Our Approach
Wild Trumpets is a laboratory disguised as a workshop. Here, children and artists work side by side, discovering together. No teachers, no students - just makers exploring materials and ideas. We believe children's creativity is as sophisticated as any artist's when given real tools and genuine respect. This isn't about making "nice pictures" - it's about defending the radical creativity every child possesses.
The Space & Its History
Located on All Saints Road, where the Mangrove Nine protested, Wild Trumpets continues a tradition of challenging hierarchies. That historic stand against injustice echoes in our daily practice: treating children's creative work with the same seriousness as any artist's.
Our studio sits at the cultural heart of Notting Hill, opposite People's Sound records - a landmark of London's music history and Carnival culture.
Our Founder
Mariana Mauricio is a Brazilian artist based in London. She holds an MFA with Distinction from Goldsmiths University and a BA from Central Saint Martins. Her work is held in the Estrellita & Daniel Brodsky Collection and has been exhibited internationally. Her practice investigates how materials carry agency and cultural meaning - research that directly informs Wild Trumpets' methodology of allowing materials and children to lead the creative process.
Impact
Since 2022:
- 300+ children engaged in weekly labs
- 40% receive free or subsidized places
- 20+ professional artists have led workshops alongside exhibitions
- 12+ exhibitions with integrated workshop programs
- Each exhibition generates 4-8 workshops, creating dialogue between professional practice and children's experiments
Every exhibition includes artist-led workshops, ensuring children work directly with practicing artists. Ideas discovered in workshops often influence the artists' future work, creating a true exchange rather than one-way teaching.