On Tuesday 29th June, from 8am to 2pm, Devonshire Square celebrated the much anticipated return of the performing arts and live experience activations to its historical courtyards by hosting “Art & Crafts in the Courtyard”, a socially distanced event with limited attendance, that combined exciting live music performances – delivered by some of the finest ensembles in UK – with a display of unique craft creations by three talented and creative craftswomen from the Devonshire Square community.
The event started with an enlivening morning concert (8am – 9am) by the renowned Abraxas Ensemble, who took the audience on an imaginative journey around the European continent by playing some of the most beautiful music songs ever composed by both English and European composers, performed in their distinctively vibrant and dynamic style.
At lunchtime (1pm – 2pm), all female quartet Velvet Strings took centre stage in the Western Courtyard, presenting a programme that included some of the most popular pop hits and classical songs, ranging from Mozart to The Beatles, including hits from Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and pieces by Ennio Morricone.
From 8am to 2pm, attendees were able to admire a mini collection of exclusive sartorial creations in doll size by Devonshire Square’s in-house tailor and couturier, Maria Caruso. In celebration of the recently eased restrictions on wedding ceremonies, the mini collection featured exquisite wedding gowns and grande soirée dresses. All creations were hand-made in a variety of premium quality fabrics, including silk satin, crêpe satin and finely embroidered lace. Conceived as a celebration of femininity, the collection featured designs that flatter all body shapes, inspired by the iconic style of Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren.
Visitors were also able to visit the colourful and scented “Blooming Spot” arranged by Devonshire Square’s florist and floral-artist Katie Sparrow. Katie’s display featured a rich selection of both fresh seasonal flowers and beautiful preserved flowers, which were all available to purchase. Katie and her assistant, Kelly, provided attendees with advice and suggestions on how to create a striking flower arrangement, and those seeking inspiration on styling preserved flowers had the chance to see an example of minimalist floral display arranged by Katie on show in the Western Courtyard.
Attendees were invited to visit an original eco-friendly display, “Dreams of paper”, a unique showcase of Victorian style diaries, photobooks, notebooks and post cards, entirely created from old magazines and various recycled materials. The pages that compose the diaries have been coloured with natural dyes, including avocado juice, coffee and tea in order to achieve a nostalgic, vintage feel. All creations have been meticulously handmade by Devonshire Square’s Customer Experience Team member Elisa Mezzano, a passionate eco-warrior and ambassador of Devonshire Square’s eco-friendly corporate vision.
The event was free-to attend, however, in compliance with the Government’s Covid-19 secure guidance, social distance was observed throughout the event and registration was strictly required.
We would like to warmly thank all artists and attendees for their enthusiastic participation in the event and for the fantastic feedback received! We look forward to hosting you all again very soon!