Tessa set up her first studio in 2005 at the old Gas Works in West London. In 2015, she joined Manifold, an East London collective founded in 2010 by a group of emerging artists and designers from The Royal College of Art. In 2017 she was granted a space at Cockpit, the UK’s only business incubator for craftspeople. 

The name Cockpit derives from the site in Cockpit Yard, originally a cockerel fighting arena in the eighteenth century (see our story). It houses up to 170 craft practitioners, supporting them to grow thriving businesses in the UK and internationally. Since opening in 1986, Cockpit has helped thousands of talented makers grow their businesses, many whom have achieved national and international success.

The Open Studios take place twice a year. Visit Cockpit Open Studios to meet the makers and see behind the scenes. Studio Tours are available for students, enthusiasts and buyers. There is a real danger that without intervention, the traditions, history and values that come with the preservation of skill will be left behind. Support Cockpit to make a difference for the most exciting new voices in British art, craft and design.