Introducing Ellie, our new Saturday Club tutor
Ellie Martin
We’re delighted to introduce Ellie, our new lead tutor for Hotel Elephant’s Art & Design Saturday Club, 2026/27.
Ellie is a textiles artist and puppet maker, with a First Class degree in Textile Design from Chelsea College of Arts. Her creative practice centres around natural dyeing, printed textiles and storytelling, bringing together hands-on making, experimentation and sustainable textile processes.
Alongside her own creative practice, Ellie teaches Fashion and Textiles at college level and has experience delivering art and textiles projects across a range of educational settings. She is passionate about supporting young people to explore their creativity, build confidence and discover new ways of expressing themselves through materials and making.
This year, Ellie will lead a textiles-focused Art & Design Saturday Club at Hotel Elephant, giving young people aged 13–16 the opportunity to develop practical creative skills, explore ideas around identity and self-expression, and work together towards an ambitious collaborative final outcome.
What is Saturday Club?
The National Saturday Club gives 13–16 year olds the chance to study subjects they love for free on Saturday mornings. At Hotel Elephant, our Club focuses on Art & Design, with this year’s programme placing a special emphasis on textiles, print, sustainable materials and collaborative making.
Across 20 Saturday sessions, students will be introduced to a wide range of textile processes and creative approaches. The Club is designed to be welcoming and supportive, so students do not need previous experience to take part. Whether they are already passionate about art and design, or simply curious to try something new, the programme offers space to experiment, learn new skills, make friends and build confidence.
Part One: Foundation skills
The first half of the programme will focus on building creative confidence and practical making skills. Through the theme ‘Who are we?’, students will explore self-expression, identity and storytelling through textiles.
Students will experiment with a range of techniques including drawing, colour, felting, printing, weaving, natural dyeing, hand sewing, machine sewing and appliqué. These workshops will encourage students to test ideas, play with materials, and discover different ways of communicating through pattern, texture, colour and form.
As the weeks progress, students will create individual textile outcomes that reflect their own ideas and interests. There will also be opportunities to share and celebrate work through informal mini galleries and showcases, helping students build confidence in presenting and talking about their creative process.
Part Two: Collaborative final outcome
In the second half of the programme, students will build on the skills developed in Part One to create a large-scale collaborative textile wall hanging.
Working together as a group, students will explore shared themes before developing their own individual panels. Each panel will use textile techniques such as print, natural dyeing, appliqué, embroidery and weaving, allowing every participant to contribute their own voice and style to the final piece.
These individual panels will then come together as one collective artwork, celebrating both personal expression and group collaboration. The final wall hanging will be exhibited at the National Saturday Club Summer Show at Somerset House, where students will have the chance to see their work presented alongside projects from Saturday Clubs across the UK.
Images from Hotel Elephant’s 2025/26 Saturday Club. © Hotel Elephant
Creative opportunities beyond the studio
As part of the National Saturday Club network, students will also have the opportunity to take part in a Masterclass with industry professionals, visit cultural spaces, and learn from artists and makers connected to Hotel Elephant’s creative community.
These experiences help students see how creative skills can connect to future study, careers and wider cultural life. The programme is not just about learning techniques; it is also about discovering what is possible, meeting creative people, and gaining confidence in taking the next step.
At the end of the year, students will celebrate their achievements at the National Saturday Club Summer Show and graduation, marking the completion of the programme and the development of their creative journey.
Images from last years National Saturday Club events, ‘The Visit’ and ‘The Masterclass’ © Hotel Elephant, National Saturday Club & The Royal Opera House.
Who can apply?
Hotel Elephant’s Art & Design Saturday Club is free to attend and open to young people aged 13–16. The programme offers a relaxed, supportive and creative environment where students can learn new skills, make friends, explore future study and career pathways, and develop confidence in their own creative voice.
Applications are now open for this year’s Club. Places are prioritised for young people who live or study in Southwark, but applications are welcome from across London.
Find out more and apply via the National Saturday Club website here: https://saturday-club.org/club/hotel-elephant/
Special thanks to our funders: Southwark Council’s Culture Together Fund and the Inspiring Elephant Fund