Celebrating 50 Years of London Glassblowing: Events & Demonstrations
For 50 years, London Glassblowing has championed studio glassmaking. This anniversary exhibition brought together 50 artists - current residents, esteemed guests, and pioneering figures from founder Peter Layton's previous studios. To celebrate, we opened our doors for an enriching programme of events. Read on for what went on during the most exciting month of our 2026 calendar.
Private View
On Thursday 11 June, we celebrated the opening of our long-awaited exhibition, Celebrating 50 years of London Glassblowing. We were joined by our dedicated collectors, new members of our community, and artists from the show, including long-term friends and colleagues of Peter Layton. It was a wholesome, exciting evening filled with reflection and commemoration of what the past 50 years of London Glassblowing has achieved. We were joined by celebrity chef José Pizarro and his team, who provided a special live carving of Jamon Iberico and Spanish cheeses.
Hotshop Demonstration with Peter Layton and Tim Rawlinson
Tim Rawlinson and Peter Layton closed the exhibition with a day of demonstrations reflecting on 50 years. With one hotshop assistant short, Sophie Layton stepped in to help - assisting both her husband and her dad!
Guests were welcomed into the hotshop, where Tim kicked things off by making an Electric Portal. The piece begins with an embryo (a pre-made inclusion), which Tim encases in clear glass. Unlike others in the series, he plunged this one into cold water, creating a crackled 'ice glass' effect across the exterior.
In the afternoon, Peter revisited a retired series, Kimono - the perfect way to look back on his work and its development over the decades. Visitors watched as the artists blew and sculpted a Kimono Coralform, a collection made using a stencil applied to the glass. It's been so long since Peter last made one of these that it was a truly special demonstration to witness.
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Our Stories
Peter and Tim at the annual Glass Art Society Conference
Ahead of their trip to New York for the annual Glass Art Society Conference at the Corning Museum of Glass, Peter and Tim shared an insightful talk with guests at our gallery. In this special preview of the presentation they would go on to deliver at the world-renowned museum, Peter and Tim looked back on more than fifty years of craftsmanship and community. From there, they headed to Corning, New York, for the conference itself.
Our Glass Community Reflect on Peter Layton
To mark fifty years of London Glassblowing, we asked artists, collaborators and friends to share what the studio has meant to them. Their answers span five decades - from first encounters at the hotshop to lifelong friendships. What emerges is a portrait of a community built around one man's vision, and the remarkable things that vision made possible.
Fifty Years of Fire: Celebrating Peter Layton and London Glassblowing
For half a century, London Glassblowing has transformed contemporary glass art - pioneering new techniques, supporting generations of artists, and establishing a studio at the forefront of innovation. This milestone year offers a moment to reflect, to reminisce, and to celebrate the extraordinary impact that has helped shape the world of glass.