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Cockpit Arts

Cockpit Arts is London’s leading studios for contemporary crafts and the UK’s only business incubator for makers and designers. We are home to over 140 independent creative businesses at our sites in Deptford and Holborn. Through public showcases and business incubation services, we provide exceptional makers and materials-based artists with the tools to succeed. Many of the artists and makers based at Cockpit are recognised internationally as leaders in their field.

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sandie@cockpitarts.com

Sandie Mattioli

Registered charity no. 1029643

Member since July 2019

About us

Impact - Established in 1986, Cockpit is one of the 100 top-performing social enterprises in the UK, recognised in 2020 for the second year running on the NatWest SE100 Index (the social business equivalent of the FTSE100) and a finalist for the 2020 SE100 Impact Champion Award. On 16 November 2020, CEO Annie Warburton will be recognised by WISE (Women in Social Enterprise) as one of their selected ‘extraordinary women in extraordinary times’ for her leadership through Covid.

Diversity - Cockpit is committed to inclusion, diversity and equality in governance and in all our activities, recognising that diversity improves performance and fuels creativity and innovation. Makers from African and South, East & South East Asian diasporas are better represented at Cockpit than in the wider craft sector: 20% of our makers identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic, compared to 4% in craft as a whole.

For Makers - We offer an expert business support package and dedicated studio space to enable makers setting out on their careers, as well as those more established, to make the most of their talent. Some 20+% of our studio holders are supported through Awards and Bursaries, funded by City of London Livery Companies, trusts and foundations, and individual and corporate sponsors.

For Visitors - Cockpit is a destination for discerning private collectors, museum curators, luxury retail buyers and craft enthusiasts. We open our doors twice a year at our famous Open Studios, where visitors can buy and commission direct from our makers. During Covid we’ve moved online with a Summer Festival and a Winter Makers’ Market. We also offer bespoke studio tours for businesses and special interest groups, schools and colleges.

Cockpit Arts is a registered charity. We receive no regular public subsidy and are largely self-funding. Help us keep creativity thriving at the heart of the city and enable the best in British craft and design to succeed and thrive.