- Event celebrates street culture and public spaces in a new collaboration focused on increasing visibility and access for emerging artists.
- Over 125 artists will exhibit across one evening at Laundry Studios, Hackney on 4th June, with free artist profiles, drop-in workshops, live art, and £1,000 in art supply vouchers on offer.
NALA – The Art Matchmaker is pleased to announce a collaboration with Creative Debuts, an online global art platform, to support the launch of TOUCH GRASS’ new OFFLINE BY DESIGN creative gathering shaped by public space street culture, nature, and collective making. The event launches tomorrow night at Laundry Studios, Hackney, focused on increasing visibility and access for emerging artists across the contemporary art ecosystem.
The event explores the creative energy of being outside; from graffiti walls and skate spots to the intersection of nature and mankind, street photography, sport, protest, architecture, fashion, park life, and the everyday rituals of people gathering in shared spaces. It centres presence over performance, connection over consumption, and what becomes possible when communities step away from digital environments and into real-world creative exchange.
TOUCH GRASS is curated by Studio 404, the non-profit social enterprise and lovechild of Creative Debuts and Other Box, which transforms unloved and underused spaces into environments for in-person connection, creative participation, and belonging.
As part of the partnership, NALA will offer free artist profiles on the platform for selected creatives in attendance, alongside a raffle of 5 x £200 art supply vouchers. The initiative is designed to support artists both practically and professionally helping increase access to listings, commissions, and open calls.
The event will also welcome arts journalists and media, with an open invitation to engage with emerging artists and cover contemporary creative culture as it unfolds in real time. Expect artwork from over 125 artists, drop-in creative workshops, live art, free pizza and drinks, and immersive creative activations throughout the evening.
Penelope Sonder, COO of NALA – The Art Matchmaker, comments: “TOUCH GRASS reflects what creative culture actually needs right now: real spaces, real connection, and real opportunity. OFFLINE BY DESIGN is exactly that: a reminder that creativity doesn’t just happen online. This partnership is about making opportunity more visible for artists, whether through listings, profiles, or simple practical support like the art supply vouchers. We’re excited to meet artists and arts journalists in person and be part of a space where culture is actively being made, not just observed.”
Tickets and event information: Touch Grass Eventbrite.
