In accordance with the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach, the Atelier team makes extensive use of creative provocations — non-verbal techniques that involve children in the creative process. For example, it could be a story about the Forest or an interesting piece of work displayed prominently.
Mon-Fri, 13:00-20:00
Sat-Sun, 12:00-20:00
On the first and third Monday of the month, the Workshop is closed: during these days we tidy up and make the space even more comfortable.
The Workshop has several visiting formats
Drop-in attendance
Visiting families decide for themselves what to do today. All the materials you find on the shelves are at your disposal. Creative provocations prepared by the Atelier staff and special instructions created by our experts will help you come up with an idea and bring it to life. This format helps children and adults learn new things faster and get to know each other better.
When: Mon-Fri
Pre-registration: Not required
Work with a guest master
Each of the four workshop areas (Wood, Paper, Clay, Fabric) is supervised by a guest craftsman from whom you can learn craft techniques and get advice and support. They will help get to grips with complex equipment such as an electric jigsaw, etching machine, sewing machine, and potter’s wheel. This is a great option for those who want to learn something new and acquire practical skills.
When: Fri, Sat, Sun from 12:00 — 19:00.
You can arrive at the beginning or join in at any time (provided there are free slots).
Pre-registration: Not required
Workshops with artists
Twice a month we invite contemporary artists who invent journey scenarios involving several workshop zones and using a variety of materials.
In the course of these workshops, children develop their visual imagination, and the classes result in the children completing a small art project.
Each workshop runs twice, so if you missed the first one you can always attend the next one.
When: Twice a month on Sundays.
Pre-registration: required, number of participants is limited.
Auxilary cards for parents
These cards help adults interact with their children at the Atelier and further support the kids’ creative endeavours at home and elsewhere. Each describes an interesting situation, contains advice for adults and a few questions and phrases for the child to help build a creative dialogue.
Our guidelines are based on the Reggio Emilia approach and the principles of humanistic pedagogy. You can read more about them here.
Workshop areas
The idea of the Atelier was inspired by the principles of the pedagogical approach adopted in Reggio Emilia, which holds that all children are endowed with a certain creative potential. They naturally possess “a hundred languages” (a myriad of ways to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings), and the task of adults is not to hinder the child from mastering these languages, but rather to help them gain courage and confidence in exploring the world.
Together with experts, we have created four interconnected zones for working with clay, paper, wood and fabric. They are all located in the same space, which helps the child become aware of the relationship between the skills they are learning and the phenomena they are experiencing.
Each area of the Workshop has a Guest Master, who is a professional in his or her field. He or she can tell about the subtleties of the craft and different techniques of working with the material, as well as suggest interesting projects.
It’s easy to meet the Master: choose a convenient day and time in the calendar, register for admission to
For their invaluable expertise in setting up the Workshop, the project team would like to thank:
Daria Chapkovskaya, Sergei Dobrydnev, Alexandra Grach, Alfiya Guseva, Viktor Krutelev, Dina Leonova, Sergei Tsarev, Dmitry Vakulin
Atelier guest masters
Discover hand printing, learn how to use an etching press and find out what a stencil is. You can also draw on a wide range of paper sizes. How about making a life-sized self-portrait using twigs, potatoes or your own fingers? We’re always happy to experiment!
Paper
Guest master
Liza Golitsyna
Hi! I am an artist and a musician. Took an illustration course where I tried my hand at a bunch of techniques, and now I want to try even more. Recording an album at the moment! I love mixing my different creative skills and sharing my feelings, emotions, and experience through them.
How long have you been working with paper?
As a child, I drew a lot, and in 5th grade I kept a personal diary for a fortnight. Now I continue using paper as a field for experiments, games, storytelling, self-expression, and for the realisation of any of my ideas!
What do you want to accomplish at the Atelier?
It’s important for me to have fun! I want to create oddities, mix techniques, explore myself and look for unexpected solutions. I love it when the process of making a picture or object is varied and exciting.
What is your favourite dinosaur?
I don’t know many dinosaurs by name, but I would love to be friends with either the biggest and flying one (it would ride me on its back when I’m in the mood) or the tiniest one (I would carry it around in my pocket).
Wood
We have saws, sanders, drills, electric jigsaws, different types of wood and more to create all kinds of objects, from chairs to decorations. You can drill, saw, sand or paint on wood or use it in other areas of the Workshop. The choice is yours!
Guest Master
Pavel Vasin
Salute! By passport I am Pal Palych, but you can call me simply Pasha. Musician, photographer, tea maker, teacher of law and social studies, decorator, mounter—all in all, a master of many elements. I feel and create style. I’ve been moving hand in hand with creativity for a year now, implementing ideas and making the world a kinder and better place.
How long have you been doing woodwork?
Since early years. As a child, I went to an aviation modelling club, then I studied shipbuilding in a cadet school. For the third year now I have been working as a set designer and stage designer, creating and mounting sets for films, exhibitions and parties.
What do you want to accomplish at the Atelier?
Having been doing turnkey sets for a long time, I want to realise myself as an artist, to create art objects from wood. I am very inspired by children’s creative genius. I want to be both a mentor and a student. Let’s make a creative alliance!
What is your favourite dinosaur?
Jättelik from IKEA.
Clay
We have different types of clay, a potter’s wheel and rolling table so you can implement any idea you want — make a monster that lives in the forest, or a teacup to give to your grandmother. You can either take your creation home immediately, or you can have it fired and take it back in its finished form in a few weeks.
Guest Master
Vasilisa Lisaved
I am an explorer of this world, studying it right away by practice. I love to collect and catalogue information. Currently doing this through clay and firing.
How long have you been working with clay?
I first took clay in my hands at Vladimir Yasny’s masterclass twelve and a half years ago. I have been modelling ever since.
What do you want to accomplish at the Atelier?
I want to show people that creativity is a great opportunity to tell the world about yourself. And even change it a little.
What’s your favourite dinosaur?
Of course, the beautiful and wise Diplodocus!
Fabric
Everything from felting to beading, sewing, embroidery and much more. Make yourself a crown, a magic wand, funny paws or glasses, sew a dream toy on a machine — and go play with them at the Playground ! in this area, you can also decorate your clothes in this area.
Guest Master
Anastasia Smirnova
Hi! I am Anastasia, a fashion designer. My goal is to create comfortable and functional things. I got my approach from the architecture university, and my love for material was instilled in me by my mum.
How long have you been working with fabric?
I have been sewing since early childhood and started doing it on a machine I got from my great-grandmother. At school, technology classes were my favourite. I’ve been creating clothes professionally since 2019—six years, wow!
What do you want to accomplish at the Atelier?
At the Atelier, I want to pass on to children my love of textiles in all their diversity and show them techniques for interacting with fabric.
What is your favourite dinosaur?
The one with small paws =)
We invite visitors of all ages. If you have not turned 14 yet, be sure to bring an adult with you.
Please note: the number of visitors that can stay in the Workshop at one time is limited.
Please help us keep the Workshop clean: do not bring food and drinks with you.
Before you start, we will ask you to sign the Rules of Attendance.
Photos by:
Gleb Leonov, Mark Seriy, Anastasia Soboleva, Anya Todich