Two months since opening, the national centre for illustration has welcomed over 15,000 visitors into its mix of free and paid spaces.
Two months since opening, the national centre for illustration has welcomed over 15,000 visitors into its mix of free and paid spaces. Visitors of all ages have been exploring exhibitions and public artworks, delving into books and free activities in the Library, drawing in the garden, and enjoying the shop and the new cafe run by east London favourite Deeney’s. After opening on Friday 5 June, the Centre achieved the milestone on Sunday 2 August.
In response to popular demand, the Centre has announced it will extend one of its inaugural exhibitions by a month: MURUGIAH: Ever Feel Like…will now remain open until Sunday 4 October. Even more visitors will have the opportunity to explore the UK’s first examination of LGBTQIA+ comics exhibition plus the first solo exhibition by designer and illustrator MURUGIAH. Quentin Blake: Performanceremains on display until April 2027. Visitors gain access to all three exhibitions with one ticket.
The Centre has also welcomed two new outdoor sculptural works – a wishing horse and a bespoke weathervane designed by Quentin Blake. Chip, The Horse That Carried The City commemorates the horses who worked on the former New River Head waterworks, creating power for the engines and, later, pulling the coal carts. Chip has been created by Such Stories, the collaborative design studio of award-winning illustrator and ceramicist Laura Carlin and creative director Jo Briggs. Laura and Jo worked with local schools and family groups, whose illustrated hopes and dreams now feature on the statue’s plinth.
Chip’s hoof includes a star which visitors are encouraged to ‘press to wish’. The interactive sculpture was crafted from concrete, metal and resin by The White Wall Company, stands over two metres tall and weighs 6 tonnes. It is one of several installations that references the heritage of Quentin Blake Centre’s buildings, which have been restored, repurposed and interpreted with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Islington Council, philanthropy and grants.
Laura Carlin and Jo Briggs (Such Stories) say, “We became fascinated by the idea that waterworks were once places where everyday life happened. People came to collect water, but they also came to swap stories, share gossip and talk about what was happening in their corner of the world. That became the starting point for Chip.
“Working with local schoolchildren, we asked them to imagine joining one of those conversations from the past. The younger children filled their drawings with stories about friends, family life, favourite jokes, ambitions and wishes for the future. The older students spoke passionately about the area they live in, the things that make it special and the places that matter to them. What emerged was a portrait of a community told through many different voices.
“Their drawings and ideas became part of the artwork around Chip’s plinth, while inside the horse is a wish-making mechanism that invites visitors young and old to leave a hope of their own behind. Although the horse celebrates the history of the waterworks, the project became just as much about the people who live here today. We hope Chip becomes a place where stories continue to gather.”
Atop the base of London’s oldest remaining windmill fragment, dating back to 1707 is a charming weathervane, designed by Quentin Blake and incorporating one of his much-loved cockatoos. Quentin also designed a 5m mural within the café, celebrating the history of the site. Quentin Blake says, “I have liked birds – to look at and to draw – ever since I was a child; and more recently I have found that if you need an extra note of colour, a small parrot or cockatoo is very useful.”
As the summer holidays are in full swing, the Centre has a host of free activities for families looking for a unique day out, including on August Bank Holiday Monday. Summertime Studiodrop-ins every Wednesday morning support children to experiment with different illustration materials and activities such as from print-making and fabric stamping. For pre-school children, Little Owls Storytellingoffers weekly activities around different illustrated books on Wednesday afternoons. A monthly drop-in for families with LGBTQIA+ family members features illustrator-led activities that encourage story-sharing and self-expression.
Younger visitors can also pick up tailored activity packs containing crocodile puppets and cockatoo soft toys, looking aids and sensory toys. The free Library includes illustration activities, original artworks and huge range of books for children. Alongside the wishing horse, the garden includes specially designed play benches, sensory planting and enclosed play and picnic space. sensory bags, drawing activities. Deeney’s Café offers a Wee Illustrators meal and children’s snacks.
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration opened to the public on 5 June, following a £12.5m campaign, including £3.75 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. Other investment in the project has included the London Borough of Islington and support from trusts, foundations and philanthropists. Chip, The Horse That Carried London, has been directly supported by The Barbara and Philip Denny Charitable Trust. The weathervane has been supported by the Dunard Fund.
Director Lindsey Glen says, “Illustration is a brilliant tool for understanding the past and imagining the future. Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’ve been able to work with illustrators to explore and share the 400-year history of the New River Head industrial heritage site, now beautifully restored and repurposed as our national centre for illustration, reaching thousands of visitors in weeks. May our visitors’ wishes be granted!”
MURUGIAH: Ever Feel Like… is supported by the Bagri Foundation (as Major Supporter), using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and sponsored by Procreate. Queer as Comics is supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust. BSL interpretation for Queer as Comics has been awarded by the Exhibitions Group.
