To mark the anniversary of John Ruskin’s birthday, Martin Fidler and Andrew Stuck invite you to a Ruskin Walk in Shoreditch on Saturday 8 February 2014. It also marks the launch Celeb8Feb a 5 year campaign of Ruskin Walks building to 200th anniversary of Ruskin’s birth in 1819.

The community of people living and working in Shoreditch have a rich heritage of culture, craft and small scale industry. The livelihood and well being of Shoreditch people has links to the many varied interests of Victorian philanthropist John Ruskin. His life long concern with social reform and fulfilment through aesthetic concerns in the visual arts and manufacturing industries have a relevance today.

Join us to uncover Ruskin’s enthusiasms in the links between historical and contemporary issues about work, living and wellbeing in the streets, houses, shops, as well as, places of work and exercise, that dot the Shoreditch of today.

These Ruskin Walks will take the form of rambles that focus upon individual exploration and participation in small group activities discussing evidence gathered and recorded during the course of a three hour programme.

Our start will be at Shoreditch High Street overground station, from there you will be taken on a short pre-ramble to the furniture shop and workshop premises of Unto This Last, in Brick Lane, run by local entrepreneur Olivier Geoffroy.  A chance to warm up with a hot drink, a short tour of the workshops, and an introduction to the enthusiasms of John Ruskin.  Together we will draw up a list of issues gathered from a short tour of the premises that will match the evidence of things to lookout for in the rambles: trade, making, craft and art, open spaces and social housing, graffiti and free expression.

The Ruskin Walk ramble will begin setting off around Shoreditch, Brick Lane and nearby Hoxton. You will learn how to use and create ‘observation’ and  ‘mapping’ methods inspired by Ruskin, and will set out in small groups to explore the local area. Our finish will be at the cafe in the Geffrye Museum of furniture and household interiors, where we will come together to share and map our discoveries.

Click here to find out more about Ruskin Walks

Would you like a Ruskin Walk in your local area?  We are looking for collaborations to build on the success of Ruskin Walks and would welcome enquires, just e mail us from here

Find out more about Ruskin Walks – http://www.ruskinwalks.org.uk

This article was previously published on the Rethinking Cities website.