Oxygen is a well-known inhibitor of radical polymerisations and generally must be removed before polymerisation can begin effectively. Leveraging the oxygen tolerant properties of some photopolymerisation techniques (such as PET-RAFT polymerisation), we are exploring strategies that enable controlled living radical polymerisation (CLRP) to be performed in the open air and in unusual formats such as multi-well plates or even in discrete droplets. Such techniques can significantly improve the throughput with which CLRP is performed by allowing  hundreds of polymerisations to be performed in parallel and in ultralow volumes, minimising the production of waste polymer.