Join us at the Nunnery Gallery for a free tour of the heritage exhibition Raw Materials: Plastics, led by a member of the project’s community steering group.
Come along for a guided tour of the Raw Materials exhibition, exploring the forgotten industrial history of plastics in east London. Find out how the very first man-made plastic was invented in Hackney Wick in the 1860s and trace the history of plastics’ development and manufacture in east London. Discover little-known stories behind a fascinating collection of objects, from ‘parkesine’ (an early Victorian plastic) billiard balls to imitation shark-skin or ‘shagreen’ trinket boxes, together with newly commissioned work from resident designer/maker Peter Marigold and resident artist Frances Scott.
Raw Materials explores the forgotten industrial history of plastic in east London around the River Lea. The exhibition reveals the story of east London’s central role in the invention and early development of plastics, showcasing some of the very first plastic objects alongside newly commissioned artwork which tell the story of this material’s remarkable journey. Read more about the exhibition here.
Raw Materials: Plastics has been made possible through the generous support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the project’s academic partner UCL.
Access Information
Nunnery Gallery has step-free access throughout from street level, including to the accessible toilet and is service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system.
Accessible parking is not available on-site but blue badge parking can be found 500m away on Fairfield Road.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, or would like this information in an alternate format including Easy Read, please email nunnery@bowarts.com or call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3)
Travel Information
Nearest station(s): Bow Road, Bow Church DLR
Bus: 8, 25, 108, 205, 276, 425, 288, D8, N205
Parking: No parking available
Bike: Bicycle parking is located at Bow Church Station. The nearest Santander Cycles docking station is at Bow Church Station