SHOREDITCH ARTS CLUB
As an independent private members’ club dedicated to Bristol’s creative industries, we’ve partnered with over forty esteemed members’ clubs worldwide to offer our community exclusive reciprocal access during their travels. Each reciprocal club in our collection has been thoughtfully selected to ensure their values align with ours. So wherever your journey takes you, you can trust there’s a welcoming home away from home waiting for you.
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For this Jet Set feature, we’re staying closer to home as we introduce our newest reciprocal partner, Shoreditch Arts Club. We spoke with Khing Kriengkomol, Cultural Partnerships and Comms Lead to learn more about the club and to take a behind-the-scenes look at life within its walls.
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Shoreditch Arts Club opened its doors in 2023, making it a fresh face on the members’ club scene. What inspired the creation of the club, and how has the journey been so far?
The space that Shoreditch Arts Club occupies now was actually a former loading bay that fronts onto Redchurch Street. Our founders at Buckley Gray Yeoman saw the opportunity to redesign and breathe new life into it by forming a creative clubhouse that challenged the conventional ideas and appearances of existing members’ clubs.
The studio wanted the space to reflect the communities it set out to foster and support: individuals from creative arts and architectural fields, meeting and collaborating in meaningful ways.
The journey so far has been incredibly rewarding: we’ve been able to do just that. Having the pleasure of working with creatives ranging from up-and-coming to esteemed talents to showcase their work in our rotating eclectic c2ollection in the space, and inviting them to collaborate with us on our active cultural events programme, which encompasses installation, performances, artist talks, workshops, film evenings and more. With each of these events our doors opened for more senses to be enlivened and cultural experiences expanded.
Shoreditch is a neighbourhood steeped in creativity, how does the club engage with and reflect its local cultural environment?
We are very lucky to be based in a neighbourhood with such defiant energy and rich cultural heritage, and we reflect this spirit through the curation of works shown throughout the club — a collaborative effort between our team and long-time collaborators.
As you enter Shoreditch Arts Club, you’re met with unique installations, digital commissions across our projection walls, and design objects crafted by local and UK-based artists. The space feels like the home of an avid art collector: an eclectic mix of works spanning mediums and practices with the intention to spark your curiosity.
A standout example is an incredible local artist Joe Ellwood of Hackney’s Six Dots Design, who has worked with us since our inception. We commissioned him to produce his signature sculptural objects made of recycled aluminium including our DJ booth, waiter stations, candelabras, credenzas, ice buckets and more, which have become talking points at the club. We’re so happy to have worked with Joe, whose work has since gone on to be featured in Dezeen, Nylon Japan, Harpers Bazaar and other acclaimed design titles, with his studio and team continuing to grow [sixdotsdesign.co.uk/]
For the Autumn season, our moving-image programme welcomed Two Shakes Of A Rabbit’s Tail by Tia O’Donnell, a new animated work exploring the theme of therapy through animation of sculpture and childlike illustrations. A personal journey into the intersection of art, psychology, and self-expression, the film encapsulates Tia’s unique approach, combining physical clay sculptures with digital animation to convey profound messages about the duality of her experiences with mental health and the digital world. We discovered and commissioned Tia in 2023, following her movement I Want A Refund, a response to unfair and exploitative tuition fees and pandemic disruptions.
We also collaborate closely with neighbouring galleries such as Hales and TiNA, and regularly acquire or loan pieces from independent artist studios to support their growing career paths.
Across our programme, we reflect the city’s vibrant cultural scene by hosting relevant events or collaborating with artists on projects to coincide with various city-wide events like London Design Festival, London Fashion Week, etc. In 2023 for London Gallery Weekend, we worked with Truman Brewery to commission award-winning local artist and historian Adam Dant to create a playful beigel-shaped map of East London galleries, encouraging members to explore over 40 art spaces in the neighbourhood [https://shoreditchartsclub.com/journal/london-gallery-weekend-2023-list].
Most recently, in celebration of the inaugral SXSW Festival in London, we partnered with Rich Mix cinema to host a launch evening celebrating the cultural achievement and the unveiling of charity project Threads on Redchurch — a community-made art installation made of colourful ribbons, each tied by local residents, shop owners, school groups and neighbours. All proceeds supported Rich Mix’s Every Child a Cinema Goer campaign, helping to give more children access to cinema and allowing the team to grow our film education programme Flip the Script — reaching more schools, expanding activities, and enriching young people’s learning, aspirations, and wellbeing.
It is endlessly inspiring to be located here amongst such a rich cultural scene and we really let it inform our approach to how the club runs and our exhibitions. Cultivating accessible occasions for people to discover our space, and subsequently the rotating roster of artists we work with, which then leads to more conversations and collaboration.
For members visiting from outside London, what can they expect from a day at Shoreditch Arts Club?
A day at Shoreditch Arts Club offers the chance to enjoy a coffee and pastry from the café before settling in for a productive day working in the vibrant café space or tucked away in the lounging areas and private meeting rooms for deep focus or meetings. Regulars are warm and welcoming, and it’s common to see people from different groups mixing and mingling, creating great opportunities to meet new people and spark conversations. Visitors can also explore new artwork and installations, catch the latest programme in the private cinema, and chat with the team about ideas for private or collaborative events within the space.
Could you recommend any must-stay hotels, restaurants or local spots to explore in the area?
Our neighbours and club regulars at Brat and Smoking Goat offer incredible shifting seasonal menus and amazing food, while Dishoom—just opposite us on Boundary Street—fills the air with a fragrant, irresistible aroma, making it a perfect spot for dinner and drinks after a productive day at the club. Redchurch Street is lined with bespoke shops and boutiques like Earl of East and SCRT®, ideal for a bit of shopping, and nearby Arnold Circus provides a beautiful public park space to enjoy on a sunny day. For a quick lunch, Brick Lane is only a short walk away and home to the iconic Beigel Bake shop.
Looking ahead, what exciting plans or projects are on the horizon for Shoreditch Arts Club?
We plan to continue curating an events programme that supports community missions and cultural movements. Most importantly, we’ll continue to explore how we can widen the club’s accessibility in order to challenge the norms of ‘exclusivity’ in member’s clubs, while maintaining the vision of Shoreditch Arts Club since its inception: a hub for creative communities to come together and create engaging experiences in a time when this is most sought after and needed.
Where will your Square Club membership take you next?
Reciprocal access is available to members via Sonato Alliance.
