East festival showcase of talent in east london

By Tom Derbyshire on February 15, 2008 1:35 PM |

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A SPOTLIGHT will shine on the wealth of creative talent to be found in east London during a six-day festival.

The art, theatre, history, film, food and fashion of the area will be showcased in the Mayor of London’s EAST Festival which kicks off on March 6.

Venues including the Museum in Docklands, British Film Institute, Spitalfields Market, Whitechapel Gallery and Stratford Circus have collaborated to produce more than 400 events exploring the vibrant cultural life of the area.

The London Gay Men’s Chorus will be singing in the galleries late into the evening at the Museum in Docklands on March 6.

Iain Sinclair, author of London Orbital and London: City of Disappearances, will also be at the West India Quay museum to give his personal take on east London.

And there will be a rare chance to see Colour on the Thames, a film of 1930s east London in colour, at the museum on March 8.

There will be something for everyone at Stratford Circus where Polka Theatre’s production Brilliant will provide entertainment for children and East London Dance will perform two energetic productions Blueprint and Local International.

The venue will also be celebrating World Book Day on March 6.

Hackney Empire Studio Theatre, Old Truman Brewery, Rich Mix and Toynbee Hall are among other venues taking part.

Mark Prescott, head of cultural campaigns at the Greater London Authority, said: “The power of EAST is contained in the cultural partners, large and small, the shops, the restaurants and bars, the vibrancy of the street life and the real presence of creative artists everywhere.

“Our aim for EAST is to shine a light on this creativity, encourage new relationships, and bring the unique quality of east London to ever-larger audiences around the world.”

Story by Lucy Walters
lucy.walters@wharf.co.uk