open Decks is a weekly night happening at SET Social where the booth is open for anyone who wants to play music, experiment with tracks, or just hang out with other local DJs.

The format is simple and low-pressure. DJs can jump on the decks, share favourite tracks, play back-to-back, or experiment with ideas on club-standard equipment. There’s no set list and no expectation to perform. You can play for a short while, stay longer, or just come to listen and hang out.

The night is as much about listening as it is about playing. Whether you’re a DJ testing new material, someone learning by watching others, or just there to enjoy the music and the atmosphere, everyone is welcome.

From time to time, SET Open Decks will also host informal workshops and skill-sharing sessions covering DJ techniques, library organisation, and industry tips. Keep an eye on @set.social.peckham for announcements.

Event details

When:

Regular Wednesdays: 9.30pm – midnight

Every third Wednesday: 6pm – midnight

Bring your gear: Vinyl or USB is welcome

Who’s it for: Open to everyone, from first-time DJs to experienced selectors, and anyone who wants to listenSign up: Check in with the hosts in the Red Bar when you arrive

Artwork by @dutchiestudio

Ponies Carboot
2025-10-25 14:00 - 18:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Ponies is an indoor carboot featuring stall holders selling a wide range of items, from jewellery, zines, and artist editions to ceramics and second-hand clothes.

The event is open to everyone. Please note, however, that Ponies cannot be responsible for sellers’ work that may not be suitable for children.

Ponies Carboot is being held to raise funds to print an independent photography book. The book will not be sold for profit – any surplus income from sales will go towards production costs and paying our book designer.

Date and time: 25 October, 2-6pm

Ticketing:

Stall holders can purchase a stall ticket via the Ponies website: www.ponies.bigcartel.com

Attendees do not need a ticket to attend. Donations will be collected upon entry, but these are entirely optional.

Artist details:

Originally from Sydney, Kate Kidney-Bishop (@sashasadies) is a London based artist and fashion consultant. Kate began exploring gender identity in sport and sportswear with her BA dissertation on singles female figure skating, aiming to find ways to make space for the full gender spectrum in competitive sports. Her first book, co-created with Celia Croft, studied gender identity and gender role-bending tendencies in female bodybuilding. Ponies continues this conversation in its next chapter.

Charlotte Grocutt (@chargrows_) is an artists and designer based in South London.

Contact information: poniesbook@gmail.com

Movement and dance class
2025-10-26 14:00 - 15:30 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Movement at SET is an open space for dancing, stretching and exploring how your body moves. Sessions shift between guided workshops and more open movement time.

You don’t need any dance experience to come along. Each session is different, sometimes structured, sometimes more fluid. It’s a space to move, breathe and connect with others at your own pace.

Event details

When: Every second and fourth Sunday of the month, 2-3.30pm. You can arrive a little early to settle in.

Ticketing/registration: Entry is £5-7 on the door.

For updates or to get involved, follow @movementatset on Instagram or send a message there if you have questions or would like to lead a session.

Medieval Hennin Workshop: Make Your Own Princess Hat!
2025-10-27 19:00 - 22:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
Ever wanted to make your own princess hat like the ones from your childhood? This workshop lets you do exactly that. Using card, fabrics, trims, beads, and lace, you will create your very own DIY hennin, the iconic pointy medieval hat.

The evening is set to a curated medieval and princess-inspired playlist, perfect for getting into the creative spirit. You can craft your own Halloween costume in a friendly social environment and take home your beautiful creation. There will also be a medieval-inspired backdrop for stunning princess photos.

Event details

Date/time: 27 October, 7-10pmTicketing / registration: £11 Standard £7 Concession Everyone is welcome regardless of background or skill level. Feel free to bring your own craft materials if you like, though everything you need will be provided.

Get your ticket

Artist / organiser details:

The workshop is led by Dhara Wright (@lasagna_girl_) and Isolda Milenkovic (@isolda_milenkovic), two artists and medieval enthusiasts, not historians.

Additional information:

Questions? Email dharasanderwright@gmail.com

Hand Building: Surface and Substance - 8 week course with Artist Francisco Zhan
2025-10-27 19:30 - 22:00 | SET Ceramics, 35 Crutched Friars, London, UK Mainland, EC3N 2AE
Join artist Francisco Zhan in this 8-week Hand Building course at SET Ceramics.

There are 6 spaces available for this course, this is to ensure there is sufficient space to work in the studio and that students get the out the most from both the course and the tutor.

Course prices range from £224-£280.

Book now

Course overview:

This course is an introduction to making ceramics by hand, using both conventional and experimental techniques. Exploring ceramics’ potential both as painted sculpture, as well as functional objects.

Throughout the course of 8 weeks, participants will learn the basic building blocks of working with clay by hand, through pinching, coiling, slab-rolling and block carving using different clay bodies.

Participants will be guided in using slips, glazes and resists to achieve a variety of decorative effects.

Surface and substance will provide learners with key knowledge of ceramic techniques and processes, as well as a space for free material experimentation. Using the skills learnt during the course, there will be time given to work on personal projects.

The course will cover:

– Hand building techniques: pinching, coiling, slab-rolling and block carving

– Decorating techniques: slips, glazes and resists.

– Experimental surfaces: monoprinting, inlays, Sgraffito.

– Recycling clay

This course is suitable for beginners. It also provides further support and training for those with some experience.

Book now

Course dates:

Week 1: Monday 27 October Week 2: Monday 3 NovemberWeek 3: Monday 10 NovemberWeek 4: Monday 17 NovemberWeek 5: Monday 24 NovemberWeek 6: Monday 1 DecemberWeek 7: Monday 8 DecemberWeek 8: Monday 15 December

Please not classes missed cannot be made up at a later date.

Class times:

Classes will start at 19:30 lasting 2.5 hours and finish at 22:00. The last 30 minutes of the class are for cleaning up and organising work in progress.

Please do not arrive any earlier than 5 minutes prior to the class starting as there is no waiting area and the tutor will be busy setting up the studio for the class ahead.

Book now

Tutor bio:

Francisco Zhan (he/him) is a visual artist working with ceramic sculpture, writing and performance. He is interested in skeletons in closets, as much as closeted skeletons.

Francisco’s work takes shape through questions of queer practice, auto-ethnography and transhumanism. He borrows the language of ceramic relics, fashion phenomena and pop symbols to investigate history as a material – one that’s not inert, but alive, persistent and embodied in our everyday lives.

Francisco has taught ceramics at Camden Art Centre, Maison S. Sommet, and Mudgang Pottery CIC.

Francisco currently studies Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, where he was awarded the RCA President and Vice-Chancellor Scholarship, following his BA at Goldsmiths University (2016).

His love for making has taken him to residencies at Sanbao Ceramics Institute in Jingdezhen, and Casapiena in Sicily. His work has been shown nationally and internationally.

Francisco was a recipient of a Grand Plan Fund project grant in 2024.

Website: www.franciscozhan.com

Instagram account: @francisco.zhan

About SET Ceramics

SET Ceramics is a new community ceramics studio in a former Key Cutters and Cobblers. It is located on Crutched Friars, less than a minute from Fenchurch Street Station and round the corner from Tower Gateway.

The fully equipped studio features a 220-litre capacity kiln, four pottery wheels, hand-building and glaze facilities. This is an opportunity to see the space, get a feel for it and register interest in what the studio has to offer. Including Studio Memberships, Throwing and Hand-building courses, and more.Instagram account: @setceramicset

Learn more

Life Drawing is in Fashion - Halloween Eve Special
2025-10-30 19:00 - 21:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
On the eve of Halloween, Peckham Life Drawing is hosting a bonus Life Drawing is in Fashion session. This ongoing series explores creative and experimental approaches to life drawing beyond traditional observation, bringing together models, artists and performers who shape each session through their own practices and ideas. The Halloween Eve special continues this approach, offering another chance to draw, experiment and spend time together.

Everyone is welcome, whether you’ve drawn before or not. Materials are provided, so just bring yourself and curiosity.

Please note there is often nudity, and sessions are open to participants aged 18 and over.

Event details

This special sessions runs only on 30 October (eve of Halloween)

7– 9pm (with a break; drinks available at the bar)

Some materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own. Drawing tips are available for anyone who asks

Tickets are £12 and available via Eventbrite below

Get your ticket

About the organisers

These sessions are hosted by Peckham Life Drawing, which curates diverse events that quite literally draw people together. Facilitated by Peckham-based artist Lucie Russell MA RCA, the project explores creative collaboration and inclusive approaches to life drawing.

Follow on instagram at @peckham.LifeDrawing

Corpsing Theatre presents Knock Down, the Life and Times of John Tabernacle - SET 91
2025-10-31 17:30 - 19:00 | SET 91, 91 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4JN, United Kingdom
Corpsing Theatre Company presents Knock Down, the Life and Times of John Tabernacle, a new experimental theatre show led by Middleton Maddocks. John Tabernacle has died and been reincarnated as a building. Join us from inside his head as he is troubled by his past…

Get your ticket

About the performance

Drawing inspiration from folk plays, Tanztheater, and pantomime, Knock Down is a playful and often comedic exploration of associations. Written for SET 91 on Tabernacle Street, the performance responds directly to the space and its possibilities, blending absurdity and physicality, and inviting the audience into a world that is at once uncanny, humorous, and immersive.

Performers and creative team

Middleton Maddocks – Writer, Director, Performer (@gm.say.it.back)Saul Smith – Performer (@saul_sennen) Dashiell Cummins – Performer (@dashiellcummins) Felix FFK – Performer (@felixffk) Alex Heard – Performer (@alexheardalloneword) Mack Pegram – Performer (@thepegramcollection) Sasha Ahuja – Performer (@sashaahuja_)

Show details:

Dates/times: 31 October – 2 November, 6:00 PM (doors 5:30 PM; latecomers will not be admitted)

Location: 91 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4JN

Length: Approx. 45 minutes

Age Guidance: 14+ (must be accompanied by an adult)

Content Warnings: flashing lights, loud sounds

Tickets, pricing and accessibility information:

Concession tickets are £8 (students, unwaged, senior citizens, children under 16, those receiving benefits, NHS workers, disabled visitors, and SET Associate Members). Standard tickets are £10.

Get your ticket

Please note that we want to make this show as inclusive as possible, so if you face any barriers to purchasing a ticket, please email corpsing@proton.me

The performance takes place on the ground level with step-free access. For additional accessibility information, please contact the same email as above.

About Corpsing Theatre

Corpsing Theatre Company, led by Middleton Maddocks, creates experimental, collaborative works that blur the boundaries between performance, autofiction, and everyday life. Previous shows include Substantive Archival Challenges, which observed an all-male guerrilla theatre troupe putting on clandestine productions. Collaboratively, Maddocks and the performers explored surveillance, Stanislavsky, content creation, archetypes, and pagan folk plays, building a playful world where the Id is unleashed, analysed, and reordered.

Middleton Maddocks is an artist working in various modalities. Their practice spans mapping, language, nonsense-making, and symbolic personal histories. Middleton completed their BA at Goldsmiths in 2023 and a residency at Open School East 2024.

About SET 91:

SET 91 is SET’s first in-house curated contemporary arts gallery, located in Old Street. Dedicated to supporting early-career contemporary artists, the gallery provides a non-profit platform for experimentation, collaboration, and the presentation of new work beyond commercial pressures. Keep up to date with SET 91’s curated programme on Instagram at @set91set.

Poster design by Callum Bridge (@ellery3000)

SET Social Halloween Party - Fancy Dress, Games, & Live DJs
2025-10-31 18:00 - 2025-11-01 02:00 | SET Social, 55a Nigel Road, London, SE15 4NP, United Kingdom
It’s getting spooky here at SET Social…

Come by on Friday 31 October from 6pm till late for a night of trick, treats and a few surprises.

Expect:– Halloween games and odd little activities early on– Fancy dress catwalk (yes, there’s a prize for the best outfit)– Live music from 8pm, DJs from 10pm (stay tuned for announcements coming soon)– Pool, photo ops, and Halloween drinks & deals

Fancy dress is highly encouraged. The more effort, the better. But if dressing up isn’t your thing, throw on something vaguely spooky and you’ll still be welcome in the coven 😉

Event details

Dates and times: Friday 31 October, 6-lateTickets: Entrance will be £5 for SET Social members and £7 for non-members (attending as guests of a member).There will be no pre-sale tickets. Just come by and pay for your entry on the door.

We are expecting it to be busy so come down early to get involved! Once capacity is hit, it’s one-in-one-out.

DJ line-up

Dave and the Scally’s @daveandthescallysFormed in south London during 2024, Dave and the Scally’s is a music project, just trying to exist.

ORNELLA @ornellamutoni

London-based filmmaker and selector. Her sets draw on the soulful influences of her hometown and global dancefloor sounds. She has hosted radio shows on Voices Radio and Balamii, and performed at parties including Elevations and Tribqu.

YEESH @thereturnofshe

Drawing on her South London upbringing and South African roots, Yeesh’s sets span gqom, house, brokenbeat, and UK Funky. She has performed as part of Rhythm Section International and at events including Jumbi, Out of Body Pop, and Voices Radio.

Z Lovecraft @mbadenpowell

The DJ alias of multi-faceted producer and instrumentalist Mali Baden-Powell. Z Lovecraft has performed internationally, including London, Berlin, and Estonia, at venues such as fabric, The Colour Factory, Corsica Studios, Stage, and ZENNER. He is also a resident DJ for Rhythm Section.
