Inside East London’s Rum Factory: free workshops, artist studios and a rare look behind the scenes

East London’s creative scene is getting a rare open-door moment this weekend, as the Rum Factory Open Studios invites the public inside one of the area’s most distinctive artistic hubs.

Taking place on Saturday 28 March from 11am to 6pm, the event offers a proper behind-the-scenes look at the artists, designers and makers based inside the Rum Factory, a Grade II-listed former warehouse tucked away in Wapping.

Usually closed off to the public, the building will host open studios, an exhibition, and a full day of free creative workshops, all designed to give visitors a feel for the community that works there year-round.

Run by Bow Arts, the open day gives visitors the chance to explore nearly 100 working studios inside the historic Pennington Street Warehouse, now part of the wider London Dock development. Expect everything from painters and illustrators to designers, sculptors and multimedia artists, all working within a striking space of vaulted brick ceilings, exposed structure and generous natural light.

Alongside wandering through studios and chatting to artists about their work, there’s plenty to actually get stuck into. A flower-pressing workshop for adults runs at 12pm and 2pm, while families can join collage and drawing sessions across the day (11:30am–1:30pm and 2:30pm–4:30pm).

There’ll also be smaller drop-in activities led by the resident artists, meaning you can dip in and out as you explore without needing to plan your day too tightly.

There’s also an exhibition worth building into your visit. ‘Grown, Severed, Lost, Replanted’ showcases work from Rum Factory artists and opens on 27 March, running through to 11 April. It offers a broader snapshot of the talent based in the building, beyond what you’ll catch in the studios themselves.

The setting is a big part of the appeal. The Pennington Street Warehouse was once part of a 19th-century dockside complex and sat closed off for decades after the docks shut in 1969. Since 2015, Bow Arts has transformed part of the space into around 80 affordable studios, creating a proper creative hub in the middle of a rapidly changing part of East London.

More broadly, it’s a glimpse into how areas like London Dock are trying to balance redevelopment with culture, bringing artists into the heart of new neighbourhoods rather than pushing them out. For visitors, though, it’s much simpler: a free day out, a chance to meet the people making the work, and a rare look inside a space that’s usually off-limits.

No booking is needed, just rock up, have a gander, and see where it takes you.

The Rum Factory, 49 Pennington Street, Wapping, London, E1W 2BD

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