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Welcome to our creative half-term extravaganza for all residents and visitors of Tower Hamlets!

This week is designed to be an enjoyable, relaxing, inspiring and invigorating treat for the community, and you are welcome to spend all day, every day. Your reports of the week will be the envy of anyone who went away for half term break!

Exhibition, creative stations and all special events are free (suggested donations in some instances).
How to get to the Art Pavilion (just a stone's throw from Mile End station)
ART INSTALLATION AND PAINTINGS
22-29 October, 11am-6pm daily
Birgit Rehsies: "Elizabeth Garrett Anderson: The first woman to qualify as a doctor in Britain" (work in progress)
​Photo credit: Birgit Rehsies
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Andrew Wyatt: "G Kelly Pie & Mash Shop"
Photo credit: Andrew Wyatt
Customers of the Look Ahead Day Care Centre: "Under the Sea" (from the recycled materials series)
​Photo credit: Look Ahead
Throughout the week you can walk through a forest of art banners covering unknown and/or fascinating facts about the Borough's past, present and future, made by 20+ artists, as well as see beautifully rendered paintings by local artists portraying Tower Hamlets from many unusual perspectives and a display of art from recycled materials, made by customers of the Look Ahead Day Care Centre just up the road from the Art Pavilion.

Please note: There will be Bengali translations of all work descriptions available at the Art Pavilion.
CREATIVE STATIONS
22-29 October, 11am-6pm daily
Photo credit: Art Catcher
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Our three relaxing and fun creative activity stations are free to join all day every day, one being a giant bottle top mosaic of the borough, made of plastic bottle tops, which we will create with your help. In the mosaic we will incorporate your personal memories. So please get collecting plastic lids of all shapes and colours, give them a quick rinse and just bring them along! It's as easy as helping to lay a giant puzzle and similarly as therapeutic. The bottle top mosaic project will be permanently installed as a public art piece in the borough after the half term week. The project is generously supported by Jerram Falkus Constructors.

Other creative offers: Write a local news story or turn the silhouette of Tower Hamlets into a creature!
EVENTS

MEET THE ARTISTS
Saturday 22 October, 5-6pm
Enjoy a soft drink or a glass of wine, have a look around the show and chat to the artists involved about the thoughts and research behind their contributions. 
OPENING CONCERT: JULI SZATMARI – SINGER SONGWRITER
Saturday 22 October, 6-7.30pm
Photo credit and copyright: Silke Wedler
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Juli Szatmari is a well-established Hungarian singer-songwriter performing her own songs on a guitar. Inspired by bossa nova, jazz, blues, rock and pop, she combines these elements in her music. Telling stories of her own life, but also writing about current political and socio-critical issues, you can await a funny but serious, feather-light but deep concert. Juli is currently working on her second album titled "Monkey Business", which will include some tracks performed by a string quartet exclusively, like the track "Be Loved": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2_-P11IX1Y.

Feel free to bring a picnic blanket or soft cushions for you and friends/family to be as comfortable as possible for maximum enjoyment of the concert! But we also have chairs of course! Suitable for all ages.

Entry is free but we are grateful for a suggested donation of £4 or whatever you can comfortably give (cash only).

BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE.
DANCE FUN FOR ALL
Monday 24 October, 1-2pm
Photo credit: Look Ahead
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This inclusive dance session will allow everyone to explore and express their creative side.

We’ll use a variety of sensory props to encourage people to share their own movement style, ensuring accessibility for all.
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Led by professional dancer and Look Ahead’s support worker Georgina Caird, this therapeutic dance session will open up new ways to be unlock creativity.
TOWER HAMLETS – LIVES AND STORIES
by ART CATCHER LTD and ROMAN ROAD TRUST
Wed 26 October, 6-8pm
Photo credit: Art Catcher Ltd
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LIFE STORIES INTERVIEWS
Katja Rosenberg of Art Catcher Ltd has interviewed some residents of The Sanctuary Care Home Mile End about their lives and will share some the fascinating memories she has been told.
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(30 min)

Refreshments
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​REDISCOVERING THE BOW HERITAGE TRAIL
You have probably noticed the blue and gold plaques dotted around Bow that mark the many histories of our neighbourhood. Some are found on bridges whilst others can be seen above shopfronts and houses. They are part of the Bow Heritage Trail, created in 1990 by Tower Hamlets Council. But have you ever wanted to see other local histories, stories and individuals celebrated in the trail?

Roman Road Trust has been ‘Rediscovering the Bow Heritage Trail’ to create a revitalised version of the current Bow Heritage Trail. The new trail mixes the well-known and well-loved histories of the East End, with more recent, diverse and personal stories that have been collected from local people. Join us to find out how we created our new Bow Heritage Trail and how you can follow it yourself. 

Presented by Rosie Vincent, Managing Director of Roman Road Trust and Alastair Owens, Professor of Historical Geography at Queen Mary University of London and President of The Geographical Association.
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(40 min)
THE CROFTON SINGERS: AT HOME IN TOWER HAMLETS 
Thursday 27 October, 6-7pm
Photo credit: Crofton Singers/Greg Hartwell
The Crofton Singers choir, which has been singing for 75 years (not with original members) is delighted to be ‘at home’ in the Art Pavilion to bring you a varied selection of pieces from its current repertoire.

These will include:
  • A couple of early Italian pieces from the 16th century
  • Half a dozen from the 19th century – including two that were sung during the Queen’s funeral services ‘Jesu, the very thought of Thee’ by Edward Bairstow and ‘My soul, there is a country’ by Hubert Parry
  • Plus four by Ralph Vaughan Williams whose birth 150 years ago is being celebrated this year, two of his great settings of traditional English folk songs plus two of his own compositions including his famous ‘Linden Lea’ and the rousing ‘Valiant-for-truth’ first performed during the war in 1942
  • The programme would not be complete without a further half a dozen close harmony arrangements by the choir's renowned musical director of well known popular songs.

The choir feels exceptionally privileged to be led by Jonathan Rathbone and to enjoy his inventive and exciting arrangements that brought him and his Swingle Singers international fame.

The Crofton Singers are very grateful for the invaluable support of Action for Bow that enables them to bring you this free concert and a glass of wine in Tower Hamlets – where they feel very much ‘at home’.

BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE.
INTERACTIVE CONCERT: GUITAR AND CREATION – TUOMO KARJALAINEN 
Two sessions:
Sat 29 October, 11am-noon
Sat 29 October, 6-7pm
Photo credit: Tuomo Karjalainen
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As a fine conclusion to our half term week, Finnish guitar artist Tuomo Karjalainen will be playing for approximately 45mins, and he is inviting you to write poetry, make a painting, or create in any art form that you desire while he plays. No previous skill required – just come along and have some fun and enjoy the ride. When we interact with other art mediums, sometimes surprising things come out. We’ll have some pens, paper and crayons available if you don’t have any materials with you. 

And if you're not inclined to create any art, you can also just come and just watch the performance!

All ages and skill levels welcome.

Entry is free but we are grateful for a suggested donation of £4 or whatever you can comfortably give (cash only).

BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE.

The event is kindly supported by Weekend Witch Social Media.