The House of Many Ways is open all summer, from 17 July to 23 September, Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm. *It is closed on Monday 19 September.* Please note that this is offsite – the venue is The Chelsea Theatre. 

Visit and play in The House of Many Ways, The Mosaic Rooms’ new outdoor play commission, designed by our 2022 family artist, Sahra Hersi. The interactive installation at The Chelsea Theatre comes with fun activities to explore space and forms of architecture through play. Children and grown ups will have the opportunity to play, create and be inspired!

Throughout April, Sahra Hersi collaborated with children and young people at Earl’s Court Youth Club in a series of fun and experimental workshops which inspired the architectural installation. The co-produced intervention includes movable pieces that children and adults can use to create their own spaces, and encourages storytelling and architectural learning. 

All materials are included. Suitable for children aged 4+. Children will need to be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. Climbing is not allowed!

The Mosaic Rooms’ outdoor play commissions – This is the second play commission in the new series launched by The Mosaic Rooms last summer with Alaa Satir’s The Dancers’ Garden. It forms part of the Creative Learning programme, which is developed in dialogue with local people. The commissions provide artists the possibility to explore playful practice, and local children opportunities to participate in artist led workshops. Sahra Hersi is The Mosaic Rooms’ 2022 family artist and delivers free public workshops in May and October 2022 as part of the family programme. Other family friendly activities at The Mosaic Rooms include a play area and children’s reading corner in the bookshop. 

Sahra Hersi is a designer. She completed a MA architecture degree at the Royal College of Art in 2017. Her practice explores shared spaces, the public realm, community engagement, meaningful contributions, and collaboration. She describes her work as “caring about people, places, art & architecture, in that order.” She seeks to establish a working philosophy that is driven by the desire to reinterpret architectural methodology and artistic narrative as common ground. Her work is often born out of engaging with communities and the places they occupy. 

Earls Court Youth Club (ECYC) brings together young people from diverse backgrounds and, is one of the best attended voluntary sector youth club in Kensington & Chelsea. ECYC delivers inspiring projects, engaging activities and wide-ranging programmes that support and motivate local young people. Their work is youth-led – with young people choosing and leading projects and activities. ECYC also distribute food to young people and the community. ECYC advocates for young people who have been excluded from school and for families with housing, immigration and policing issues.

The Chelsea Theatre is a community and arts Incubation hub based at World’s End in Chelsea Riverside. The 1960’s ‘brick-brutalist’ building offers a suite of six studios and meeting rooms, a community café and lobby venue, a terrace bar and a 130-seat theatre/cinema. The Theatre hosts a wide range of creative output, supporting emerging artists from the community, borough and across the city along with classes, support groups and a community café.

Thanks to Aaron, Adam, Aisha, Alessandro, Ali, Andi, Benedetta, Cat, Diáz, Elisa, Ellis, Isabelle, Jean-Mark, Julian, Juliette, Kali, Lamisa, Las, Leyton, Mia, Selma, Sky and Zak from ECYC.

This commission is generously supported by Arts Council England and by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Arts Grants Scheme. With additional support from The Earls Court Development Company.

Images:

View of Sahra Hersi’s The House of Many Ways, an outdoor play commission by The Mosaic Rooms at Chelsea Theatre, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist and The Mosaic Rooms. Photos by Nicola Tree.