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On Saturday, October 5th, one of our amazing teachers, PopUp Painting, held their largest-ever sip and paint event at The London Art Bar. This wasn’t just any creative gathering; it was a celebration, a challenge, and a charity fundraiser all wrapped into one.
The event featured six back-to-back painting sessions, each condensed into a fun, ‘espresso’ version of their usual classes. Nearly 200 attendees walked through the doors to paint, sip, and support Refuge, a domestic violence charity. With the help of ClassBento, PopUp Painting was able to bring this vision to life and donate all proceeds to an important cause.
We chatted to Gareth Lewis, CoFounder at Director of Marketing & Business Development at PopUp Painting to hear how the day unfolded, why the event was so meaningful to everyone involved, and how ClassBento helped along the way!
Why attempt the biggest sip and paint day?
PopUp Painting has been at the forefront of the UK’s sip and paint scene since 2013. They’ve watched the popularity of these events grow, but they’ve also met plenty of people who’ve never heard of them.
“We wanted to do something to raise the profile of the industry as we head into peak events season,” Gareth explained.
As a chance to introduce new audiences to the fun and relaxation of painting while enjoying a drink, the timing was perfect.
“Sip and paint events are great fun—especially if you’ve never painted before. People just need to be introduced to it.”
For PopUp Painting, this event was an opportunity to put their art-meets-social concept in the spotlight and help a worthy cause in doing so.
The impact of art, community, and charity
For these paint-pros, sip and paint events aren’t just about painting; they’re about connection.
The event created a unique community atmosphere where attendees could appreciate each other’s creations, relax, and share a laugh.
“It’s so uplifting to see people walking around the room after an event complimenting each other’s pieces!” Gareth said.
Adding a charitable aspect through Refuge also enriched the experience for many participants, who felt they were part of something impactful.
“I think that when we talked about the charity aspect of the day to people, they felt like they were part of something positive and important too,” he observed.
The healing power of creativity
Over the years, PopUp Painting has seen first-hand the positive effects of creativity on mental well-being. Many people attend their events as a way to unwind and leave their stresses behind.
“Often we’ll hear people talk about how the event took their mind off other things, like anxieties in their work or personal lives,” Gareth shared.
The immersive act of painting lets people enter a “flow” state, which can be deeply satisfying and relaxing.
“People also talk to us about how proud they feel about their paintings. Most people who join us have never painted before, or not since school, and so there’s a real sense of empowerment with a ‘wow! I didn’t know I could do that!’” he added.
For many attendees, it was a fulfilling and eye-opening experience that empowered them creatively.
A purposeful partnership with Refuge
Refuge was an easy choice for a charity partner, especially for an event so focused on community and support.
“Refuge is our go-to charity partner for most of our events,” the team explained. “Earlier this year, we held a Barbie (2023) screening at The London Art Bar raising money for them, and I ran the Hackney Half Marathon in aid of Refuge too!"
With the majority of their attendees being women, the focus on supporting an organisation that helps women and children feels meaningful and relevant.
“They help thousands of women and children each year, and it’s a policy area we still don’t talk about enough,” he said.
All-in-all, the partnership provided a real sense of purpose for everyone involved.
The day in action: creativity and connection
The event day itself was lively and upbeat, thanks to both the eager attendees and a dedicated crew.
“The atmosphere of the event was extremely cheerful. People were so friendly and upbeat, and lots of people hung around the bar after their event to soak in the atmosphere,” Gareth shared.
When it came to all the logistics, the day went off smoothly with thanks to careful preparation.
“Thankfully, we have a fantastic team, and lots of them had helped us prepare for the events in advance. It can take an awful long time to unwrap so many canvases!” he admitted.
Once they hit the halfway point, everyone found their stride, making the rest of the day’s sessions run smoothly and full of smiles!
The event raised £1200 a great cause!
With nearly 200 attendees, they were certainly thrilled with the turnout, even if they didn’t quite hit their stretch goal of 300.
“We had about 200 people join us on the day—not counting our events in other parts of the country. We had a stretch target of 300, but we were really pleased with the numbers we had” they said.
While they may not be able to claim the “biggest sip and paint day” record for sure, what mattered most was the impact they made for Refuge.
As for ClassBento’s role in this milestone event, PopUp Painting couldn’t be more appreciative.
“ClassBento were a great help to us in promotion of the event: offering us lower fees on our charity tickets, and promoting them in all their usual ways. ClassBento are always a joy to work with!” Gareth shared.
We're so glad we could help bring their vision of a large-scale, purpose-driven creative event to life.
All-in-all, the event raised over £1200 for Refuge, an amount that the team hopes will provide meaningful support to some of the thousands of women and children who rely on the charity each year.
"This is of course a drop in the ocean compared to the needs for tackling a challenge like domestic violence—but I hope it can provide some support to some of the thousands of women and children who turn to Refuge for support,” he reflected.
Stay tuned for the next event...
Looking ahead, PopUp Painting is already excited about the potential for another large-scale event, using the insights gained from this one.
“I think that all of us on the team found the energy of the day really infectious. We’d love to do something like this again!” Gareth said enthusiastically.
With an inspiring mix of creativity, community, and compassion, PopUp Painting’s super-scale sip and paint day set a new standard for what a creative event can achieve. The day offered participants a chance to paint, relax, connect, and give back—an experience that’s sure to be remembered.
See their classes
Runs regularly
High Holborn
1 to 70 guests
£45 - £50
9k followers
7+ years & Adults
