Another communnity mural was commissioned by Clapton Girls school in 2011 pic: Art Review

Artists in Hackney are being offered the chance to transform a blank wall in front of Hackney Central Station into an artwork depicting their own feelings about the borough.

The wall currently provides a rather depressing welcome to the pedestrianised high street outside the station. Hackney Council have collaborated with charity Groundwork London to provide one lucky artist with the opportunity to continue the trend of urban art in the area.

The aim of the project, which will be created on an outside wall of Marks and Spencer on Amhurst Road, is to reflect the spirit and creative vibe of the Hackney community.

Vivienne Brown, Marketing and Communications Manager of Groundwork, told EastLondonLines: “We are not looking for any style in particular we are open to receive proposals from experienced and skilled artists around London.”

To inspire the chosen artist, Hackney’s Young Parliament will be filming on the street asking residents what the think is the best thing about the neighbourhood.

The Blank Wall pic: Groundwork London

Lucy Geldard, Area Manager of Groundwork London said: “We hope that by enabling young people to help inform the design and consult with their peers, residents and traders, a true community art piece will be created, enjoyed and celebrated by all.”

After the conflict over famed east London street artist Roa’s rabbit piece in Hackney, Groundwork have stated that this is a community mural, not graffiti. This will be similar to the artwork by Koze commissioned by Clapton Girl’s School in July last year.

Selection criteria for applicants will depend on skills, artistic quality and the relevance of their previous work. The project is due to be finished by July 20.

To apply, visit the Groundwork London website, here.

Pic: Tillie Cox

Inspired by the success of previous designer and good cause collaborations, Hackney Council have commissioned some of London’s design talent to create bags for them.

The canvas shopping bags will be given to those who collect enough tokens from market stalls and independent shops. Every pound spent gets you one token, and you will need ten to redeem your bag.

The project is in a long line of similar collaborations: Uniqlo, Topshop and Marc Jacobs have all sold clothes for charity projects. There is also Anya Hindmarch’s ‘I’m Not a Plastic Bag’ canvas shopping bag, which sold out of stores nationwide in under an hour, going on eBay for hundreds of pounds a pop. The project was about raising awareness of an issue; in that case the number of plastic bags we use and then chuck away to landfill. Hackney Council’s latest drive to get people visiting its markets, as part of its ‘Love Hackney, Shop Local’ campaign, is on a much smaller scale.

Designers Mark Fast and William Richard Green are responsible for the first wave of bags up for grabs, which can be found this weekend at Ridley Road and Hoxton markets. Discussing his motivation for getting involved, Green explained: “I’ve had my studio in Hackney for 3 years so feel part of the community, and as a small business myself I really understand the driving force behind the campaign.” Two further bags by Atalanta Weller and Simone Rocha will be available in September.

Last weekend saw the first bags going out to visitors of Broadway and Chatsworth Road markets in the east London borough. By lunchtime, the 500 canvas totes given out from a small council trailer had gone. Stall holders were all surprised, if not slightly bemused, by how many people had inquired about the tokens. Anabela Osan, who works on a cake stall, said she couldn’t believe how soon her vouchers went.

Inés Sordo, 21, who lives in fashionable Shoreditch, had read about the bags in the council’s newsletter. Though she periodically visits Broadway market, she had come down specifically that day to get a William Richard Green bag, a designer she likes but can’t usually afford. She explained: “Unlike normal designer collaborations which tend to be for big charities, I like that 100% of my money is going to stall holders. I love Broadway market, it’s an important part of the neighbourhood”.

Like Hindmarch’s bag, the environmental factor is also important in this project. Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods for Hackney Council, explained that the bags were not just a means to get people to the markets, but also a way to encourage sustainable shopping: “reusable bags for shoppers to use instead of plastic bags”.

The bags tap into the modern day conscience perfectly: save the environment and the British high street in one go. As shoppers at Broadway market stashed freshly baked bread, packages of smoked salmon, olives and all the other treats that complete a lazy weekend shopping trip into the canvas bags, it was clear that another successful designer collaboration had taken place. Though naturally in this trendy part of London, there was no accompanying frenzy.

You can find the bags at Ridley Road Market on February 3 and Hoxton Market on February 4.

pic: oae.co.uk

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment performed to enraptured crowds in an intimate gig at The Amersham Arms last night.

With just three musicians on stage – one guitarist, one cellist and a keyboard player – the night formed part of their London Pub Tour, ‘The Night Shift’, which went off with a bang at St.George’s Tavern in Whitechapel on Tuesday.

The group’s unique ethos is reflected in their mission statement: Classical music minus the rules.

The gig was packed, showcasing pieces by Locatelli, Handel, Martini and Tartini, as well as the baroque composer Henry Purcell.

Local music lover Ray Stocks, 28, said, “It was such an unusual performance and I really enjoyed listening to this kind of music in a simple pub environment”.

“I will definitely keep an eye out for future gigs by these guys,” he added.

The group’s pub tour will continue with a performance at Paradise in Kensal Rise next Tuesday, before heading to Soho and Angel later this month.

For more info see: http://www.oae.co.uk/

Pic: Neeraj Shrivastava

Three up-and-coming artists have come together to display a diverse collection of artwork at Stoke Newington Library Gallery in Hackney.

‘Between the acres of rye’ is a showcase of work by Lauren Aston, Julia Hayes and Jennifer Hooper, opened on January 21 and will run until Thursday the 26.

The exhibition of the London-based artists , who met at Camberwell College of Art in 2001, revolves around timeless themes, such as memory, escapism and the imagination.

For the show, Aston collated a set of work which embraces many of these topics, looks at long standing ideas with a fresh approach.

Hayes is passionate about drawings, installations and textile pieces. Examinations of celebration, community, transgressions, rituals and human behaviour form the basis of her work in the exhibition.

Hooper explores the conception of the past and the complexity of recollection. She examines what is lost and found, what is kept and discarded.

EastLondonLines visited the exhibition and spoke to the artist’s about their work and the exhibtion. See what they had to say here;

by Ruddhi Abhyankar and Neeraj Shrivastava

Kojo with celebrity fan Simon Webbe and others Pic: Adelle Kalakouti

Hackney comedian Kojo returned to his home stage last weekend to perform his sell out show, ‘Live and Kicking’.  It was the 32 year-old’s first solo outing in five years and the comic did not disappoint.

Hackney Empire was jam-packed, with both the Friday and Saturday night shows sold out. Kojo’s hometown fans turned out in force to support him and to be part of his first live DVD recording.

Kojo, who grew up on Hackney’s Lea View House estate in Upper Clapton, had his audience in stitches, as he analysed the capital’s dating scene, unusual fashion habits, local politics and the London riots. Alongside his jokes the comedian addressed issues that he passionately believes need to change.

Kojo said: “I’m one of many urban voices that need to be heard, as the things politicians ignore are the things we’ve had to make jokes out of to stop us going crazy.”

The comic, radio presenter and now actor began his career at the Empire in Mare Street and has since moved on to become an international star.

Ricky Norwood, aka ‘Fatboy’ from ‘EastEnders’, London-based singer/songwriter Varren Wade, and Blue boy band member, Simon Webbe and his girlfriend, glamour model Maria Koukas, were just a few of the star-studded audience who turned out to show their support.

In an interview with SBTV, Kojo said: “I felt like the first DVD that I film I wanted it to be at my home theatre. I’m a local guy from Hackney, so if I can do my first DVD and take Hackney all across the world…then that’s really a positive thing for me, especially after the riots and everything.”

He presents the Choice FM daily breakfast show and hosts MTV shows such as, ‘The Fresh Prince of Hackney’, ‘Young Gods of Comedy’ and ‘Kojo’s Comedy Fun House’. Recently, his career took another turn when he decided to try his luck in the bright lights of cinema. He will appear in his first film, ‘The Knot’, a Noel Clarke production.

Kojo’s Live and Kicking DVD is set to be released at the end of the year by Revolver Entertainment.

'Your sadness is drunk' Pic: Zarina Bhimji / Whitechapel Gallery

An exhibition by British artist Zarina Bhimji has been launched at Whitechapel gallery.

Representing her work over the last 25 years this exhibition tracks her travels across Africa and India.

The graduate of Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, who was born in Uganda, brings to East London amazing landscapes, lightbox-pictures and two films. One film, Yellow Patch, focuses on architecture and landscapes from different places in India and the accompanying sound-scape is designed to immerse the audience further into the subject matter.

Bhimji describes her work as: “Not about the actual facts but about the echo they create, the marks, the gestures and the sound. This is what excites me.”

The exhibition also includes an early film from 2002, Out of Blue, filmed in Uganda and the pictures as sketches and development of the film.

The chief curator of the Whitechapel Gallery, Achim Borchardt-Hume, said: “Places are chosen for the photographs because it produces a particular reaction the artist’s mind.”

Nominated for a Turner Prize in 2007, Bhimji also exhibited at the Tate Modern in 2003.

The free exhibition will be running until March 14. Find out more on the gallery’s website.

Mint Vintage pic: Mint Vintage

A second boutique vintage clothes shop is due to open on Stoke Newington High Street as East End fashion spreads north. 

The Covent Garden based Mint Retro shop will be opening its second store in the Dalston area of Hackney in February.

Beyond Retro, another vintage retailer (mostly stocking American brands), opened a new flagship store on the same strip of the High Street in August last year. They have existing stores in Soho, Brick Lane and Brighton.

The new stores show a distinct change in character for the otherwise unglamorous strip of road which mainly consists of small grocery stores and restaurants. A spokesperson for Mint said: “Before it was Shoreditch and now it’s Dalston.”

There are already a number of vintage clothes stores just down the road amongst the cafes of  Stoke Newington Church St. They include Ribbons and Taylor (where  you can still pick up a bargain);  Strut which is mostly more expensive designer brands (it has also opened a more expensive branch just off Broadway Market) and relatively new arrival Dirty Blond.

Over Christmas, the shop where Mint is due to open, was used as a pop-up exhibition space by  owner, James Wright, who held a show there called The Vest is History.

The tongue-in-cheek show included a sale of string vests and a Bultaco Sherpa 250 motorbike, on sale for £3,500.

Folly for a flyover pic: Connor Walsh (Flickr)

A temporary construction set up in Hackney Wick last summer has been nominated in the architecture category of the Design of the Year Awards.

‘Folly for a Flyover’ was built and run by Assemble, a not-for-profit collective of architects and designers, in the space between the east and westbound traffic of the A12.

Dubbed the Oscars of the design world, the awards, hosted by the London Design Museum, showcase the most innovative and progressive designs from around the world.

Assemble used reclaimed and donated materials were to create their project, and presented a story of a building trapped under the motorway in the past.

For the six weeks the construction was on show, visitors could participate in workshops and explore nearby waterways on boat trips.

20,000 visitors came during the summer for the events which included cinema showings at night.

The Flyover project will be competing with pieces in Boston, China, Netherlands, Berlin and more from the UK.

Design Museum, Curator, Ria Hawthorn, told EastLondonLines: “Folly for a Flyover temporarily transformed an otherwise desolate, unused space under Hackney flyover into a hive of activity.

“It shows just how much can be achieved with a little funding and a lot of creativity and determination.”

For more information about the designs nominated visit www.designoftheyear.com.

Francesca Panetta at work pic: Hackney Podcast

Online docu-drama, Wild Hackney, has been nominated for best use of song and best online only audio drama in the first ever BBC Audio Drama Awards.

The awards aim to recognise the cultural importance of audio drama, on air and online, and will award radio shows from all around the UK.

The programme is part of a project called Hackney Podcast, set up in 2008 to represent the area’s cultural diversity with a range of podcasts.

One of Wild Hackney’s producers, Francesca Panetta, told EastLondonLines: “Being nominated for this BBC Award is interesting because it is in the drama category and we are exploring drama in new ways. Hackney Podcast is creating a new radio style combining fiction and reality.

“Winning this prize would suppose recognition of our podcast out of Hackney.”

David Tennant will be presenting the awards ceremony to be held on January 29 at the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House.

The board of judges includes famous actresses Maxine Peake and Imogen Stubbs, theatre critics Michael Billington and Susannah Clapp and the chief executive of the Royal Opera House, Lord Hall.

You can download the Wild Hackney podcast from iTunes. For more information visit www.hackneypodcast.co.uk

Events will be held across London, and it’s no surprise that there’s something going on in the EastLondonLines boroughs, with Rich Mix and the Hackney Picturehouse both involved.

Known as the best UK platform for cutting-edge independent film, the festival is famed for its cross-arts programming which gathers some of the most talented individuals in the country.

We’ve picked out some of the best flicks for an Eastender to see:

Mon 9, Hackney Picturehouse, 18.15

The Architecture of Re-Assurance

A selection of short films about architecture, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and guests from the world of architecture.

Wed 11, Museum of London at Docklands, 18.30

My Community

This screening will look at the themes of London’s past, present and future, delivering the hidden stories from the people and communities who often go unheard. Includes a documentary about a group of teenage refugees, questioning their identity in the capital.

Fri 13, Hackney Picturehouse Attic, 19.30

Branchage Soundtracks…Serafine Steer & Sam Steer: This Side of the Moon

This curious musical collective will be performing the London premiere of a performance by harpist and songwriter Serafina Steer, alongside animator Sam Steer’s new animation oddly entitled “Postman’s Familiar”. Followed by DJs till 1am.

Sat 14, Lomography Gallery Store East, 13.00

Lomography UK Present: Lomokino Filmaking Workshop

Shoot your very own short film, using a 35mm film camera. Only 12 per workshop – call 02074260999 to attend.

Sat 14, Richmix, 19.30

Whilygig Cinema and the Cabinet of Living Cinema Present: Making Tracks

Expect a unique blend of animation, music and experimental film at this “groundbreaking” short-film event which offers filmmakers the chance to have their work re-scored by a live band. Once for soundtrack fans all over.

Sun 15, Hackney Picturehouse, 12.45

Peccadillo Pictures Present: 9-Bob Note- En Short Films Showcasing Queer Cinema

A diverse mix of short films from up and coming new talent portraying queer characters in situations both funny and heart-rending, definitive and unique.

For full listings and ticket information, see here.