A Sense of Things: Copenhagen /Guidebook
A reminder of key details
Workshop dates / Fri 10 - Tue 14 July 2026, 10am - 5pm
Location / NOR, Hejrevej 30, 3.sal, 2400 København, Denmark
Venue / NOR: house
Website / A Sense of Things / Copenhagen
Workshop programme
The following is a workshop outline, subject to change depending on weather, creative conditions, work flow and general mood! As a minimum, throughout the five days, there will be lessons in collage, printing with found objects, cutting and printing with lino, watercolour painting, sketching with a range of drawing materials, choosing and working with a limited colour palette.
You’re welcome to arrive at NOR from 9.30am for tea or coffee to start each day. Teaching starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm but you can stay on and work with our input until 5pm.
Day 1 / PLAY
A gentle day, printing patterns with found objects, exploring playful ways of drawing and painting collections of items inspired by the design tradition of Denmark.
Day 2 / VISIT
A morning visit to Designmuseum to take inspiration from their collections before a boat trip to draw in the garden of Noma Projects. An optional swim in the harbour after the workshop, weather permitting.
Day 3 / COLOUR
We’ll begin by selecting colour palettes, before using these to develop drawings from yesterday using pattern, paint and print. An optional shared evening dinner in the studio/roof terrace of NOR.
Day 4 / LINO
An introduction to lino cutting and printing, using this graphic technique to build pattern and add detail to drawings. Building rich colourful illustrations inspired by the inspiration of the Designmuseum, Noma Projects and the city.
Day 5 / PROJECTS
A final day to consolidate ideas and develop personal projects, with tutor input. Materials, techniques and themes can be led by what has inspired you during our time in Copenhagen.
What to pack
In the spirit of this year’s theme of Collections I’d like to you to bring a small object that reflects you, or an object from an intentional or unintentional collection you own. If your item has significant financial or sentimental value, or is too large to transport, please bring a printed out photo instead.
You should wear clothes that aren’t precious and/or bring an apron. You will also need to think about how to transport your work home with you (largest paper size 30x40cm) so you might like to bring an A3 folder or poster tube.
For our trip to Designmuseum and Noma Projects, I’d suggest a small bag to carry your materials (small sketchbook and one or two pencils) and a bottle of water. Please pack and dress appropriately for the weather. There will be quite a bit of walking and standing/sitting outside to draw.
If the weather is good and you’d like to have a dip in the harbour at the end of our trip out, please bring swimwear and a towel. For those staying in a room in NOR, please refer separately to what you’ll need to bring with you for your stay.
In addition to shared workshop materials*, you’ll need a selection of your own materials (see list).
Finally please come with an open mind, ready to play, aiming to be free of self-judgement!
*What will be provided: colouring pencils, chalk pastels and neocolor wax pastels, all lino printing equipment and ink, plus loose sheets of paper and cups for water.
Workshop materials kindly supported by:
Materials to bring
An A4 sketchbook (portrait) with thick paper, suitable for wet materials (minimum 200gsm)
A small drawing sketchbook (A5 size is perfect)
A couple of graphite pencils
A pencil sharpener
An eraser
A set of watercolour or gouache paints
A range of different size brushes
Your own preference of drawing and painting materials (no oil paints, spray paint or staining inks)
A glue stick
An old tea towel/cloth
A camera/camera phone. An iPad/tablet to refer to your photos at a larger scale may also be useful, but not essential.
Travel info
Public transport is straightforward in Copenhagen, although you will need to download the Rejsekort app to tap in and out of the metro, rather than use a bank card.
To travel to NOR by metro from Copenhagen Airport (Københavns Lufthavn), take Line 2 (yellow) to Kongens Nytorv, then change onto Line 3 (red) to Nørrebro. From Nørrebro station, NOR is a 5 minute walk.
Copenhagen is really geared up for cycling and Donkey Republic bikes are a good pay-and-ride option. They are easy to find and drop-off (even at the airport!) and each one has a phone holder for navigating the city by digital maps. Unlike other cycling proficient countries however, the Danes abide by a particular cycling code so whilst you can easily wing it, you might benefit from educating yourself with a quick google search! If you’d like to hire a helmet, you can sign up to Hygglo.
Accommodation
A limited number of treatment rooms within NOR are being made available as basic, affordable bedrooms at 170DKK (approx. £20 / €23) per night including breakfast. These are optional, organised directly with NOR and not an official part of the workshop. Please email Laura to request more information.
Alternatively, there are plenty of other accommodation options in Copenhagen including apartments on Airbnb, the more affordable WakeUp Hotels or nearby apartments Numa Stays (use code ARTSTAYSNUMA for 20% discount), but please make your own enquiries to be sure somewhere suits your needs. If you wish to rent an apartment with another workshop participant in order to reduce costs, let me know and I will put you in touch with each other.
Things to do
In addition to your own research, I’m happy to share a few of my favourite places based on recent visits to Copenhagen along with recommendations from Jeppe.
Jeppe has kindly offered us an optional free yoga class at NOR before the workshop on Days 3 or 4. Equipment is provided but please bring appropriate clothing. If you’d like to take part in additional yoga classes beyond the free session, these cost DKR 149,00 / €20 per class.
Who are we
Laura organises and delivers playful, creative workshops across Europe, adapting a range of materials and techniques to convey the sense of a place. You can find her @lauramckendry_art.
Languages spoken: English (a little Spanish)
Laura McKendry
Hannah has become a regular collaborator after co-hosting workshops in her Rotterdam studio with Laura. She brings a background in art education and is a calm, supportive presence. You can find her @hannahbolsius.
Languages spoken: Dutch, English (a little German)
Hannah Bolsius
Ruben is Hannah’s husband and a welcome extra pair of hands in the kitchen, preparing our meals with Jeppe, and able to fix almost anything in a practical emergency.
Languages spoken: Dutch, English
Ruben Bolsius
Jeppe is our host at NOR as well as being a yoga instructor and working with Ruben to bring us lunch every day. He’ll be happy to assist with local knowledge or recommendations. It also happens to be his birthday on 13th July!
Languages spoken: Danish, English
Jeppe Boel Isager
Finally…*
Please complete this brief form as soon as possible to assist with the final planning of the workshop.
And can I kindly ask you to have a read of this code of conduct which contains additional practical details and shared expectations for the duration of the week.
We are so looking forward to welcoming you to Copenhagen for five days of creative immersion, curiousity and exploration. If you have any questions, doubts or concerns during, or in advance of, the workshop please get in touch for a chat.
* ‘Finally’, but no less important!
