Arts Features Archive

Iconic grass roots music venue re-vamped by young volunteers

The 100-year-old facade of The Macbeth public house could have been carved from a Dickens tale- a sore thumb among …

by Lois Borny/ December 9, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Music/

Dick Whittington and His Cat: A pantomime take on Windrush at Hackney Empire

It’s 1948 in London, and if you swap the West Country for the West Indies, you have the two heroes of Dick Whittington …

by Clara Hill/ December 5, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Reviews/

It’s all in the feels: artist explores women and ageing in Tower Hamlets show

“It’s all in the feels,” said Àsìkò, a visual artist whose photographic work explores women and ageing. His work – …

by Kunyu Wang/ November 4, 2019/ Arts Features, Features, Tower Hamlets/

History of Printing in East London exhibition to open in Tower Hamlets

Printing has played an important role in history and has been shaping the country and its politics since the 1900s. …

by Bella White/ October 25, 2019/ Arts Features/

From Afro hair to Soul II Soul, exhibition celebrate’s Hackney’s black cultural history

For Rebecca Odell, seeing visitors connect with Hackney Museum’s latest exhibition on a personal level is one of the most …

by Yasmin Saffet-Marshall/ October 21, 2019/ Arts Features, Features, Hackney/

Poetry festival has Croydon rhyming

A poetry festival took place at Fairfield Halls in Croydon last weekend, showcasing and celebrating the power of the spoken …

by Joshua Statter/ October 16, 2019/ Arts Features, Croydon, Features, People/

Goldsmiths’ finest- Fine Art Lecturer named 2020 Artist in Residence for the National Gallery.

A senior lecturer in the department of Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London has been named 2020 Artist in Residence …

by Astra McKenzie/ September 5, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Lead Stories, Lewisham/

Bethnal Green Library, a Hackney housing estate and Whitechapel’s neuron pod shortlisted for architectural awards

The renovation of Bethnal Green Library and other east London building projects have been shortlisted for the New London Architecture …

by Lucia Fernanda Mesa Velez/ June 17, 2019/ Arts Features, Features, General Features/

Women’s equality, CLR James and the Russian revolution – documentary film festival comes to Lower Clapton

Hackney based education charity WORLDwrite will host a Mini Film Festival at its centre in Lower Clapton this Saturday to …

by Claudia Teng/ June 13, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features/

BRIT School students to perform for Street Live in Croydon this summer

Students from Croydon’s renowned BRIT School will be  performing on the streets of the borough this summer as part of …

by Sarah Benhamou/ June 12, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features, Music, Summer/

Independent publishers in East London

  More independent publishers are appearing across London. East London’s independent publishing scene is buzzing. Graphic novels, poetry, memoirs, and …

by Bobbi-Lee Wright/ June 3, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Croydon, Features, Hackney, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets/

Exhibition traces history of anti-racist movements in Whitechapel and Brick Lane

Photographs showing anti- racist movements in Whitechapel and Brick Lane, are on show in Tower Hamlets. The exhibition – Blood …

by Ayesha Rahman/ May 22, 2019/ Arts Features, Tower Hamlets/

Zero waste week: the best homemade products

We have searched the web for the best recipes to keep your lifestyle as zero waste as possible. Lesson learned …

by Nicolle Okoren/ April 17, 2019/ Arts Features, General Features/

Mad about Vintage: Celebrating vintage fashion in east London

 East London is the vintage fashion hub of the capital. Areas in the East End, such as Brick Lane …

by Millie Bull/ April 8, 2019/ Arts Features, Features, Lead Stories/

Operatic drama of the battle between two Queens opens in Stoke Newington

A new version of an Italian opera about the momentous relationship between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots is …

by Alisha Pilkington/ March 29, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features, Music/

Finding catharsis in conscious clubbing: no alcohol, no drugs and over 70’s are welcome

It’s 6.30pm, Wednesday night, and I just broke up with my boyfriend. It was like all of my organs were …

by Nicolle Okoren/ March 29, 2019/ Arts Features/

From Hackney’s music venues to a Croydon airfield, our cultural hotspots are mapped

Hackney is London’s musical borough according to a new cultural map of the capital. Published by City Hall, the map …

by Django Zimmatore/ March 28, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Data, Features, Uncategorized/

Artist who works in time and space builds sand mountains on British beaches

Scottish artist Katie Paterson speaks of her influences ranging from zen gardens to British architects, and gives a synopsis of …

by Zoe Ettinger/ March 27, 2019/ Arts Features, Features/

New light art installation transforms Hoxton bar into “Instagram heaven”

  A Hoxton bar has transformed itself into an art installation, creating what it claims is ‘an Instagram heaven’ for …

by Alisha Pilkington/ March 26, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features, News, Videos/

Art by teenagers with anxiety disorders goes on display in Lewisham

Art work created by young people from Lewisham who are struggling with anxiety disorders is to go on show later …

by Amanda Wahlqvist/ March 14, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Features, Local News, Uncategorized/

Nostalgic artwork showcases East London streets three decades on 

Doreen Fletcher had been painting East London street scenes for over 2 decades until she gave up in 2004, discouraged …

by Regiane Brandao/ January 29, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Society/

Got plans for the weekend?

COLLECTIVE CINEMA   Collective Cinema gives you the opportunity to see films in a different environment. St Margaret’s Church, Blackheath …

by Cheolan Jeong/ January 24, 2019/ Arts Features, What's On This Week/

Canary Wharf Winter Lights festival returns

Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival is back for its fifth year, with 21 installations made by artists from all over …

by Yao Fiona Zhang/ January 17, 2019/ Arts Features, Tower Hamlets/

Croydon suffragette inspires art exhibition

An exhibition celebrating the legacy of a Croydon suffragette has opened at Croydon Museum, created by the second artist in …

by Jemima Childs/ January 15, 2019/ Arts Features, Croydon/

Forgotten photographs of East London suffragettes go on display

Photographs revealing the forgotten story of the East London Federation of the Suffragettes  are to go on display for the …

by Olivia Campbell/ December 17, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features, People/

Rainbow broccoli crops up along Brick Lane as 3D street art

Rainbow broccoli has adorned Brick Lane for weeks now, bringing a 3D variation of street art to the already colourful …

by Briony Pickford/ December 17, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features/

Arts and media school celebrates first year in new home with Ofsted award and visit from Stormzy

Words and Images by Sam Hancock, Video by Zoe Ettinger The free school sixth form co-founded by brothers Charlie and …

by Sam Hancock/ December 14, 2018/ Arts Features, Education, Features, General Features, Music/

Nightingale estate’s Christmas panto unites older and younger residents

Residents of a crime and anti-social behaviour affected Hackney estate have collaborated with a community theatre company to create a …

by Gregory Robinson/ December 9, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features, Christmas, Hackney/

Project for singers with dementia celebrates 10th anniversary

Singers with dementia from the Turtle Song project performed with their companions and caretakers for their final show as part of their 10th …

by Victoria Brush/ December 6, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features, Hackney/

“We measure out our lives in the lives of our dogs”: a dog lover’s autobiography

After assembling four books of dog photographs and amassing the largest collection of photographs of dogs in the world, the …

by Sydney Diack/ December 5, 2018/ Arts Features, Features/

Art Student wins £5,000 award and exhibition in Shoreditch 

  An art student from Hackney Wick has won £5,000 and exhibition space in Shoreditch Gallery to allow her to continue her work …

by Briony Pickford/ December 4, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features, Hackney/

New performance of play designed to challenge mental health stereotypes

A play about mental health by a former social worker will have a one-off performance in Croydon this weekend. The …

by Parisa Borghei/ December 1, 2018/ Arts Features, Croydon/

Female Muslim art and poetry goes on show in Hackney

                      An exhibition seeking to challenge common misconceptions about Islam, …

by Ilaria Grasso-Macola/ December 1, 2018/ Arts Features, Hackney/

Artists’ work goes on show to celebrate 20 years of print making studio

Prints of work by more than 70 artists, ranging from the traditional to experimental, are to go on show in …

by Olivia Campbell/ November 30, 2018/ Arts Features, Features, Tower Hamlets/

Street art duo launch geometric inspired exhibition

A street art duo, known for their highly detailed geometric line paintings and drawings, and who have worked with the likes …

by Zoe Ettinger/ November 28, 2018/ Arts Features, Tower Hamlets, Videos/

Oh no, it isn’t? Oh yes, it is! Hackney Empire’s panto celebrates 20th anniversary with Aladdin

In the land of Ha-Ka-Nay outside of Old Peking, a young street urchin is trying to find love and fortune.  …

by Victoria Brush/ November 28, 2018/ Arts Features, Features/

Saddle up! Bicycle Film Festival rides back into Hackney

The Bicycle Film Festival is returning to Hackney this weekend, featuring four nights of bicycle-themed films and panel debates. The …

by Victoria Brush/ November 22, 2018/ Arts Features, Features/

Community cinema appeals for public support after two arthouse rivals open

A small, independent Croydon cinema has been forced to make an appeal to the local community for support in the …

by Claudia Glover/ November 21, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features, Croydon/

Botanical Bodies: celebrating the female form with plants and flowers

It gives a whole new meaning to the idea of life drawing class. Londoners can now paint on naked human …

by Klaudia Ondrejova/ July 11, 2018/ Arts, Arts Features, Hackney, Meet The Traders/

The make-up artist who makes her dreams into creatures of fantasy and horror

If you enter the East London studio of speciality make-up artist Jennifer Drew its best to be prepared for the …

by Lisa-Marie Krey/ July 10, 2018/ Arts Features/