The Women’s Institute of Peckham are a group of women who get together once a month to have fun, make new friends, learn new skills, support the Peckham community and – most importantly – eat cake!

Held every 1st Wednesday of the month, the meetings are aimed at providing a varied programme for members including speakers on a variety of subjects, activities, craft lessons, and projects to support women in the local community.

Embark on a transformative journey in neuroscience, learning how to harness emotions for a thriving life in this captivating talk with Q+A.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

Everyone’s welcome at the book club that meets up each month at Peckham Levels to discuss a left-wing non-fiction book.

The book being discussed in this meeting will be Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire.

Feel free to come along even if you aren’t able to read the book - it will be used as a jumping off point for a broader discussion.

Left Book Club is a not-for-profit book subscription featuring some of the best radical writing published as collectible editions. You do not have to be a Left Book Club member to attend so bring a friend along!

Join the group’s WhatsApp chat to get the latest updates and vote on upcoming books.

This drop-in art session hosted by Mental Wealth London is for women who have experienced challenges with their mental health or identify with the need for some time during the week to engage in a creative activity to help relax and manage daily stressors.

This is a ticketed drop-in session, and you can stay as long as you would like. Please register before you attend so we can keep track of numbers and ensure a relaxing experience with the appropriate resources. If you can't attend the session, please return your ticket to give others an opportunity to attend.

Last admissions will be 7pm to ensure you have enough time to complete your artwork.

Understand your attachment style, learn how to become more securely attached and get confident in connection.

In this talk you will learn about how your early attachment and how you were treated when you were young may be influencing how you show up in relationships now. You may be anxiously attached and acting so fast that the other person feels scared. Or you might be avoidantly attached and waiting so long to reply to someone that they move on. When you have awareness about your attachment style then you can begin to make more conscious choices about your behaviour and become more securely attached.

Once you understand more about your attachment style, you can also notice your nervous system and what happens when you get activated — do you switch off, get disassociated, speed up, flee, fight or fawn? What helps you to calm down, feel your feet and allow yourself to become steady?

Opening your heart to feeling more secure in relationships can be a gradual and ongoing process. This talk will get you started on your journey of stepping through the fear and into a new life. I will share my top tips so that you can begin to make new choices, with kindness and compassion for yourself (and room for mistakes), and ultimately allowing the fullness of you to flourish.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

Cate Mackenzie is an Accredited Sex and Relationship Therapist and works with individuals, couples and groups. She is trained in Emotionally Focussed Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Therapy, Rosen Bodywork Therapy and Clean Language. She was the Dating Coach on Channel 4’s “The Undateables”, The Flirting Coach on Channel 5’s “The Jeremy Vine Show”, and Sex Therapist on Channel 4’s “Kinky Britain”. She has run workshops in six countries and is regularly on the radio and in the press. She has two podcasts, performed comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe and paints hearts which were sold in 80 countries through IKEA.

Relax and get creative with Arts by Kola and Mental Wealth London at this free, drop-in Family Wellbeing Art Club.

Mental Wealth London provide safe spaces for women and families to practice art for mindfulness and wellbeing. Visitors will engage in a creative activity to help relax and manage daily stressors.

This is a ticketed, drop-in session and you can stay as long as you like. Please register via the button above so we can keep track of numbers and ensure a relaxing experience with the appropriate resources.

Last admissions will be 7pm to ensure you have enough time to complete your artwork.

A recent study in the UK found that approximately 50% of adults reported having a fetish or kink. Despite their prevalence, they are often shrouded in taboo and misunderstanding. In this talk Dr Lori Beth Bisbey will demystify the topic and answer the often asked question… Am I normal?

Discover the psychological and social factors that drive fetish and kink behaviours. Explore the ways in which individuals who engage in these practices experience pleasure and fulfilment. You will also be given practical steps on how to explore your own desires, communicate with partners and how to deal with any feelings you have around this aspect of sexuality.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

Dr Lori Beth Bisbey is a psychologist, accredited advanced GSRD (gender, sex, relationship diversity) therapist, sex & intimacy coach, author, podcast host speaker and resident specialist therapist on Open House: The Great Sex Experiment (channel 4). She has been working with people for the past 35 years to help them create and maintain incredible relationships that contain exciting sex and are without shame. She specialises in GSRD - which is gender, sex, and relationship diversity (which includes non-monogamy, kink and BDSM) and the treatment of trauma.

Ever wondered why music can be so powerful, causing deep emotional responses? Or why you can’t seem to get that song out of your head? In this talk, we will delve deep into the neuroscience of music, discovering how elements such as rhythm, pitch and timbre interact with our brains. A fascinating, yet often understated area of research, the neuroscience of music broadens our understanding of what music actually is, questioning why we respond to sounds in certain ways, and for what reason music is found in every society, across all corners of the globe. We will look at the many parts of the brain involved with music, from our memory to our speech processing and to our emotion and reward systems. We will explore the role of music in evolution, considering questions such as why we make and listen to music. 

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

Dr Marcus Pearce is Reader in Cognitive Science at Queen Mary University of London, where he leads the Music Cognition Laboratory, and honorary Professor of Neuroscience at Aarhus University, Denmark, where he is part of the Centre for Music in the Brain. His research aims to understand the cognitive and brain mechanisms that underlie perception and appreciation of complex auditory phenomena such as music. He has given presentations at the Wellcome Collection and Royal Institution, run a Live Science residency at the Science Museum, and collaborated with the London Sinfonietta to produce a free iOS app for developing rhythm skills called Steve Reich's Clapping Music, described by the New York Times as "maddeningly addictive".

Join Seed Talks for this engaging talk about ADHD, exploring the neuroscience, symptoms, the positives, the struggles + much more. Followed by Q+A.

A simple scroll through Instagram or TikTok and you’ll be left questioning: do I have ADHD? The rise in ADHD in adults is undeniable. But only over the last decade has ADHD been formally recognised in the UK. It has been suggested that about 1.5 million adults in the UK have ADHD but only 120,000 have been diagnosed. Waiting times to access an adult ADHD specialist clinic in the NHS can be up to 2 years or more. It’s hard to find support and help.

From dopamine dips, hits and myths, how ADHD can present differently in women than men, and the neuroscience of neurodiversity; this talk is designed to give you an increased awareness and understanding of an ADHD brain. It will include advice and tips on how to navigate a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent person.

This talk will also highlight how society is demanding change. People are increasingly recognising and accepting neurodiversity and self-defining as neurodivergent. Surely, it’s time for the world to alter neurotypical societal standards as they are fast becoming outdated.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

This event celebrates the launch of ADHD Unpacked by Seed Talks speakers James Brown and Alex Conner. The book contains everything you need to know to survive and thrive as an adult with ADHD.

Signed books will be available to purchase on the night.

Professor James Brown is an academic researcher and science communicator. James was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021. Subsequently, James co-founded and is Chair for the registered UK charity ADHDadultUK, set up the evidence-based online ADHD magazine focusmag.uk and is a co-founder and co-host of The ADHD Adults Podcast. James is also an ADHD Coach and Mentor and provides training, guidance and assistance to organisations around adult ADHD for his company JBHD Ltd.

Dr Alex Conner is a consultant in ADHD support and education. He was the Director of Taught Post-Graduate Education and a Reader in Biomedical Science Education at the University of Birmingham Medical School until last year when he became a full-time ADHD consultant and coach. He also has ADHD and was diagnosed as an adult.

Serious topics, casual environments.

Deb8Ldn are all about bringing serious topics into fun, relaxed settings. They help create a welcoming space for everyone to have meaningful discussions, each time on a specific topic or theme.

If you love meeting new people, talking about issues that matter, building community, and catching good vibes, then this is one for you.

Join the next informal gathering for locals to meet and catch up on all things surrounding the Aylesham Development.

Aylesham Community Action are campaigning for the Aylesham Centre development to be for:

1. Local people to be properly consulted.

2. A development that meets local needs.

3. A plan that fits well with the character of Peckham.

All Peckham locals welcome! Come along, even if you’re late, or can only stay for a few minutes, all are welcome.

NOVARA MEDIA DOWNSTREAM IRL:
ASH SARKAR IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDREAS MALM

Has humanity already missed its chance to avert catastrophic climate breakdown? 

In this exclusive Novara Media Downstream IRL, Ash Sarkar will meet with Andreas Malm, bestselling author of How To Blow Up A Pipeline, to talk about how the fossil fuel industry managed to reconcile us with the idea that unbearable levels of global heating are simply inevitable – and how to break out of the deadly state of ‘business as usual’.

Andreas' new book, Overshoot, co-authored with climate scholar Wim Carton, is a scathing critique of proposals to geo-engineer our way out of climate disaster.

Following the conversation, there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions, and we’ll be hosting a social in the bar. Copies of Andreas’ book will be available to purchase, along with Novara merch.

All the money made from the event will support Novara Media’s independent, truthful journalism.

Novara Media is an independent media organisation addressing the issues that are set to define the 21st century, from a crisis of capitalism to racism and climate change. 

A special edition of Dembis Thioung’s PENCHMI: The African Drum + Dance Portal in collaboration with Little Baobab.

Immerse yourself in the rhythms and movement of Africa while nourishing your soul with the finest Senegalese food. This unique experience will be led by master drummer Dembis Thioung, along with dance movement artists Oumie Mbaye and Ofelia Balogun — offering a transformative journey through drum circles, traditional & contemporary African dance, and the power of the ancestral technology of rhythm.

The word PENCHMI (in Wolof is written as “Penccmi”) is used to describe the gathering of ancestors, transcending time and space, as well as the gathering of the elders of the traditional Senegalese villages, in the center of the community under a baobab tree. Penchmi is the space to discuss matters of LIFE, FREEDOM, and PEACE. Most importantly, it serves to remind us of the LOVE and RESPECT shared amongst each other.

Dembis takes pride in being guided by the highest Senegalese value of "TERANGA": welcoming, sharing and supporting each other in happiness always, valuing wealth not for its quantity but for the generosity extended to others. "TERANGA" represents the essence of Senegalese culture and it can be translated with the word hospitality.

FLOW OF THE DAY

• 12pm: Welcome + registration

• 12.30pm: Get together & warm-up

• 1pm: Drum circle with Dembis Thioung. Drums will be provided, participants are encouraged to bring their own. 

• 2.30pm: Traditional West African Sabar + Djembe dance led by Oumie Mbaye and Dembis Thioung & participants that prefer drumming, holding the rhythms. 

• 4pm: Dance Your Roots - connect with inner body wisdom & open up the expressions of your ancestral corporal archive led by Ofelia Balogun. With Dembis Thioung & participants that prefer drumming, holding the rhythms. 

• 5.30pm: Penchmi Drum + Dance Portal - expressions of freedom in magical rhythms of unity.

• 7pm: Finest Senegalese soul food at Little Baobab + socialising

• 9pm: Farewell 

Google is coming to Peckham!

Open to everyone, this day of free workshops and mentoring sessions is perfect for small business owners or people who are interested in starting their own business.

Google Digital Garage trainers will be available to help you grow your business online, and find new customers. 

What to expect on the day:

Google will be running varied sessions all day, alongside interactive networking opportunities.

You will also be able to book private mentoring sessions throughout the day with Google Digital trainers to focus on personal goals for your business growth.

Google Digital Garage is one of Google's flagship programmes in the UK, providing free digital skills training and mentoring to individuals and businesses.

Join this free careers fair hosted by Blueprint for All. Ideal for those looking to land a new job!

This October, Blueprint for All are hosting a free careers fair at Peckham Levels, packed with opportunities for those looking to craft their first CV, find a new job, network, or for those looking to make a career pivot. Tailored for individuals aged 16–30, the event offers a wide range of support, no matter where you are in your career journey.

There will be job opportunities from a variety of small, medium, and large companies — some local, some global! Most roles will be entry-level, covering a broad spectrum of industries including architecture, health & fitness, fashion retail, corporate business and more - there’s something for everyone!

Join us in celebrating World Teachers' Day and 10 years of learning Languages through Music with a lovely and laidback creative gathering!

Come and help Languages through Music celebrate 10 years of their journey, the launch of their new Masterclass, and reaching 1,000 students — all made possible by the incredible teachers and artists in their community.

What to Expect:

• Welcome Drink: Start the celebration with a complimentary drink.

• Senegalese Nibbles: Savor delicious bites from Little Baobab.

• Karaoke Extravaganza: Sing your heart out in over 10 languages with more than 80,000 songs to choose from at Sashimi Rollin,' Peckham Levels’ unique Japanese-themed private karaoke room.

• Exclusive Goodie Bag: Teachers, we’ve got something special for you — a Languages through Music goodie bag as a token of our appreciation.

Whether you're a teacher, a student, or simply a music lover, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Come for the celebration, stay for the music, and leave with memories (and maybe a few new songs) to cherish.

A new six-part talk series from Peckham Levels residents HumanKind Psychotherapy, designed to inspire growth, promote self-discovery, and spark meaningful conversations. Whether you're seeking guidance on your own journey or looking to strengthen your relationships, they’re here to help.

HumanKind Psychotherapy, a cozy practice in Peckham Levels specialise in providing good quality psychotherapy and counselling for individuals, couples, and groups. Their team is passionate about fostering mental wellbeing and creating a supportive community where everyone feels valued and understood.

• Wednesday 27 March: Love, Lust, and Longevity: Sustaining Sexual Satisfaction in Long-Term Relationships!
  With Lotte van Kouwen and Victoria Kirby

In this exciting talk we explore the unavoidable conditioning of societal relationship structures and learn about ‘sexdrive’ and how to manage different sexual desires in long-term relationships. Though it is generally known that desire changes over time, in long-term relationships this can cause quite a lot of problems, where people feel guilty, rejected, unhappy and pressured even though there is a good relationship otherwise.

Start your journey in becoming more aware of what to look out for, how to keep your sex life alive and how to communicate with your partner(s) about what you want!

• Wednesday 10 April: Narratives of Healing: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling for Mental Wellbeing
  With Dr Dedani Dlodlo 

We are surrounded by stories, in fact we are constantly engaged in the act of storytelling. We do so out of the human impulse to make meaning and to make things makes sense. We create narratives and stories to make sense of who we are, of who they are, of what happened to us and of what is happening in our world. There is incredible power in these stories and they deeply impact how we think, feel and act. 

Have you ever stopped to think of your life as a story or to think about the story that you embody? What if you could re-write your story to give your experiences a different meaning?

Join us for this interactive talk where we explore the creative art of storytelling as means of re-writing the stories of ourselves, for greater mental wellbeing. 

• Wednesday 24 April: The Healing Palette - Art Therapy's Role in Nurturing Mental Health and Archetypal Exploration
  With Charlotte Scholey and Lotte van Kouwen

This talk will investigate the importance of creativity in exploring your sense of self. Using symbols, characters, poetry and the arts. We are investigating how the creative arts can be used to support mental health and self exploration. With the rising recognition in neurodiversity, we are also addressing how the arts may aid in communication and expression to those who present with neurodiverse symptoms. Expect connecting, art materials, a lot of play, and a lot of making!

• Wednesday 8 May: Postmenopause – The Vital Third Act
  With Stella Duffy

A talk and workshop in creatively dreaming the final third of our lives.

More than 50% of us experience menopause. Like other major life changes such as puberty, pregnancy, infertility, menopause is rooted in the body, and experienced in the world. 

A great deal of the recent focus on menopause has looked at the problematic aspects of this life change, but the transition into postmenopause also offers us a chance to imagine what else we want from our lives, how and who else we want to be. 

Taking a creative and existential approach to menopause as a wakeup call to our ageing and mortality, psychotherapist and writer Stella Duffy will share her doctoral research on the embodied experience of postmenopause along with some gentle and inclusive creative exercises designed to help us consider what we want next - and how to get there. 

Bring pen, paper, possibility.

• Wednesday 5 June: Mindfulness Beyond Belief: Exploring Religious and Secular Paths to Awareness
  With Ryan Roberts

A difficulty we often encounter in engaging with mindfulness is in the idea that its Buddhist origins means that it is, in some fundamental way, religious.

In this talk we will look at mindfulness in its Buddhist context and its more recent secular version, discovering the ways both these two worldviews align and importantly, how they differ.

Join us for an evening of creativity brought to you by Yam Collective.

BLACK PEN is a creative drawing event which merges art and culture.

This will be a still life drawing edition that will include a curated arrangement of objects to draw from, which are associated with or are symbolic of Black and Asian heritage.

Whether you're an experienced artist or just starting out, this event is for you. Grab your favourite black pen and let your imagination flow. Meet fellow artists, mingle, and create something amazing together.

Drinks will be flowing, alongside the sounds of DJ Sweettee to set the tempo. A selection of materials will be provided. Feel free to bring any specific equipment along with you as well. Don't miss out on this opportunity to unleash your creativity, see you there!

Yam Collective is an arts organisation committed to carving out space for Black and Marginalised creative people.

Get together to create new connections and get to know the work entrepreneurs are doing in Southwark.

The Southwark Business Showcase and community networking event is an opportunity to bring together entrepreneurs within the Hatch community and supporters of Southwark businesses and beyond, highlighting the business development support available to local businesses and showcasing the entrepreneurs who have been supported through Hatch’s programmes.

The event will include: 

• Business stalls for Southwark entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services

• Pitches from entrepreneurs who finished the accelerator programme to present their businesses to the audience

• An interview with a prominent local entrepreneur

• Networking between the Hatch Community

Unlock your potential and discover exciting job opportunities and connect with top companies.

Coding Black Females invites you to their tech Careers Fair, bringing us an empowering evening filled with opportunities to network, explore exciting tech career prospects, and boost your employability.

Do you wish you could have more of the kinds of conversations you have late at night where for some reason, you feel safe talking about the things you actually care about?

Bring your friends (or come by yourself) and spend your Tuesday night at an event where you know everyone else is there for the same reason.

Skip the Small Talk offers "big talk" conversational prompts to get you started, and structure it to make sure you actually talk to people and it's not awkward. Not feeling like answering a particular question? No worries, there are plenty to choose from, like, "When are you the happiest?" or, "If you were going to become close friends with me, what would I need to know about you?"

There are a few ground rules to make sure you feel comfortable and safe sharing as much of yourself as possible while still feeling in complete control of how much you divulge.

Check-in for this event will begin around 18:45. Please do your best to arrive before 19:00 so it can begin as close to the start time as possible.

CALLING ALL ASPIRING DJs! Our DJ workshop series in partnership with the team at DRTY Drinks and Voices Radio is BACK!

These workshops are for people who have never DJ'd before or have only practiced with the equipment a couple of times.

Lessons will cover the basics of how to DJ, getting you familiar with the equipment and learning the art of selecting. Our fantastic Voices Radio instructor will get you up to speed and ready to get practicing over the course of the evening.

This ticket covers a two-hour session, and includes 2 x cans of DRTY Hard Seltzer. Workshop applicants must be 18+.

Express yourself and connect with others who share the experience of grief in a supportive and fun collaging workshop this January.

The post-holiday season can be a challenging rollercoaster of emotions. This workshop is an opportunity for those seeking solace, connection, and a creative outlet to come together. Collage your way through your emotions, turning your feelings into vibrant, meaningful art.

"New Year, Same Grief" is more than just an art workshop; it's also a tribute to our dear friend, and talented artist who recently passed away, the epic Poppy Chancellor, who touched our lives and many others. We will be fundraising in her name, turning our collective creative energy into a force for good.

Remember, reflect, and honour loved ones, using the power of art to heal and connect. Embrace the new year together, using the magic of collaging to channel grief into something beautiful and meaningful.

Join Mohamed Gueye on this 4 hour Sunday afternoon Djembe drumming workshop at Peckham levels!

Spend the afternoon learning traditional West African Djembe rhythms in a fun and supportive environment, and enjoy a delicious Senegalese dinner afterwards from the famous Little Baobab restaurant (food not included in workshop price).

All levels welcome, beginners and advanced students will be challenged at their own level.

Come and unleash your creativity for a fun Afternoon of Painting, vibes and good music!

No experience needed! Throughout the session, you will be guided through each step by an experienced Artist.

All equipment is provided on the day, so all you need to bring is yourself and leave with a beautiful piece of art!

Tickets Include:

- Painting led by Artist (all materials provided)

- Live Music played by Dj

-20% off drinks at bar

-Fun games and group activities

Get creative with friends, or come solo and make new ones!

The Women’s Institute of Peckham are a group of women from Peckham in South East London who get together once a month to have fun, make new friends, learn new skills, support the Peckham community and – most importantly – eat cake!

Held every 1st Wednesday of the month, the meetings are aimed at providing a varied programme for members including speakers on a variety of subjects, activities, craft lessons, where women in the local community can make new friends, learn new skills, and support the Peckham community.

ESEA Life Drawing honour Black History Month with an immersive life drawing event showcasing artists and life models from both Black and ESEA communities.

This month, up-and-coming artist Tasia Graham will be directing the stage with a rich spectrum of coloured light, illuminating the life models. Mia and Alyzon, newlyweds hailing from Filipino and Trinidadian backgrounds, will be welcomed back for another modelling session with us.

This relaxed, untutored workshop is suitable for all levels, including complete beginners.