Why Enfield is London’s most underrated creative hub
London’s creative streak reaches all the way to its northernmost borough, Enfield. This region is so much more than a suburban commuter zone. It also has a thriving art and cultural scene, with over 40 pieces of public artwork delivered through the Curate Enfield programme, and community-driven venues like Dugdale Arts Centre and Chickenshed Theatre, a performing arts company with a 50+ year history.
As a developer with Shared Ownership apartments for sale in Enfield, we’ve got to know the borough’s creative community well. Here are some of the best places in Enfield to let your imagination run wild and get creative at London art classes, craft workshops, acting lessons and more.
Take to the stage at Chickenshed Theatre
Born from a partnership between musician Jo Collins and teacher Mary Ward, Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company whose influence reaches far beyond the local community. Founded in 1974 and based in Southgate since 1994, it has a global presence with branches across the UK, in Finland and the USA.
Alongside formal education (it’s a provider of degree and diploma courses), Chickenshed offers workshops and classes for different age groups, including acting and musical theatre sessions for adults. These are intended to let participants explore and practice skills in a relaxed, supportive environment – no experience needed.
Adult acting and musical theatre workshops are held on Sundays as part of the company’s ‘Sunday Shed’ programme of drop-in sessions, designed to get people involved with the theatre for the first time.
Learn more about how to get involved on Chickenshed’s website.
Explore arts and culture at Dugdale Arts Centre
Dugdale Arts Centre is the beating heart of creativity, culture and community in Enfield. Opened in 2022 by Enfield Council, it houses a theatre, a museum, an award-winning café-bar (where you’re welcome to set up your laptop and work remotely), an event space and a gift shop.
Alongside attending shows, you can get involved in the action by signing up for one of its many creative workshops, from knitting to writing and crafting. Make sure to stop by the ‘People Wall’ in the museum to learn about all the famous faces shaped by Enfield’s art and culture scene, including Amy Winehouse and Tion Wayne, and take a moment to soak up the joyful colour of the centre’s numerous painted murals.
Check out what’s on at Dugdale Arts Centre to learn more about taking part.
Learn to paint with The Seasons Art Class
The Seasons Art Class is a nationally renowned provider of structured classes for adults, with a focus on learning four mediums: drawing, oil pastels, watercolours and acrylics.
For over three years, the Cockfosters & Enfield branch has delivered courses in Oakwood. Branch Manager Anna and Tutor Anne lead the classes, which offer a relaxed setting and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, where you can meet people and make friends with others who are also embarking on their artistic journey. Whether you’re a beginner or an improver, the 14-week course will help you learn new skills while having fun, culminating in an exhibition to showcase everyone’s work.
Learn more about The Seasons Art Class in Cockfosters & Enfield and how to book your place on a course.
Get hands-on at Forty Hall Estate’s art & craft workshops
One of Enfield’s hidden gems, Forty Hall Estate features a Grade II-listed Jacobean manor house surrounded by 273 acres of peaceful parkland. Owned and manged by Enfield Council, this heritage site connects people with the borough’s history through exhibitions, events and craft workshops in London.
The year-round programme offers various ways to flex your creativity, from sketching, sewing and photography sessions to the annual Enfield Poets Literary Festival. Now in its 26th year, this celebration of rhyme and rhythm brings together authors, poets and spoken word artists with a programme of live readings, performances and workshops.
Explore what’s on at Forty Hall Estate to find out more about upcoming events and art and craft workshops.
Connect through Enfield Culture Network
Whether you’re new to the borough or looking for art networking opportunities, you can find your creative community in London through Enfield Culture Network. It’s a platform for local artists, makers and designers to connect with fellow creatives, share information and find help and support, from securing grant funding to renting a studio space.
It also organises networking and skill-sharing sessions at community venues throughout the borough, such as Edmonton Green Library and Chickenshed Theatre. Find resources and details about upcoming events on Enfield Culture Network’s website.
See art in the streets with Curate Enfield
Part of the Journeys & Places programme, Curate Enfield is a grassroots public art programme that brings colour to selected spaces across the borough. Each commission is curated by young people and community leaders, who’ve chosen the sites and collaborated with artist-mentors to develop the creative briefs. So far, the programme has delivered over 40 artworks.
Projects near our developments include A Portrait of Southgate on Chase Side (near Cassia Oakwood), which features 28 mosaics, and Parading Around Southbury and The Morning Commute, both of which are in Southbury near our Ponders End community, Nexus.
To see more of the murals and sculptures created through the programme, we encourage you to walk around the diverse neighbourhoods that make up this vibrant area. It’s just the thing for a dose of inspiration and proves just how creative the London Borough of Enfield really is.
Make Enfield your creative base
If you’re a first-time buyer looking for a place with character and community spirit, Enfield ticks all the boxes. It’s a borough that celebrates the creative people who call it home, with artistic outlets for every ability and interest.
Discover our Shared Ownership homes in Oakwood and Ponders End to see what it could look like to put down roots in this inspiring borough.
