Make It Ring: Afterschool club for young makers

Join us for Make It Ring, a hands-on creative building club where children explore the architecture and design of St Thomas Church through STEAM workshops. Blending design, engineering, science, and play, this 6-week afterschool series empowers children to become makers, thinkers, and caretakers of their local heritage.

Dates: Tuesdays, 16th September – 21st October 2025

Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm

Location: The Common Rooms, 1 Clapton Terrace, Clapton Common, London, E5 9BW

Ages: Children aged 6–12

Cost: Free

Weekly Workshop Themes:

Week 1: Arches & Arcades

Explore rhythm, balance, and curved forms. Build modular arches inspired by the church’s historic arcades.

Week 2: The Clock Tower

Investigate gears and height through the landmark tower. Create a tall, shared timepiece that marks the moment.

Week 3: The Bell & Acoustics

Sound travels through space. Construct a collaborative sound sculpture and experiment with pitch, tone, and echo.

Week 4: The Nave as Ship

What holds us through storms? Reimagine the nave as a symbolic ship — strong, open, and built to journey.

Week 5: Welcoming from the Outside In

How do places invite us in? Rethink the church’s exterior through placemaking — design benches, signage, or gathering spots.

Week 6: Festival of the Future

What does a celebration for everyone look like? Design pop-up stages, shrines, and joyful objects to transform the space for a community celebration.

Make It Ring is a drop-off afterschool club for children aged 6–12 years. Places are free but limited. The club is designed as a structured, hands-on series — building toward a shared creative outcome.

This club is part of Ringing the Changes — project at St Thomas. This project commences a new chapter in the history of the church building and the relationship between the church and its neighbouring communities, not least as it explores the appetite for a regular afterschool club in the Common Room spaces.

Make It Ring is made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This support enables us to offer the club free of charge to local children.

For any further information on the Ringing the Changes project, please contact Hannah Southgate at hannah@southgateheritage.co.uk.