Momtaz – Craft making night in Hackney. Pic: Anette Therese Hanssen
Make Escape is a craft making get-together in Hackney held every last Tuesday of the month. On May 28, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the monthly craft night.
Best raffle prize ever – actual Make Escape cookies by @forgetmenotc for our #Makerversary twitter.com/ForgetMeNotC/s…
— TheMakeEscape (@TheMakeEscape) May 28, 2013
The craft nights are free to attend, driven by volunteers, and the equipment laid out for the workshops is free to use. Along with a bar selling refreshments, there is also a Makers Market where artisans can sell their work without stall hire.
“Making is fun and should be free for all,” said Momtaz Begum-Hossain who founded the night in May 2012. “When we started the gathering 12 months ago we never anticipated the buzz, energy and excitement we have gotten at every event since.”
Begum-Hossain explains that when the first craft night was held in 2012, 120 participants attended “all thanks to word of mouth” and the newly made Make Escape blog. “We had not used facebook or twitter – and still loads of people showed up!”
Aiyaz Ahmed, a science teacher, explained why he’s a regular: “I’ve discovered that making things helps me relax. At The Make Escape I’ve sewn my own James Bond style bow-tie, learnt how to embroider a cushion, made my Christmas cards and appliquéd a Day Of The Dead brooch.”
“Make Escape is community focused – for old and young – and we’ve had people commuting from the other side of London to attend.” said Begum-Hossain.
The event is for 18 year-olds and up. To see upcoming Make Escape events, visit their blog here.
