Walking as Resource – Workshop with South2Roots and Grafters Collective
Overview
Join us for an afternoon of collective wandering that explores walking as a resource for artistic practice.
Walking as Resource is a phone-free walking and documentation workshop led by Melissa Newbery Welcome, inviting participants to transform wandering into a creative method. Together, we will explore the neighbourhood surrounding ACME’s new Walthamstow studio building, using the local streets as material for reflection and shared creative thinking.
This workshop is part of Grafters Collective’s six-month residency with Acme Studios. Grafters is a network of artists from working-class backgrounds and those who have faced barriers to the art world. During their residency, members are experimenting with open-plan collective working and hosting public-facing activities that support experimentation and access in the arts.
The session is also shaped by South2Roots, a community-centred creative project founded by Melissa Newbery Welcome. Rooted in South London, South2Roots connects people through cultural heritage with workshopsand gatherings that explore identity, belonging, and local landscapes.
This workshop is open to all artists, writers, performers, locals, wanderers, and anyone curious about creative walking and collective documentation.
Together, we’ll:
- Exchange prompts drawn from our own practices
- Move through the surrounding area guided by chance and collective direction
- Pause to write, sketch, observe, and map fleeting encounters
- Return to the studio with fragments gathered from the walk to reflect upon together
No phones during the walk; just notebooks, pencils, and the city as material (analogue and digital cameras are allowed).
Friday 19 December 2025
1:00–4:00 PM
Starting Location: Acme Studios, 158–160 Billet Road, Walthamstow, E17 5DT
Practical Notes
- This is a phone-free workshop.
- Please wrap up warm and wear weather-appropriate clothing; bring waterproofs or umbrellas if needed.
- Paper and crayons will be provided. If you prefer specific materials, feel free to bring your own.
- Please bring a notebook or something with a firm surface to lean on during moments of documentation outdoors.
Good to know
Highlights
- 3 hours
- In person
Refund Policy
Location
158 Billet Rd
158 Billet Road
London E17 5DT United Kingdom
How do you want to get there?
Arrival & Studio Prep
Settle in, switch off phones, gather materials, and select prompt words. Brief introduction to the walking process and documentation method
Walking Phase
A collaborative, phone-free walk through the surrounding neighbourhood. Participants rotate choosing directions and pause for short 2-minute documentation sessions using their selected word.
Return & Debrief in Project Space
Back in the studio, we gather for a gentle reflection. Participants keep their zines, but contribute a small response, such as a word, map marker, or “Today I noticed…” card to a shared wall installation, visible from the public-facing side of the space.
Frequently asked questions
Organized by
Melissa Newbery Welcome
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