A Spring Round-Up at Coda, 2026
Spring has been a busy and joyful time here at Coda. Over the past few months we’ve welcomed artists, families, children and our wider community into our spaces to share moments of creativity, play and connection. Here’s a little look back at some of what’s been happening.
Club Origami with Ichi Ni San
Back in February we were lucky enough to host Club Origami, a beautifully immersive performance for very young audiences by Takeshi Matsumoto and the Ichi Ni San team.
As part of our Early Years work here, the show was designed for children aged 18 months to 4 years, and invited little ones into a gentle world made entirely from paper. Dancers moved with giant sheets that were ripped, folded, scrunched and transformed in all sorts of unexpected ways. There were shadows on the walls, live music filling the space, and plenty of moments for children to join in however they felt comfortable.
Families described the experience as captivating, mesmerising, joyful and freeing. It was a lovely morning (and afternoon) of curiosity and play for our early years community, and we felt incredibly lucky to welcome a show that has travelled to audiences in 17 countries.
Storybook Illustration with Lawrence Roberts (Mista Scribbla)
February half term brought two sold-out workshops with local author and illustrator Lawrence Roberts, also known as Mista Scribbla.
Children aged 8–12 spent the morning dreaming up their own stories -creating characters, thinking about plot, and illustrating the beginnings of their own picture books, comics or graphic novels. By the end of each session, everyone had started a physical ‘dummy’ book to take home and continue developing.
It was a relaxed few hours of drawing, writing and sharing ideas, and it was brilliant to see so many young imaginations at work. If you missed these sessions, don’t worry - Lawrence will be back at Coda again soon.
Sensory Seasons: Mud, Sticks & Stories
Our Early Years programme also welcomed families for a winter-themed sensory workshop led by artists Emma Kerr and Heidi Steller.
‘Mud, Sticks & Stories’ invited children and their grown-ups to explore winter through touch, making and storytelling. Families squished and shaped clay, created marks and patterns inspired by the season, and built simple artworks together.
The session was fully booked and Studio 7 was full of creativity and curiosity. There were plenty of magical moments as families slowed down and explored together - exactly what these sessions are all about.
Imogen Charleston Residency
From January through to March, ceramicist Imogen Charleston has been in residence in the Coda Gallery, transforming the space into an evolving studio filled with clay, ideas and experimentation.
Throughout the residency, Imogen worked with local schools and SEN groups to explore sensory clay processes and sound-making experiments. Visitors were able to drop in, meet Imogen, and see the work developing over time.
The residency culminated in a special moment on 7 March, when Imogen’s hand-built outdoor kiln - constructed from reclaimed bricks and local materials - was fired for the first time in the Coda meadow. Local ceramicists, potters and community members gathered around the warmth of the kiln as it slowly reached temperature (1200°C!), firing pieces created during the workshops.
As the sun went down and the flames settled into a soft glow, it felt like a peaceful and fitting end to a joyful, ritual-inspired celebration of clay and community.
Learning Disabled Disco
In early March we also held our Learning Disabled Disco at Hoburne Park, bringing together around 100 people from our learning disabled community for a lively evening of music and dancing.
The night featured live music and brilliant DJ sets from the Mix It Up Crew - a learning disabled DJ group who kept the dancefloor moving all evening. There were also spaces to sit, chat and take breaks, so everyone could enjoy the night in their own way.
It was a really special evening, and we feel very lucky to have shared it with such a joyful and welcoming community.
All in all, it’s been a season full of creativity, imagination and shared experiences at Coda. From paper worlds and clay kilns to storybooks and dancefloors, it’s been wonderful to see so many people coming together in our spaces.
We’re looking forward to everything still to come this year, and hope you are too!