London Designers on Survival Strategies Ahead of London Design Festival 2026
In preparation for the London Design Festival 2026, Dezeen spoke with five up-and-coming designers based in London about the difficulties of sustaining a creative career in a costly environment. Tessa Silva, a graduate from a decade ago, describes 2026 as her most challenging financial year, depending on bartering and reinvesting her earnings. Jake Robertson, employed by James Shaw, acquires materials from Renée Materials and maintains an additional job to cover his rent. Hannah Fastrich highlights the importance of community support and encourages applying for grants despite potential rejections. ThisIsByron repurposes waste materials and teaches at the Royal Academy Schools. Marc Sweeney, now residing in Scotland, juggles freelancing in London with family commitments and intends to teach at Instituto Marangoni. The festival is scheduled from 12 to 20 September 2026.
Key facts
- London Design Festival 2026 takes place from 12 to 20 September at various locations around London.
- Tessa Silva described 2026 as her toughest financial year since graduating ten years ago.
- Jake Robertson uses James Shaw's workshop and sources offcut materials from Renée Materials.
- Hannah Fastrich applies intensively to open calls, prizes, and grants despite frequent rejections.
- ThisIsByron works part-time as a workshop tutor at the Royal Academy Schools.
- Marc Sweeney plans to teach at Instituto Marangoni and make work at his family's passenger boat business on Loch Lomond.
- Tessa Silva is exhibiting at Max Radford Gallery's Progressive Permanence.
- Jake Robertson is exhibiting at Out of Worky and Design Everything's With Limitations.
- Hannah Fastrich and Marc Sweeney are exhibiting at Slancha's Hanging Baskets.
- ThisIsByron is curating We Lift Each Other.
Entities
Artists
- Tessa Silva
- Jake Robertson
- Hannah Fastrich
- ThisIsByron
- Marc Sweeney
- James Shaw
Institutions
- Dezeen
- London Design Festival
- Max Radford Gallery
- Out of Worky
- Design Everything
- Slancha
- Royal Academy Schools
- Renée Materials
- Instituto Marangoni
- Unit.d
- Dezeen Dispatch
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Scotland
- Loch Lomond
- Haggerston
Sources
- Dezeen —