Public Masterclass: Sculpting Glass Beads (Afternoon)

Find your flow within the flames in this experimental glass lampworking masterclass with artist and sculptor Roslyn Ashcroft.

Twist and pull round, flat and textured beads from molten glass, learning the fundamentals of beadmaking and lampworking as you explore. Delve into a world of colour, pattern and texture and transform your ideas into glowing miniature glass sculptures, leaving with three to four unique beads all shaped through heat, movement and experimentation.

Please note: After the session, your beads will need around a week to go through an annealing finishing process to ensure the glass is stable and we will complete this for you. Once ready, they can then be collected from our Stratford workshop or posted directly to you.

Roslyn Ashcroft of Roslyn Studio creates work that blends traditional craft with contemporary design, sculpting murano glass pieces by hand over a high-intensity flame. Drawing inspiration from her own doodles and abstract paintings, she translates intuitive lines and scribbles into sculptural forms through the mesmerising process of lampworking.

Image Credit Institute of Making.

Important information about our ballot system for this event:

We are using a randomised ballot system for this event.

Our ballot will go live on Monday 28th September at 05:00. To be in with a chance of joining us, select as many masterclasses as you are interested in attending and submit your entry before Sunday 11th October at 23:59. Please note: it makes no difference when you submit your entry; entering early does not increase your chances of securing a space. All places will be offered at random.

If successful, you will be emailed a link to book a space on one masterclass from Monday 12th October 2026. Successful applicants will have 24 hours to book their slot; however, if you do not book within 24 hours, your place will be offered to someone else. Even if you have selected multiple masterclasses on your submission, you will only be able to book one masterclass. This masterclass will be pre-chosen for you at random from your selection. 

If you are interested in attending our research talk and/or Materials Library tour, this will not affect your chances of gaining a slot on a masterclass, and will not count towards your one masterclass booking.

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

This masterclass is suitable for ages 18+.

Everyone at UCL is welcome in our spaces. 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 events@instituteofmaking.org.uk if you'd like to chat.