Sometimes making a house a home is about the things you choose to put into it.
Taking inspiration from the local area can be a good place to start for those just moving in or a way of updating and refreshing an interior for those who’ve lived in east London and the Docklands for a while.
East London Printmakers (ELP), a creative collective that operates out of Acme’s Copperfield Road studios in Mile End, is getting ready to host its Festival Of Print 2026.
The event will showcase work by more than 100 artists in a free exhibition that serves as an opportunity to discover and acquire locally made pieces.
Celebrating the breadth and depth of ELP’s output, the group’s latest show will feature print produced with techniques including woodblock, screen print, etching and relief.
“Our goal for this show is to explore how different perspectives interact within a shared space,” said ELP member and festival organiser, Inga Eičaitė.
“Every piece tells a unique story, and I encourage visitors to take their time – to start conversations and to really connect with the work.”
Detail from You Can’t Give What You Never Had by Maurice Citron – image by Maurice Citron
an exhibition and a live happening
The showcase is set to take over The Art Pavilion in Mile End Park from October 2-11, 2026.
Free to visit, the exhibition will be open daily from 11am-5pm.
The event will include Box Set, a collection of 40 limited edition prints created by ELP members.
The festival will, this year, also feature The Dreaming Of Butterflies – an evening of performances on October 8 aimed at exploring how printmaking intersects with dance and music.
The event will end with a collaborative collage led by ELP artist duo Jairo Zaldua and Nicola Jane Green.
The evening is free to attend and runs from 7pm.
The Art Pavilion is located a short walk from Mile End Tube and can be reached easily from Canary Wharf via the 277 bus.
Detail from Moonstone, Sapphire And Saffron by Lydie Gallais – image by Lydie Gallais
key details: Festival Of Print 2026
East London Printmakers’ Festival Of Print 2026 is set to take place at The Art Pavilion in Mile End Park from October 2-11, 2026.
Entry is free and the exhibition will be open from 11am-5pm daily.
The plain white walls of Acme’s Copperfield Road studios are a visual amuse bouche for the quiet riot of creativity that lies within.
Like the blank sheets of paper used by the image-wrights inside, the possibilities for what might be are limitless.
That’s all due to collaboration and cooperation.
Walk through the doors at East London Printmakers (ELP) – located on the building’s ground floor – and you’ll find a large, brightly lit space filled with presses, etching baths and paraphernalia, all waiting to be used.
Everywhere there are wire racks to store fresh prints for drying.
It’s a workshop, ready and waiting with the tools for artists to make things – to turn their imaginations into hard copies.
The facility has its origins in a group of artists who began meeting monthly at Pub On The Park in Hackney.
Screenprint Melting City by Paul Lincoln – image by Paul Lincoln
a bit of East London Printmakers history
“They were already calling themselves East London Printmakers when I met them,” said founding member, artist and tutor at ELP, Ann Norfield.
“At that time it was hard to find places to print.
“I’d do courses at the City Lit, but that was only three hours every now and then, so I was certainly thinking it would be great if there was a local studio in east London where I could fit making work in with everything else.
“I became a printmaker because I didn’t have a lot of spare time and it’s something you can do in small bursts.
“It started when my children were small about 33 years ago and I’ve made artwork all through my adult life.
“I was an art teacher for 40 years and I retired five years ago. Since then, I’ve been able to concentrate on my own practice.”
ELP is located in Mile End – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
from London Fields to Mile End
The 10 or so people in that nascent ELP group all felt the same and, after setting up an interim space with Bow Arts, found a more solid home established through Space Studios near London Fields.
The deal was that in return for a contribution towards equipment, ELP would rent a studio and provide facilities and community access to them.
Opened in 2003, the collective effort was a success, with the facility and membership growing as well as the introduction of courses to educate local artists and designers.
“Everything had been done on the premise that we wanted to provide somewhere affordable for people to work,” said Ann.
“But then the rent suddenly shot up in 2016 and we realised that would be impossible unless we moved.
“Fortuitously, Acme in Mile End had a space recently vacated by an art gallery and we were able to take it on.
“It took us 14 weeks to move into the unit and then pull a studio together to get it up and running for the community again.
“We had about 40 people work on the project and then, after moving the presses – some of which are very heavy – we had to get specialists in to ensure they were set up and aligned properly.
“We also had to build some new walls and replumb the place – it was all done voluntarily with a huge amount of communal goodwill.”
Artist Tanaka Mazivanhanga at work in ELP – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
East London Printmakers today
Today, the membership has grown to around 50, with about 200 associates using the facilities.
There’s also a wider community who attend courses, talks and events.
For printmaker and ELP member, Paul Lincoln, it’s a place where he can get his hands dirty.
“I trained at the City Lit and I’ve done courses here too – I’ve been involved for about five years,” he said.
“As an editor I’ve always worked with graphic designers and so visual communication has always been an interest for mine.
“I’ve done printmaking off and on for about 20 years, but I’ve taken it more seriously recently.
“Right now I’m doing silkscreen prints based on photography.
“I take an image, manipulate it digitally, then output it onto an acetate using a machine, scan it on a lightbox and that fixes the image as an emulsion.
“It starts as digital and then becomes entirely analogue.
“You ink up the screen and then you can select the colours and print on paper.
“Last year I also got quite excited about printing on fabric, making long hangings.
“Mainly my focus has been on buildings, such as tower blocks in the City, and the stuff I’m doing today involves maps and images imposed on them.
“I like how messy it can be and it’s nice to see things happen by chance – most of my career has been digital and precise.
“You can work quite fast, it’s about poster-making techniques, or you can do layering. I also like working with collage, making things and exhibiting them.”
Screenprint Blue Chasm by Ann Norfield – image by Ann Norfield
crumbling shorelines…
Having made use of many printing techniques over the years, Ann is currently working on a series of etchings.
She said: “They’re images of crumbling shorelines eroded by the sea.
“I’ve made a lot of images recently about people making channel crossings and how they cross water.
“This latest series came about because of what you see as the coast comes into view and think about what kind of greeting you will get.
“For the etchings you take a metal plate and coat it with a substance that resists a corrosive solution.
“Where you remove that substance, the solution bites into the plate and they hold ink – that’s what you use to make the print.
“I think there’s an elemental quality about what we do as artists here – constant making is a human need and people really love to do things with their hands.”
Printmaker and ELP member, Paul Lincoln – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
showcasing the work
Paul and Ann’s stories are simply a snapshot of the kind of creative endeavours ELP enables.
To showcase the collective’s wider work, it organises a Festival Of Print, which this year is set to take place from November 21-30, 2025, at The Art Pavilion in Mile End Park.
Paul, who is one of the festival’s organisers, said: “It’s a celebration of print and we have room for 98 printmakers.
“Most people at ELP have a connection with east London, Tower Hamlets or the City, and so we’ll be pitching it as a major celebration of print to people in this area.”
The collective is also keen to branch out and make connections with other local organisations following its successful collaboraton to supply Canary Wharf’s aparthotel, Vertus Edit, with 50 works for its interior decor.
For those who fancy a go themselves, a wealth of courses are currently on offer covering everything from etching to collagraphy, wood cuts, screen printing, lithography and monotype.
Courses are open to all.
Lino print Jazz Owl by ELP member Steve Edwards – image by Steve Edwards
key details: East London Printmakers
East London Printmakers is located in Copperfield Road in Mile End and hosts Community Access sessions on Thursdays from 10am-2pm and 3pm-7pm and Saturdays from 10am-2pm.
These cost £25 for non-associates and £22 for associates.
Quite where hotels stop and aparthotels start is itself a matter for lengthy debate – and not one that’s necessary to explore here.
Suffice to say, Vertus Edit’s 378 studios and its extensive guest facilities offer those seeking brief or medium-term stays on the Wharf a fresh option designed to satisfy a wide range of needs.
“That’s why this isn’t just a hotel,” said Isabel Landaeta, general manager of aparthotels at Vertus.
“Guests get a bit more space and a fully functional kitchen – they can stay a couple of nights or for a longer period.
“We’ve got a co-working space, lounges, a gym, meeting rooms and outdoor roof terraces – there’s a lot of space for people to explore across the two buildings outside of their studios.
“You have all the amenities you need including a 24-hour reception service and weekly housekeeping.
“Vertus has already made a name for itself in the neighbourhood with a reputation for service, so for Vertus Edit, it was about adapting that for people with different needs – those wanting a shorter stay or more flexibility.
“For example, someone might not want to sign a lease on a rental apartment, but they might want to live here for six months.”
Vertus’ Isabel Landaeter
Vertus Edit: a home-from-home
Vertus Edit offers four studio sizes for guests, the Little, Cosy, Comfy and Roomy, ranging from 200sq ft to 301sq ft in size.
All come fully furnished with an en-suite bathroom, towels, toiletries, a kitchen equipped with cookware, utensils, crockery, glassware and cutlery, a TV and super fast Wi-fi.
While no room service is available, there is a 24-hour self-service pantry for guests to access as well as Canary Wharf’s myriad hospitality and shopping options a few minutes’ walk from West Lane via Union Square.
Vertus Edit will obviously cater for people visiting the area for business, perhaps on secondment at a London office from overseas or in town to seal a deal, but it’s been structured as more than that.
“We’re aiming to appeal to people who might not have considered staying in Canary Wharf before,” said Isabel.
“Of course we’ll be accommodating corporate clients and offering discounts for longer stays, but we will also be there for people visiting for conferences at Excel, gigs at The O2, those coming to see ABBA Voyage or Mamma Mia The Party and even people running the London Marathon.
“This isn’t just about Monday-to-Friday. We think we’ll appeal to people taking a longer period of time to visit London as tourists because of our transport links.”
Vertus Edit is dog friendly with puppy packs costing £50 available to guests
flexible and local
To that end, Vertus Edit reflects the current reality of Canary Wharf – an estate that each day taps deeper into east London and the areas that surround it, increasingly blending its existing aesthetic with local flavours.
Each room features artwork from East London Printmakers – about 1,200 handmade prints in total by 10 artists. Guests can even purchase works from the collective if they wish.
Key toiletries in the studios have been sourced locally too, from Kankan, a business founded by women in Hackney that’s laser-focused on sustainability and minimising its negative impact on the environment.
“That’s something we’re really serious about,’ said Isabel. “For our towel service, we’re using Oxwash, established by Dr Kyle Grant-Talbot.
“He’s a former NASA and SpaceX engineer who has created a laundry process that saves water and carbon and prevents almost all microplastics entering the environment.”
In edition to its green credentials, Vertus Edit’s spaces are intended for broad appeal.
Much use is made of texture, colour and luxuriant wallpapers in the communal areas, with lush furnishings and vibrant art adorning the spaces.
Meeting rooms will be available for hire to both guests and other individuals and organisations, with a truly open and flexible approach to the facilities on offer.
It’s all part of creating a malleable, functional addition to the estate.
The red brick edifice of 3 West Lane, one of two Vertus Edit buildings at Wood Wharf
the next logical step
“The evolution of why people live and stay in Canary Wharf started with private residential homes and Vertus’ rental offerings,” said Isabel.
“Vertus Edit is the logical next step – if you’re looking for greater flexibility, then this would be the product for you.
“We expect there to be some overlap, naturally, as people come for a couple of months and then decide to rent an apartment.
“It works the other way too. For people living in Canary Wharf’s towers, this acts as an extension of their homes when, for example, a relative wants to stay locally for a couple of weeks or longer.
“If you’re renting a studio flat, for instance, this provides the space to accommodate them and residents know they can trust the service because it’s from Vertus.
“We also have plans to run events for guests who are staying here and we’ll be on hand to tell them all about Canary Wharf and east London.
“Those staying for a few months may well become friends with the team and other inhabitants, but we want the feel to be about the neighbourhood rather than forced community.
“Personally I’m most excited about people on the estate getting to understand what an aparthotel is and what it feels like.
“In addition to what we’re offering, we also have 12 commercial spaces on the ground floor between our two buildings and I think the businesses that take these will add so much to the neighbourhood along with what’s coming on the ground floor of 8 Harbord Square.
“Since Union Square opened, I’ve been really surprised by how many people are already walking past us.
“I’ve also been lucky enough to see some of the plans for what’s going to open here and it’s going to be really exciting.”
Vertus Edit studios feature artwork from East London Printmakers
ket details: Vertus Edit
Vertus Edit is open from February 2025 with prices starting at £117.14 per night for a Little studio accommodating up to two people.
The largest Roomy apartments start at £160.12 per night, also for up to two guests.
