Residents turned artisans as they tried their hands at blacksmithing at a free event in Leyton.
Capel Manor College, a specialist education provider in horticulture, animals, and the environment, hosted the lessons at its Brooks Farm Campus in Tilbury Road.
Ironwork specialists from the Urban Crafts Foundation (UCF) – which offers blacksmithing lessons for children and adults from challenging backgrounds – set up a mobile forge for residents and students to learn iron forgery.
Over four days in September UCF welcomed over 260 people to the classes; coppersmithing, which does not involve heat, was on offer for younger children.
All of the items crafted will be incorporated into an arch at Capel Manor College’s Brooks Farm Campus.
Residents and students quickly got to grips with ironwork
Lizzie Hughes, a UCF artist, said: “This was a real community event and it was great to see young people and the older generation all working together.
“We hope that in a couple of months when the arch is installed everyone who helped to make it will come and see it and have a sense of ownership.”
The community event was designed to boost UCF’s funding bid for a Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture Award.
Collette Delle Grazie, marketing and communications officer at Capel Manor College, added: “The UCF’s ethos and passion for teaching practical and traditional skills aligns perfectly with the college’s hands-on and creative outdoor learning experience.”
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