Festival of Stuff: Japanese Joinery Masterclass (Saturday Morning)

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Location: Bloomsbury

Date: Saturday 14th June

Time: 10:00 — 12:45

Join us at this specialist woodworking session to learn the fundamentals of creating beautifully technical crossbill joints. Japanese joinery techniques use hand tools to intricately interlock timber without the need for any nails, screws and glues.

Together with expert woodworker Emi Shinmura, participants will learn to mark up squared timber, cut a perfect line with Japanese saws and use European chisels to ensure that pieces join perfectly.

Emi Shinmura is an Anglo-Japanese woodworker and designer whose practice has been featured at the Venice Biennale. She studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and lives and works between the UK, Germany and Japan. Emi was taught traditional Japanese carpentry skills during an apprenticeship with her aunt, Harumi Shinmura, a well-known master craftswoman. She continues to return to Japan every year to work on carpentry projects with her aunt in the mountains of Kyushu.

Important information about our ticket ballot for this event:

We are using a ballot ticket booking system for this event.

The ballot is open for a limited time: from Tuesday 13th May until 23:59 on Sunday 18th May.

Entering into the ballot means that you have entered into a draw for the opportunity to book a ticket. Unfortunately, the ballot may be oversubscribed—entering the ballot does not guarantee a masterclass slot.

From Monday 19th May onwards, successful entrants will be sent a booking link, which must be completed within 24 hours in order to secure a ticket.

Once all tickets are fully booked by the ballot winners, we will notify everyone who signed up to the ballot, and offer the opportunity to join the waiting list for last-minute dropouts.

Age range

This masterclass is suitable for ages 18+.

This event is part of the Festival of Stuff
Photo by The Institute of Making

Event location

Institute of Making Bloomsbury
University College London
Malet Place
London
WC1E 7JE

More details about Bloomsbury

Attendee information

Please remember to wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that you do not mind potentially getting dirty or damaged when using our workshops.

Do you have specific access requirements?

Everyone is welcome in our spaces for our Festival of Stuff day event and masterclasses. We strive to make all of our processes accessible, including attending our events and workshops, and using our website and booking systems. Please message us if you have any questions, or requirements, or need assistance using our platforms. We'll be happy to help.

We're always interested in feedback to help us improve access to our activities. Please contact us at events@instituteofmaking.org.uk if you'd like to chat.