Monday Muse

Interview Aoife Leach

Interview

Aoife Leach

Photography

Dina Petrovic

04 May 2026

Interview

Aoife Leach

Photography

Dina Petrovic

04 May 2026

For Aoife Leach, Managing Director of London Craft Week, Monday is a day for momentum. It is when the agenda takes shape, the first calls are made and the week begins to gather pace. During London Craft Week, however, that Monday rhythm expands into a citywide choreography. From an exhibition launch at Sotheby’s and Mayfair partner check-ins to Cockpit’s anniversary launch, The Royal Society of Sculptors and the House & Garden Craft Prize, Leach’s Monday will be built around movement, people and the meticulous orchestration of a festival that brings the city closer to the act of making.

This is familiar territory for Leach, who stepped into her role last year and now leads the festival into its 12th edition. Her perspective has been shaped across the cultural landscape, from leadership roles at The Modern House and Inigo to the Hayward Gallery and more than a decade in the international auction world. Yet her connection to craft also runs much closer to home. Raised in a creative household, she grew up playing in the treadles of her mother’s floor loom and watching her father build a wooden sailing boat in the family kitchen.

As London Craft Week returns with a programme spanning more than 150 venues, Leach is making the case for craft as one of the most vital cultural conversations of the moment. Far from nostalgia or hobby, she frames it as a way of thinking about creativity, responsibility, place and the human hand in an era increasingly shaped by AI. The Wick caught up with Leach amid the buzz of festival preparation to talk making in the age of AI, the “creative iceberg” of makers sometimes hidden from view, artists to watch and why London remains one of the world’s most exciting cities for the handmade.

THE WICK: What does a typical Monday look like for you?

Aoife Leach: For me, Mondays are a day for kicking things off and setting the agenda for the week, and next Monday (11 May) is the ultimate version of that – it’s the launch of London Craft Week 2026! Hosted this year by our sponsors Sotheby’s, we will be unveiling our annual Secret Ceramics exhibition in collaboration with Kate Malone’s charity FiredUp4, as part of a major programme of exhibitions and events across their New Bond Street galleries.

After the launch, I’ll be checking in with other Mayfair-based partners before heading over to Bloomsbury to Cockpit artist studios for their London Craft Week launch, which coincides with their 40th birthday.

Throughout the day, I’ll be checking in with our sponsors and partners as well as with my brilliant team to ensure everything runs smoothly, before heading to The Royal Society of Sculptors for Crafts on Peel x Hong Kong Trade Office’s opening ceremony Cross Pollination: The Future of Crafts. And then back to Sotheby’s for the House & Garden Craft Prize.

Then, at the end of the day, I’ll review plans for Tuesday, which will be equally busy and fun!

TW: London Craft Week takes over London this May. Over the last decade, interest in craft, making and sensibility has grown. What do you think it is about craft that is generating so much interest today?

AL: Craft and making provide solutions for so many of the challenges we face in the world today, from mental health benefits to connecting with others, to sustainable practices and spending responsibly. It feels to me that this rising interest in craft is defining a time that will be historically viewed as playing a crucial role in culture. London Craft Week’s role in this feels more relevant than ever – we are the cultural moment dedicated to championing craft, making and human creativity.

If we think about the second half of the 19th century and the response to industrialisation, which included, among many other things, the birth of the V&A Museum, the Royal College of Art (which I recently learned was originally the Government School of Design – set up to ensure innovation in British design as industrialisation advanced rapidly), and the Arts and Crafts movement, it was a time of rapid technological advancement but also a time of exceptional creativity in the arts. We have recently crossed the threshold into the time when AI is defining many aspects of our day-to-day lives (sometimes without us knowing it), and we need proactive cultural responses to this. At the London Craft Week 2026 Symposium Making Matters on 13 May, we’ll be exploring the transformative power of craft with leading experts including V&A East Director Gus Casely-Hayford, who will be in conversation with Collect Director TF Chan, and two panel discussions: Crafting Impact: Visionary Initiatives Reshaping the Value of Craft and Crafting Places: Cultural Expression in the Built Environment.

TW: You stepped into the role of Managing Director of London Craft Week last year. In this role, what do you see as your biggest challenge to conquer?

AL: Given the scale of our festival, with hundreds of events across 14 London boroughs, it might be surprising to some that London Craft Week is a small independent not-for-profit organisation, and that comes with opportunities and challenges. The best problem we have is that there are an incredible number of exceptionally talented craftspeople we want to showcase; our founder calls this the “creative iceberg”, as so many of these makers are normally hidden from view, partly because they are working in studios or spaces that are not generally accessible to the public, and also because “craft” is a term that is often associated more with hobbyists than professionals. That’s why our festival is all about getting up close to the making, meeting makers, and discovering the stories behind the objects. This is central to our purpose, because there is no substitute for seeing skill and creativity first-hand.

Like many organisations and businesses, we also face the challenge of rising costs, and our revenue is entirely self-generated – we don’t receive any public or core funding. This year, for the first time, we’re asking visitors to donate as little as the cost of a coffee to help ensure that we can continue our mission to showcase the world’s best craft, and offer subsidised places in our festival for makers and charities.

TW: This year’s festival brings together makers, galleries, brands and institutions across more than 150 venues in the capital. What should be on our radar that feels particularly distinctive this year?

AL: The festival’s scale is a deliberate choice to show the sheer diversity of talent out there. With 35 nationalities represented and 71 different types of craft showcased, it’s a celebratory festival that brings people together through the universal language of human creativity.

London Craft Week has always championed craft in all of its forms, from the crafted object to fashion, jewellery, interiors and more. This year, we’re excited to have a larger programme of events dedicated to craft in architecture and the built environment; from iconic London landmarks like the Palace of Westminster and St Paul’s Cathedral, to a fireside conversation with the artisans of new development The Capston, and from Morris+Company’s exhibition exploring the craft of keeping in retrofit to The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings’ talk on wooden sash windows.

We love new voices and stories at London Craft Week and I’m excited to see the newly formed Slow Ways Studio’s exhibition of heritage crafts and contemporary design, which presents work from makers the founders Freddie Armstrong and Joe De Ferranti met on their 1,300-mile walk across Britain.

“Craft and making provide solutions for so many of the challenges we face in the world today, from mental health benefits to connecting with others, to sustainable practices and spending responsibly.”

The Wick Culture - Woosun Cheon, Photo courtesy of Soluna Fine Craft

Above Woosun Cheon, Photo courtesy of Soluna Fine Craft

The Wick Culture - Long jewelled tassels by Jessica Light, Courtesy of Jessica Light

Above Long jewelled tassels by Jessica Light, Courtesy of Jessica Light

The Wick Culture - Kate Malone, Photo Credit: Studio Dan Fontanelli

Above Kate Malone, Photo Credit: Studio Dan Fontanelli

The Wick Culture - Hand-stitched dumplings by Sara Cook, Courtesy of the Garden Museum

Above Hand-stitched dumplings by Sara Cook, Courtesy of the Garden Museum

The Wick Culture - Fernando Casasempere, Photo Credit: Tom mannion

Above Fernando Casasempere, Photo Credit: Tom mannion

The Wick Culture - Courtesy of Crafts on Peel

Above Courtesy of Crafts on Peel

The Wick Culture - Textile artist Leonie Edmead, Photo credit: Takenya Holness

Above Textile artist Leonie Edmead, Photo credit: Takenya Holness

The Wick Culture - Kamilah Ahmed, Courtesy of Leighton House

Above Kamilah Ahmed, Courtesy of Leighton House

Above Woosun Cheon, Photo courtesy of Soluna Fine Craft

Above Long jewelled tassels by Jessica Light, Courtesy of Jessica Light

Above Kate Malone, Photo Credit: Studio Dan Fontanelli

Above Hand-stitched dumplings by Sara Cook, Courtesy of the Garden Museum

Above Fernando Casasempere, Photo Credit: Tom mannion

Above Courtesy of Crafts on Peel

Above Textile artist Leonie Edmead, Photo credit: Takenya Holness

Above Kamilah Ahmed, Courtesy of Leighton House

TW: London Craft Week sits at such an interesting intersection of heritage, making, luxury and contemporary culture. How are you seeing the art world and contemporary craft becoming more intertwined with global brands and our daily lives?

AL: JW Anderson really exemplifies this in its new focus on interiors, art and objects alongside its ever-evolving contemporary fashion lines. Its current collection includes collaborations with ceramic artist Akiko Hirai, master Yeoman basketmaker Eddie Glew, 20th-century still-life paintings, hand-forged scissors and antique moonstone jewellery. Their new Pimlico Road store feels like a collector’s home. We’re so excited to have their support as one of our sponsors this year, and we’re collaborating on an event with them on 13 May as part of the London Craft Week 2026 Pimlico Road Late series, supported by Grosvenor and World of Interiors.

TW: There are a lot of exciting new makers in craft. Who is one to watch?

AL: I’m excited to see what Leonie Edmead does next; she won Young Weaver of the Year and her practice is very much at the intersection of heritage skills and contemporary culture – she hand-wove a zero-waste tennis-inspired mini skirt last year. She’ll be in residence at Rose Uniacke on The Pimlico Road during LCW.

It will be great to see what London-based 2026 Loewe Craft Prize finalists Xanthe Somers and Jobe Burns create next too. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on 12 May in Singapore and whoever it is will surely be one to watch. We’re delighted to have several Loewe Craft Prize alumni taking part in London Craft Week 2026, including Fernando Casasempere and Kate Malone in Curated Ceramics at Sotheby’s; Dahye Jeong, Choi Keeryong, Kyouhong Lee and Woosun Cheon at Soluna Fine Craft’s South Korea Pavilion, a stone’s throw from Sotheby’s; Wycliffe Stuchbury at Sarah Myerscough Gallery; and Richard McVetis at The Cockpit Effect and Box of Dreams at the Goldsmiths’ Centre.

TW: London is such an important city in the world of making, collecting and design. What do you think the capital offers craft that nowhere else quite can?

AL: London is a city with a particularly rich culture in that there is hyper-local community culture sitting side by side with the national and the global agenda, and this creates opportunity for unique and intersectional cultural experiences. This is why it’s the perfect place to become the global craft capital of the world for one week each year, and why our programme is designed to reflect the diversity and scale of the city. Visitors can choose their own adventure – go behind the scenes at The Palace of Westminster then hop across the river to The Garden Museum to see 4,800 hand-stitched Korean dumplings. Then on to 8 Holland Street’s takeover of two townhouses in Kennington, and nearby City & Guilds’ carving competition, before heading to the English National Opera wig workshop in Clapham, or see Ranti Bam’s Yoruba-inspired works at South London Gallery in Peckham; explore our programme of international pavilions, from Singapore at Battersea Power Station to Italy at the newly opened Casa Italia; head to Tottenham for behind-the-scenes atelier tours with live bronze pouring at Cox London, soft sculpture at Sarabande Foundation and mosaic restoration at Broadwater Farm Estate with DBR London; or spend your Saturday exploring the Park Royal Markets, where art and craft collide with engineering and AI.

TW: As a creative leader working in culture, what has been the hardest lesson you have had to learn?

AL: A consistent theme is that it can be incredibly challenging for creatives to make a living from their work. The visible aspects of cultural experiences are often the creative output in the context of an exhibition, an event or a publication, but what most people don’t see or might not consider is the day-to-day grind and cost behind that. Many artists supplement income from their practice, or even subsidise their practice, with other work, which means they’re spending less time on what they’re the best at. I think we’re at a point in time where not only are people more conscious of how they are spending their money, but new structural models are being explored, such as Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts scheme, which provides artists with a weekly payment to enable them to focus on their practice; the three-year pilot scheme showed a +39% return on investment, including in tax revenue generated and social welfare payment savings, as well as significant social benefits in terms of psychological wellbeing.

London Craft Week is a wonderful platform to discover the best craftspeople of today and to find unique and joyful things to enrich your life. And you don’t have to have a big budget to start collecting and supporting craftspeople. I recently placed a small order (£40) with “Tassel Queen of Bethnal Green” Jessica Light, who is the last person in London practising passementerie weaving – she writes on her receipts “Thank you so much for keeping British craftsmanship alive”. She’ll be exhibiting and holding a workshop at East London Cloth on Vyner Street during London Craft Week, and I hope many people will discover her fun and contemporary take on this endangered craft during her events.

TW: What is your favourite Culturally Curious spot in London to visit on your time off?

AL: The City of London is an incredible place to explore – I once stumbled across a Roman amphitheatre in the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery. It’s a place with many layers of history and hidden gems as well as iconic cultural destinations such as Barbican Centre, who are screening films including the UK premiere of the documentary Historjá – Stitches for Sápmi about Sámi artist Britta Marakatt-Labba during London Craft Week. This year we have an extensive programme of events across The Square Mile, including behind-the-scenes workshop tours at St Paul’s Cathedral; gold leaf illumination workshops at Barts North Wing; The British Hat Guild and Feltmakers’ hat-making symposium; Heritage Crafts Living Legacies showcase at The Leathersellers’ Hall; and two series of craft-focused walking tours, The Handmade City led by Catherine Lock and Letter Carving in the Square Mile with the Stone Mason’s Company and Lettering Arts Trust.

TW: Art heist. If you could steal and hang any artwork or crafted object in your home, what would it be and why?

AL: It would have to be Kamilah Ahmed’s silk triptych A Continual from Homo Faber’s 2025 Interwoven exhibition. She created it using traditional and innovative craft practices – trapping hand-wrapped Como silk yarns onto a leather base with digital embroidery – and her work has an aesthetic that feels contemporary but somehow timeless. I can’t wait to see the textile arch she’s creating to sit over the fountain in the Arab Hall at Leighton House for this year’s London Craft Week.

TW: Who is your ultimate Monday Muse and why?

AL: Anni Albers. Through slightly misremembered and mixed-up childhood memories, she feels like a sort of great-grandmother figure to me, though we are definitely not related – her book On Weaving was always around as a constant reference for my mum’s weaving practice, and I was once taught to card and spin wool by a former student of hers at an Irish Handweavers Guild meeting. I was ten years old and found the spinning incredibly difficult, but I somehow feel connected to her directly through that experience! Her continued relevance and influence today can be seen at the stunning exhibition Thread at Sarah Myerscough Gallery during London Craft Week.