Wharf Life, Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022

+ Bullards Gin on how to make a special version of a pina colada Page 16

Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

inside issue 68

Sadler’s Wells East - The Shipwright Bamboo Bicycle Club - Just Vibez Gelato A Casa - Conscious Cuisine The Lucky Dog Pictureshouse Wharf Life Hacks - Natasha Maddison Kidd Rapinet Solicitors - Puzzles

take an in-depth look at dock swimming in Canary Wharf with Love Open Water’s Chess Roffe Ridgard Pages 6-10

lovely come on in, the water’s

celebrating the best of Canary Wharf, Docklands and the new east London people - events - treasure - property - foolishness

Fast, affordable, conveyancing services Call our team on 020 7205 4021 or email cmiller@kiddrapinet.co.uk, ypatel@kiddrapinet.co.uk or mzvarykina@kiddrapinet.co.uk

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feast your eyes on these

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

GIG | Jo O’Meara Bradley may have swung, Rachel may have done her thing, but S Club 7’s Jo always had the flow and she’s bringing it here for an acoustic session.

Aug 10, 9pm, from £19, boisdale.co.uk

Welcome to the 68th issue of Wharf Life. While the most recent heatwave looks to be in the rear view mirror, climate change means we can expect plenty more so this paper features a few ways to cool off – from diving into the dock at the heart of the Wharf to grabbing Greek gelato at Republic...

05

Wharf Life Hacks to make your time on the estate a bit sweeter

Where?

Canary Wharf Secret Location

06

GIG | Sofar Sounds August sees the last chance in the current run to get involved with these pop-up gigs. Each concert features three short sets in a mystery location.

Aug 10, 24, 8pm, £22, canarywharf.com

Everything you need to know about swimming in Middle Dock in summer

Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

GIG | Loose Ends A 1980s dose of r’n’b is set to arrive at Canary Wharf thanks to a pair of performances from Loose Ends. Expect Hanging On A String and Slow Down.

Aug 11-12, 9.30pm, from £19, boisdale.co.uk

38

Cool off with a wide selection of sweet treats at Gelato A Casa on the Republic campus in Blackwall. Find out why directors Theo and Elvira want people to try as many flavours as possible for free

flash back

12

Celebrating Canary Wharf's Conscious Cuisine initiative

the joy of six

44 As Canary Wharf sails towards a future as a health and life sciences cluster, we catch up with government-owned Genomics England ahead of their move to One Canada Square on the estate later in the year genomicsengland.co.uk Scan this code to read our interview with Genomics England CEO Chris Wigley at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

Discover the Bamboo Bicycle Club with founder James Marr

17

Don’t miss that Help To Buy deadline, coming up on October 31

Every issue Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 37

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Editorial email info@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300 Advertising email jess.maddison@wharf-life.com call 07944 000 144

Our editorial team works hard to ensure all information printed in Wharf Life is truthful and accurate. Should you spot any errors that slip through the net or wish to raise any issues about the content of the publication, please get in touch and we will investigate

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

3

Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

need to know

50%

Not in the water, but on it, the APP World Tour City Paddle Festival returns to Canary Wharf from August 18-21 with a bunch of events on offer including Yoga, a race down the Thames and a Nautical Mile corporate challenge in Middle Dock appworldtour.com

42 Billed as: “The funfair, exactly like you don’t remember” Fairgame is set to open in September – a 15,500sq ft venue filled with classic fairground attractions, street food and bars where Davy’s and The Merchant used to be. We can’t wait. wearefairgame.com

Located in Cabot Place, there’s still an up to 50% off sale on at Calvin Klein Underwear – perfect if you need to bust out a branded waistband on a hot day calvinklein.co.uk

40

How Just Vibez is set to take over Greenwich Peninsula for two days

How living communally improves the work made by The Shipwright

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£25

46

Uchenna Dance creative director Vicki Igbokwe tells us how east London youngsters can be part of her show Our Mighty Groove to mark the opening of Sadler’s Wells East

Crossrail Place-based The Breakfast Club has launched bottomless booze deals with meals on Thurs-Sat, from 5pm until late Expect to pay £25 for 90 minutes thebreakfastclubcafes.com

TELEGRAPH

THE MULTI TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

MUST END 3 SEPTEMBER • BOOK NOW ANYTHINGGOESMUSICAL.CO.UK

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

words you don’t know you need

trusst

noun, fake, from Old Norse subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox each week for free

Ersatz form of trust placed in a series of individuals vying for power as the next leader of the United Kingdon in the expectation that they will at some point discover the national interest and act in it

Find beauty bargains from Boots and Aldi to help save a few pennies while still looking fabulous

style it

write me

I

t’s no secret that the UK is experiencing a cost of living crisis right now, with soaring prices for fuel, energy, and even butter. Household monthly outgoings are now the highest they have ever been with disposable income at an all time low. This makes writing a fashion and beauty column a little frivolous when considering what some families are going through. So I’ve decided to do something tiny to try and help – to share my bargain beauty finds in the hope that I can inspire a few people to swap to these and make some savings.

stellify verb, real, from Latin

>> First up is a brand I’ve written about previously – The Ordinary. It’s excellent value and found in Boots in Jubilee Place and Canada Place. Post-moisturiser, I apply The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer (£7.70 for 30ml) to my face to create a smooth base for my make-up. Its lightweight, serum-like texture goes on smoothly, and a little goes a long way. The glass dropper bottle gives it a luxury feel, far beyond its actual price tag.

Next up, once the primer has dried, I apply The Ordinary Coverage Foundation (£5.90 for 30ml). I need decent coverage for my uneven skin and, having tried more costly products from Estee Lauder, YSL, and Dior, I much prefer this one. It’s lighter on my pocket, but still achieves good coverage of any blemishes. It lasts well throughout the day and doesn’t settle into fine lines. Did I mention it comes in 36 shades?

Literally to change into a star.

While the recent heatwave might feel like the start of the process, rest assured, while climate change might result in the extinction of our species, actually becoming a star is unlikely

>> Collection Colour Lash All Day Wear Colour Mascara in clear is a product I have been using since I was 15. It’s £2.49 for 8ml, although it was cheaper when I was a teenager.

The pocket money price obviously appealed to me at the time, but I’ve stuck with it through the years. It’s a great multipurpose product that I wear on my lashes alone, or as a primer for a black mascara. I mainly use it on my brows though. In the 1990s, it was essential to keep my overplucked hairs perfectly in place, but now I use it to create a fluffy fuller look. This product is also available in Boots. >> Aldi supermarket is a great place for bargain hunters – especially the brand’s famous middle aisle. There’s one on Greenwich High Road, locally. The brand has done some great beauty dupes in recent years, such as the Lacura Highlighter (£4.99) – a version of Benefit’s Cookie Powder (£27.50). It’s great for contouring and even comes with a brush just like its more expensive counterpart.

Also worth throwing in your trolley is Aldi’s Lacura Too Legit Mascara (£5.99) a dupe for Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara (£22). It lasts all day without flaking and gives incredible length to lashes. What’s more, it’s waterproof and has a curling effect.

Have you helped your loved ones to help you?

Health conditions can change your future and your capacity to make decisions but creating a Lasting Power of Attorney ensures you control who makes decisions on your behalf should you be unable to do so.

Download our FREE Guide to Making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)

>> Lastly, another brilliant go-to for beauty brand dupes is W7, also stocked in Boots. They do a selection of eyeshadow palette tins, very similar to those made by the L’Oreal-owned brand, Urban Decay.

My favourite is the W7 Nudification Wear It And Bare It Pressed Pigment Palette (£6.50). This is a far cry price-wise from Urban Decay’s range of naked palettes, priced from £39.50 to £46.

The palette encases 16 super-pigmented complementary shades that can be mixed to create the perfect smoky eye.

It’s my go-to for nights out – or in, as the case may be.

kiddrapinet.co.uk/understandinganlpa

Your options can start here.

Download our free guide or book a free consultation with our private client team. Call 020 7205 2896 or request an appointment online at kiddrapinet.co.uk

AY L E S B U RY

FARNHAM

HI GH W YCOM BE

Natasha Maddison @pazzanatasha on Insta LO N DO N

M A IDE N H E A D

S LO U G H

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

mental health

Bulldog, £225 Orlebar Brown, Jubilee Place orlebarbrown.com

The Fandangoe Skip x The Loss Project, Jul 21-Aug 6 Following on from the Fandangoe Whip, which visited Canary Wharf in October, The Fandangoe Skip is set to pop up in Jubilee Park over the next couple of weeks. Created with the aim of smashing taboos around mental health, grief and loss, the installation delivers ice cream and a programme of free therapeutic workshops, talks and events to support people in opening up about their problems. While there is no charge for the sessions on offer, some require pre-booking as there is limited space and donations are actively encouraged to support the work of the various groups and individuals involved Go to canarywharf.com for full listings

diary dates and ideas to make your Canary Wharf life sweeter...

These mid-length swim shorts are certainly not a budget option for slipping on before a session at Middle Dock. However, the Night Iris, cerulean print will certainly stand out on the dockside, so if it’s eyeballs you care about, these could be perfect.

peacock vs speed If you’re to swim in the dock, you may be in need of new threads – we’ve picked out two high-end options with very different design aims...

Zip-Back Paddle Suit, £118 Lululemon, Jubilee Place lululemon.co.uk This is no performance wetsuit but style-wise it communicates a certain intent by the wearer.

Suitable for swimming and a multitude of other watersports, this suit offers a high level of protection from the sun with UV blocking fabric and a high neck design. Stylish and professional this is a practical garment that is not only perfect for diving into the dock, but will also double as appropriate clothing when the APP World Tour comes to Canary Wharf (see P3)

GIG - Jide Kuti Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Jul 30, 1pm-5pm, free canarywharf.com

E

bullards pineapple, ginger & lime gin

Catch the last artist in Canary Wharf’s Crossrail Acoustic Sessions season as Jide Kuti brings his music to the stage in partnership with Busk In London. Billed as a gentle soul with a rough voice, Jide describes himself as “your friendly neighbourhood singersongwriter” so we assume he’s a little like Spiderman but with a guitar. His set is sure to include latest track You’re Not Special.

FOOD - The Lunch Market Montgomery Square (near 640 East), Thursdays, noon-3pm, until Sept canarywharf.com Tired of the same old Pret sandwich? Just can’t stomach another vegan sausage roll from Greggs? Have no fear, The Lunch Market at Montgomery Square has Wharfers’ backs every Thursday from noon-3pm with a potent selection of street food businesses all curated by pop-up dining specialist Karnival. Where else can you find giant pans of paella on the estate?

>

Find us on Mall Level -1, Cabot Place, Canary Wharf for a free gin sample

bullardsspirits.co.uk

@bullardsgin

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

8

Metres to the bottom of Middle Dock from the surface of the water – in places it’s possible to see right to the bottom Chess launches herself into the pristine water of Middle Dock from Love Open Water’s

pontoon at Mackenzie Walk where all swimming sessions in Canary Wharf begin

in diving

Image by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

how Canary Wharf Group and Love Open Water is opening up Middle Dock for dips

by Jon Massey

J

ust as I arrived at Middle Dock in Canary Wharf to interview Chess Roffe Ridgard, she saved a life. A smallish pigeon had fallen into the water and was having difficulty making it out.

In seconds the bird was scooped up by Love Open Water’s head of development, brought to dry land and placed safely in the shade to dry off – the temperature was in the high 20s, after all.

Later, without so much as a thank you, it flew off to wherever pigeons make their homes in east

London. That little bedraggled animal owes its continued existence to Canary Wharf Group and Love Open Water – a welcome unintended consequence of their project.

The two organisations – working in partnership with the Canal And River Trust, which is responsible for managing the docks – have teamed up to deliver a programme of swimming over the summer.

While these aren’t the first watersports sessions to take place in the dock, this is the first sustained access offered to the general public with a full complement of life guards, a booking

system and expert staff on hand to offer tips, advice and point out the best spots to watch fish sunbathing in the depths.

“I swam competitively as a pool swimmer in the Midlands when I was younger,” said Chess, who is heading up the initiative for Love Open Water. “I’m a proud Mansfield girl and trained with Becky Adlington who was one of our golden girls in the 2012 Olympics. I’ll say it now, she was faster than me, but I wouldn’t have admitted it at the time. Then a kidney infection left me unable to train, so I found myself in the music industry.

“I used to work with a lot of

famous DJs and bands, and I did that for a long time. Then I found open water swimming about five or six years ago and I’ve never looked back.

“It became so important to me to help other people, and for them to find a mental health boost from this sport. Having seen how it really brings joy to people’s lives made me want to become involved, so I quit my job in music and here I am.”

With cold, deep water – typically eight metres to the bottom – safety is Chess and her team’s top priority. Having operated at numerous venues, including continued on Page 8

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

7

‘NOTHING MATCHES IT’ N E W YO R K TI M E S

THE MUSICAL BOOK

DENNIS KELLY

MUSIC & LYRICS

TIM MINCHIN

SEE IT THIS SUMMER MatildaTheMusical.com #MatildaPose

CAMBRIDGE THEATRE, LONDON WC2H 9HU

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

from Page 6 east London’s Royal Docks, Love Open Water uses the NOWCA safety system to keep track of exactly who’s in or out and to provide insurance for those swimming.

“Love Open Water was set up to simply create safe spaces for people to swim outdoors,” said Chess. “The idea is that by using this system we can open more blue spaces to swimmers of all abilities and build community hubs around them so there’s a real social aspect to what we do.

“That’s in contrast to swimming pools, which are very controlled and quite clinical. Love Open Water is about getting that community feel, about going out and enjoying the outdoors and the water.

“At Canary Wharf the distances available vary depending on how many safety staff we have working because that’s the key to everything we do. We have either a 300m loop, a 500m loop or a 600m loop that goes right to the end of the dock underneath the DLR bridge.

“Before I came here I’d swum under a few aqueducts before, but

never under a railway bridge with trains running on it.

“The staff at Canary Wharf Group have been absolutely phenomenal – they came up with the idea to activate the dock as part of the work they are doing to get more people in and on the water here.

“They were looking for people to help them to do that and, having put forward our ideas and shown them what we’ve been doing at our other sites, we were lucky enough to be chosen to work with them on this project.

“We hope that this is just the start – we have this trial for the first few months but we’d love to make sure it’s a facility that’s accessible to as many people as possible – we have big plans.

“We’d love to operate at this venue all year round – a million percent yes.

“Cold water swimming is hugely beneficial for mental and physical health. We’ve run winter swimming at our London Royal Dock site for about 10 years, and we’ve seen the popularity of that go through the roof.

“During the pandemic we were only able to operate for a month and a half over the winter, but we saw our membership increase

£8

Cost of a single swim session in Middle Dock with NOWCA membership

Photography Competition 2022 Win up to £1,500 in Canary Wharf Gift Cards Photographers of all ages and abilities are invited to enter the Canary Wharf Photography Competition, with the chance to win up to £1,500 in Canary Wharf Gift Cards. There are four adult categories this year – Art & Architecture, Transport & Travel, Up Close and Personal with Nature & Wildlife and Water. There are also two Junior contests for ages 5–11 and 12–17 with gift card prizes of £250 plus a camera.

The deadline for submissions is 16th September at 5pm.

Go to canarywharf.com/photography to enter

Loops of 300m, 500m and 600m are available at Middle Dock when staffing allows and swimmers can stay in as long as they like

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

9

Canary Wharf

The water quality here is absolutely incredible. We run eight sites and assist with 40 – we’ve never seen quality this good Chess Roffe Ridgard, Love Open Water

by 450% and swim attendance jump by 380%. Those are massive numbers and it shows just how important cold water exposure has become to people.

“It’s all been driven by programmes on the BBC – but we’re here to show people the safest ways to get in and out of the water and to help them understand about hypothermia and the risk of cardiac arrest.

“People need to know that jumping in and swimming off fast are two of the most dangerous things you can do regardless of the time of year or the temperature.

“When you’re immersed in cold water quickly everything tightens up and that puts additional pressure on your heart, so if you try and swim off quickly, you’re at a very high risk of cardiac arrest.

“Remember, don’t jump in, don’t swim off quickly and if you get into trouble, float to live, lie on your back, keep your head relaxed, focus on your breathing and call for help.”

Sessions at Middle Dock cost £8 (or £7 for a pack of 10) for unlimited time in the water. Participants must also be NOWCA members, which costs £15 a year.

Swimmers must wear brightly coloured caps or use a tow float so lifeguards can easily see them.

Westsuits are not compulsory but are advised when water temperatures fall below 15ºC. “Safety is very important to us, but we also hope swimmers will come away feeling that they’ve learnt something that they can use elsewhere at other venues or when they’re on holiday,” said Chess.

“All of our lifeguards are open water trained – this is beyond the level of those looking after indoor pools. We’d actually love pool lifeguards who are interested in working with us to come down and see us, because we provide that extra training for a job that’s in the great outdoors local to where they live.

“We’ll also offer a range of courses including a first-time dippers session in a couple of weeks so whether you’re a head-up breast-stroker or a front crawler used to bashing out lengths in the pool, you can come and swim here.

“We can teach you all about sighting, turning round the buoys and swimming in a straight line – which seems to be the thing that eludes people most when they first hit open water.

“I’ll also be doing a front crawl masterclass, where I promise participants that I’ll blow their minds at least five times with the things they’re doing wrong in their stroke.”

Anyone who lives or works locally will have seen rubbish floating in the docks and knowing that they’re filled from the Thames might make prospective swimmers think twice about

taking the plunge. It’s unrealistic to expect any body of open water to be completely free from floating debris – even outdoor swimming pools have to have filters – but that doesn’t mean the docks aren’t suitable for swimming.

With regular testing in place, the latest results show Middle Dock’s water rates “excellent” under the EU Bathing And Water Regulations 2013.

“The water quality here is absolutely incredible,” said Chess.

“We run eight different sites around the UK and assist with 40 others and we have never seen quality this good.

“The Royal Docks are also very clean so we thought it would be good, but you can see down to the bottom and that’s incredibly rare with an industrial open water space like this.

“Rubbish really isn’t a concern in terms of health and I cannot stress that enough. When the tests are done, we look at the general water quality and the two things we’re looking for are e. coli and intestinal enterococci bacteria.

“Under the regulations for e. coli, for example, you can have up to 500 units found in the test water and it’s still considered continued on Page 10

Chess test: For a bit of fun, Love Open Water asks swimmers to guess which bottles are tap, mineral water and dock

Are your customers wasting their summer on hold with customer support?

Create more time for fun with anywhere, anytime self-service options. www.creativevirtual.com info@creativevirtual.com 020 7719 8332

10

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

legal matters

by Richard Peter Tymkiw

Q A

What are the things to bear in mind when striking an agreement between two parties?

What follows is not comprehensive, but rather a summary of key considerations to bear in mind when making agreements or striking bargains of any kind:

l Statements before the contract is made If something important is said before you sign and persuades you to go ahead, then causes loss, you may have a claim for misrepresentation. This is quite apart from anything that the contract may have to say.

People need to know that jumping in and swimming off fast are two of the most dangerous things you can do Chess Roffe Ridgard, Love Open Water

l The entire agreement Many businesses seek to restrict or exclude any liability for anything not set out within the terms of their contract. For instance it may contain a sentence which states “This is the entire agreement”.

But is it? Sometimes contracts will contain a digital link to other terms and conditions. Those too form part of the contract. You might not have been so aware unless you looked closely at the fine print. Such supplemental material could well affect your rights, expectations and obligations. l Cooling off period When you purchase something which you have not physically seen, the law stipulates that there must be a “cooling off period” from the date of your purchase. The statutory minimum is 14 days; this means that you can change your mind and cancel the agreement without penalty. You need not give a reason for doing so. l Termination and cancellation Some of the most important parts of the agreement may be highlighted. Some enlightened organisations take care to ensure that important items are contained in bold type. Satisfy yourself as to your rights and liabilities when it comes to cancellation. l Consumer Rights Act 2015 This Act applies where there is an agreement between a trader and consumer for the trader to supply goods, digital content or services. Such contracts, broadly put, include sales, hire of goods, hire purchase or the transfer of goods, allowing for some very specific exceptions.

Section 9 requires any goods to be of satisfactory quality. Section 10 requires them to be fit for their particular purpose. Section 11 requires them to match their description. Any attempt by a trader to exclude or restrict its liability in relation to these duties is outlawed by Section 31.The Act provides a number of remedies for breach and stipulates that contract terms and notices must be fair. l Reputation It may be also instructive to do a little research before you commit.

Take stock of what is said on the internet in relation to a particular organisation’s reputation and other customers’ reviews.

Richard Peter Tymkiw is a family lawyer and the senior litigation partner at Kidd Rapinet LLP based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs Scan this code to find out more about the full range of legal services available at Kidd Rapinet’s Canary Wharf branch

Chess says open water swimming has benefits for both mental and physical health Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

from Page 9 safe to swim in. Here the reading was seven. That’s how exceptionally clean it is. That’s why it’s rated at the equivalent of a Blue Flag beach. We even challenge people when they come here. We have three unmarked bottles.

“One is tap water, one is dock water and one is mineral water.

You line them up and you just cannot tell the difference.

“The clarity is amazing. Middle Dock is between five and eight metres deep and when you look down you can see absolutely everything. However clear you think it’s going to be, times that by 100 and you’ll still be surprised. When you look down,

there’s old dock infrastructure, bits of pillar, green weed – but nothing that touches you – it’s all at the bottom.

“When you get to the eightmetre bits, all you can see is darkness, like you’re looking into the night sky, with flashes of light reflecting off the bottom – it’s just stunning.

“One of my favourite spots is a place I like to think fish go to sunbathe and meet their future partners.”

Go to loveopenwater.co.uk

Scan this to find out more about Love Open Water

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

food and drink for the

why Canary Wharf has teamed up with five restaurants to help boost sustainability Canary Wharf Group has teamed up with five restaurants on the estate for its Conscious Cuisine initiative. Hawksmoor, Humble Grape, Gaucho, Caravan and Pergola On The Wharf have all created dishes using food that would normally go to waste or have launched offers aimed at mitigating the business’ environmental impact. The dishes and drinks will be available until at least August 11, with the aim being to raise awareness of sustainability issues in hospitality. Here we list the options so Wharfers can decide over the next three pages, which they’d like to sample for themselves...

humble grape

gaucho

Mackenzie Walk, humblegrape.co.uk

Westferry Circus, gauchorestaurants.com Gaucho Canary Wharf, which overlooks the Thames, promises familiar tastes with environmentally friendly ingredients.

Its Conscious Cuisine offering features a cocktail, a main and a side to try...

Flor Del Mundo To reduce the carbon emissions embedded in growing and importing lemons this cocktail uses a substitute made from food grade natural acids. Alongside this, The Botanist Gin donates £1 from every cocktail sold to charity Not For Sale which works on community reforestation projects that help remove at-risk individuals from the dangers of modern-slavery - £12

Humble Grape executive chef Dane Barnard has created a trio of dishes for Conscious Cuisine – all available at the wine bar, bottle shop and restaurant at Canary Wharf. Fancy feasting on these?

Buttered Lettuce This salad uses ingredients from Crate To Plate grown hydroponically and aeroponically, in disused spaces across London. These methods use 96% less water than traditional soil farming and growing happens within three miles of Gaucho’s sites. Ingredients are delivered by electric vehicle with a zero plastic policy on its no-waste packaging - £5.50

Root Veg Bhaji, Herb Sauce Whether it’s vegetable peelings, trimmings or seeds, nothing gets thrown away when making this dish. The sauce is made from leaves and stems - £8 Pork Croquette, Tomato Aioli This dish features often underused meat. A pig’s head is braised until tender, fried and served with an aioli made of tomato pulp and eggs - £9.50 Tempura Cod Tongue, Cauliflower Leaf Kimchi Cod tongue is a delicacy in Norway but mostly goes to waste in the UK. Here they are battered and transformed into a crunchy tempura, served with kimchi made of cauliflower leaves that often go ignored - £9

Top, Dane Barnard preparing Humble Grape’s three dishes, pictured above

Above, Colita De Lomo and Flor Del Mundo. Below, Buttered Lettuce

Colita De Lomo Gaucho is undertaking a project to improve the sustainability of the beef it serves – such as this unusual, little-used cut – and has calculated the carbon footprint of this meat, all the way from farms in Argentina, to its restaurants in the UK. With this information, the brand has invested in carbon offsetting projects with charity partner Not For Sale and is continuing to work with its supply chain to introduce changes to continually reduce greenhouse gas emissions - £41 (300g) find more Conscious Cuisine dishes in Canary Wharf

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

Look Beyond Today Apply Now 0330 135 9000 NCCLONDON.AC.UK

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

MUSIC

GRANDMASTER FLASH

FULL ) JOCELYN BROWN LIVE BAND)

HOUSE GOSPEL CHOIR • SONA JOBARTEH THE KINGDOM CHOIR • TERTIA MAY

RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ ORCHESTRA

DJ ANDY SMITH• DERRICK MCKENZIE • HACKNEY COLLIERY BAND DOCKLANDS SINFONIA • RAELLE • RENATO PARIS • SULLY GRAVITY • TYLER RIX

MILTON JONES PAUL SINHA• REGINALD D HUNTER

COMEDY

DANE BAPTISTE • FELICITY WARD • JO CAULFIELD

ALFIE BROWN • JESSICA FOSTEKEW • SUNIL PATEL • TIM FITZHIGHAM • TOM WARD

THEATRE & FAMILY 440 THEATRE • BRIC À BRAC THEATRE • BIG FISH LITTLE FISH FAMILY RAVE BUS KING THEATRE•THE SPACE THEATRE•HALF MOON THEATRE •THE HANDLEBARDS KATIE ARNSTEIN • FACEPLANT THEATRE • TRACEWORKS DANCE

PLUS

THE FANDANGOE SKIP • POETRY TAKEAWAY • STREET THEATRE STREET FOOD MARKET • INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE SCREENINGS • MUCH MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

Most events are free to attend however some events are ticketed, check the website for full details

Visit canarywharf.com for more info #Festival�4

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

15

Canary Wharf

£10.50

Price of the Potted Beef at Hawksmoor

caravan

hawksmoor

Reuters Plaza, caravanrestaurants.co.uk

Westferry Circus, thehawksmoor.com Hawksmoor at Wood Wharf is housed in an eco-friendly floating pavilion in Wood Wharf, made from sustainably sourced timber decking. For Conscious Cuisine, the restaurant is offering a dish that was originally created for the staff to eat...

Potted Beef Made from trimmings of beef that would usually get discarded, this food-waste friendly dish is served with Yorkshire Puddings that can be taken from Sunday Roast leftovers - £10.50

Caravan is offering a dish for Conscious Cuisine that’s been designed to repurpose vegetable waste from the creation of a popular menu item...

Above, the dumplings are steamed before the dish is finished with plenty of fresh red chilis

Cauliflower And Shiitake Potstickers These dumplings are similar to Japanese gyoza, and are inspired by the ingredients of one of Caravan’s best-selling dishes – Spiced Cauliflower, Harissa, Tahini, Pomegranate and Curry Leaves.

At the heart of the new dish are cauliflower stalks, a part of the vegetable that would normally go to waste - £8

find more Conscious Cuisine dishes in Canary Wharf

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Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

£10

spirited flavours

by Bullards Spirits A Bullards Colada is the perfect cocktail for summer nights. We’ve taken a twist on the classic Piña colada, by replacing rum with our fabulous Pineapple, Ginger And Lime Gin. With a heavy dose of sweet, roasted pineapple flavour and a delicate balance of lime and ginger, this is a cocktail that will wow even the most loyal of rum lovers. We recommend blending the ingredients to make a superbly indulgent serve.

Alternatively, you can easily mix this recipe up in seconds with a shaker ingredients 50ml Bullards Pineapple, Ginger & Lime Gin 25ml Pineapple Juice 25ml Cream of Coconut 25ml Coconut Water 5-10ml Lime Juice Alternative: Coconut Rum Cream Liqueur (Sisserou) instead of cream of coconut and coconut water method Combine the gin, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, coconut water and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until chilled and well combined. Then pour into a glass. Alternatively, for a truly decadent colada, blend all ingredients together with a handful of ice and serve.

Garnish with a cocktail umbrella and slice of pineapple.

Bullards’ Pineapple, Ginger And Lim

e Gin

flavour profile Bright and refreshing, Bullards’ Pineapple, Ginger And Lime Gin is an elevated twist on a flavour normally associated with rum. Smooth, crisp, and indulgently aromatic, the team at Bullards have combined juicy roasted pineapple with feisty ginger warmth and bright lime leaf to provide the perfect balance between sweet and spice. This summer spirit is packed full of flavoursome botanicals including juniper, coriander, pineapple, lime leaf and ginger root. For a tropical mix try it with Double Dutch Ginger Ale and a wedge of fresh lime over ice...

Wharf Life has teamed up with Bullards Spirits for a series of marvellous mixes – try the range for yourself at Bullards Gin Shop And Tasting Room in Cabot Place Scan this code to discover the full Bullards range, more cocktail recipes and to shop merchandise, gift sets and spirits online

The cost of a Tree Planter Cocktail at Pergola On The Wharf atop Crossrail Place

pergola on the wharf Crossrail Place, pergolacanarywharf.co.uk Pergola On The Wharf is offering drinks rather than eats for Conscious Cuisine. Its Tree Planter Cocktails are designed to do a little good for the planet...

Tree Planter Cocktails Until August 14, visitors to the restaurant will be able to order these drinks with Pergola promising to plant a tree in partnership with Sapling Spirits for every one sold. The brand’s drinks are fermented using regenerative organic wheat, which claims to create a healthier, living soil, while capturing CO2 and increasing biodiversity. The cocktail selection includes the Sapling Sour (Sapling Vodka, matcha, apple, honey, lemon and miracle foamer) and Sapling Negroni (Sapling Gin, Campari and Discarded Vermouth) - £10

Tree Planter Cocktails made with Sapling Spirits

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

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We’re looking for team players who would like to make an impact on their local children’s hospice and gain some valuable skills

Answering phone calls from parents, carers and supporters Meeting and greeting all visitors to the Hospice Dealing with all incoming and outgoing mail Assisting the Fundraising team Accepting and recording all donations Various other administrative duties Apply here!

For more information please email volunteering@richardhouse.org.uk

Richard House Trust is a registered charity (1059029) and a company limited by guarantee (3232837 - England & Wales)

34

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

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At Kidd Rapinet we believe a timely conveyancing transaction is only truly successful if the process and cost to you is completely transparent.

View our processes and example pricing Your purchase kiddrapinet.co.uk/purchaseinlondon Your sale kiddrapinet.co.uk/sellinginlondon

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

35

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

Very Hard

3 9 4 8 2 5 6 7 1 Sudoku 8 a7break 1 from 3 6 that 4 phone 5 9 2 Take 5 6 2 1 7 9 4 3 8 How 9 to5 play 3 2 4 1 8 6 7 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 6 such 9 that 5 8each 3 row, 2 4column and 3x3 box one7to1nine contains every number uniquely.

4 2 8 7 3 6 9 1 5 7 strategies, 5 1 3 hints 2 and 4 9tips online You6can8find at sudokuwiki.org 2 4 5 6 9 7 1 8 3 1 to 3 play 9 4 8 2 7 5 6 More

SUDOKU

You can find more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection ofTo others available in apps and books at str8ts.com. This complete Sudoku, fill the board Sudoku is supplied by Syndicated Puzzles. by entering numbers 1 to 9 such

No. 246 that each row, column and 3x3 box

7 8

contains every number uniquely.

Notes

1 3 2 6 3 If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other 9 puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com 5 2 7 8 6 For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

Across

Down

1, 9, 10. Cheap philosophy? (5,3,4,8) 5. This wooden plank looks happy (4) 11. Sounds like this cleric runs a chippy (5) 12. Get a cross hair about a tickle, sort of (7) 13. Occasional friend does it intermittently (13) 18. Destroy silently and not on time, we hear (8) 19. See 21 20. Tablet does not cure the location of odour (7) 21, 19. What you paid in 1 is part of a song (5,4) 22. Surpisingly this stone sounds like nothing (4) 23. Where you keep the acid (3,5)

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8 5 6 9 7 1 3 4 2

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3 1 9 5 4 2 8 6 7

To complete Sudoku, fill the board

by entering numbers 1 to 9 such whether you’re beating the that each row, and 3x3 box 5 contains everycolumn number cryptic sleuth oruniquely.

2 7synonym For many strategies, solverhints inand tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org 4 1 3 2 6it forIf you quick wins, like Sudoku you’ll really like and oursatisfy other puzzles, Apps this ‘Str8ts’ should 2 1 3 and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Cryptic

Previous solution - Tough Jul 6-20

6 4 8

crossword The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

last issue’s solution

Very Hard

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

2 1 6 2 9 1 8 7 5 3 2 6 3 5 4 7 8 5 4 4 1 6 2 3 5 4 3 8 9

Previous solution - Tough

© 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

No. 4

Quick Across 1.

5.

9.

10.

11.

12.

I big myself up on the journey (7) In France, Bates has multiple personalities (7) But not this issue of Wharf Life (5,8) Stir cha lite to make it correct (7) Something to wrap your enigma in? (7) Confusingly, I spot corrosion in the country (6) I’m upset, but promise to earn some money (7) Sounds like she really works out the money (7) He tells a ghostly tale, according to Gary (6) Sounds like the beer signified an illness In her dress, the confused vocalist does nothing (7)

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

Clever clogs (8) Jazz phrase (4) French girlfriend (4) Useless organ (8) Dance (5) Hiker (7) ad fit Tooth (8) Musical symbol (4) Traveller (7) Jazz form (5) Underdone steak (4) Film director (8)

Down 2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

8.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

Alcoholic dessert (7) Sluggishness (7) Taking chances (13) Enjoy yourself (7) Dance (7) Mathematician (6) Gangster (7) Shiny coating (7) Reduce liquid (6) Musical forms (7) Countries (7)

Set by Everden

Across: 1,9,10 Penny for your thoughts; 5 Beam; 11 Friar; 12 Reticle; 13 Spasmodically; 18 Mutilate; 20 Placebo; 21,19 Penny Lane; 22 Onyx; 23 LSD stash.

Down: 2 Egotrip; 3 Normans; 4 Other editions; 6 Ethical; 7 Mystery; 8 Rustic; 13 Semipro; 14 Actuary; 15 Miller; 16 Ailment; 17 Linings.

Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Brainbox; 5 Riff; 9 Amie; 10 Appendix; 11 Waltz; 12 Rambler; 13 Maladjustment; 18 Bicuspid; 19 Note; 20 Tourist; 21 Bebop; 22 Rare; 23 Scorsese.

Down: 2 Rumbaba; 3 Inertia; 4 Opportunistic; 6 Indulge; 7 Foxtrot; 8 Fermat; 13 Mobster; 14 Lacquer; 15 Distil; 16 Minuets; 17 Nations.

Quick Solution

Notes

36

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

£8

Starting price for a screening by The Lucky Dog Picturehouse at Wilton’s Music Hall

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Troxy Limehouse

GIG | Rocking Doll The South Korean band are set to play a free gig in Limehouse, promising a rebellious, powerful sound having released their first music in 2021.

Aug 15, 6.30pm, free, troxy.co.uk Where?

Troxy Limehouse

GIG | Kamasi Washington + Ezra Collective The jazz pioneer, fresh from collaborations with the likes of John Legend, Kendrick Lamar and Run The Jewels, brings his renowned sound to east London.

Aug 13, 6.30pm, £61.70, troxy.co.uk Where?

Tower Vaults Tower Hill

ATTRACTION | The Gunpowder Plot Layered Reality and Historic Royal Palaces present an immersive experience that tells the story of Guy Fawkes and the conspiracy to blow up King James I. Weds-Sun, times vary, from £40, hrp.org.uk

tasty treat

A scene from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, first released in 1927

screenings sounds and

how Metropolis & Underground reveal dark depths

by Jon Massey

A

Our top pick this issue for a place to hang out in the open air is Azimut Cafe And Bar in St Katherine Docks. A little off the beaten track, it’s a tranquil space to sip on a Margarita as the boats slip by beside you azimutcafe.com Scan this code for more about Azimut Cafe And Bar in Wapping’s St Katherine Docks want more? @wharflifelive

nyone who can’t see echoes of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis in the way modern cities have been constructed has a fresh opportunity to marvel at its 1920s futurism.

The film is one of two set to be screened in the crumbling glory of Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping as The Lucky Dog Picturehouse arrives for a four-night stay.

On August 1 and 4, its musicians will premiere live piano scores from Peter Coldham and Christopher Eldred to accompany Underground – a 1928 film that puts London’s Tube at

the heart of a Hitchcockian thriller of love, jealousy and murder.

Nearly 100 years old, director Anthony Asquith’s celebration of the capital’s subterranean railway presents a surprisingly modern image of times gone by.

Then comes Lang’s masterpiece with the premiere of a piano and percussion score by Sam Watts and Nicholas Ball.

The performances will take place on August 2 and 3 with live music setting off the film’s striking visuals that tell a story of luxury and sacrifice as well as the horror of a collision between man and machine.

The performances aim

to recreate the original experience of seeing these silent films in the cinema with period specific soundtracks performed by musicians as the movies play.

Whether its moving stairs, urban aircraft or soaring towers this is an opportunity to look back to the future.

All performances by The Lucky Dog Picturehouse start at 7.30pm with tickets starting at £8.

Go to wiltons.org.uk for more information

Scan this code for more about The Lucky Dog Picturehouse

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Advertising Directory - Classified

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New City College print Page 13 online ncclondon.ac.uk

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be part of the Canary Wharf conversation To advertise in Wharf Life call 07944 000 144 or email jess.maddison@wharf-life.com

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Wharf Life is published by Massey Maddison Limited and printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2021 In regard to advertising material submitted by third parties and printed in Wharf Life, each individual advertiser is solely responsible for the content of such material Massey Maddison Limited accepts no responsibility for the content of advertising material, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

how Gelato A Casa is layering traditional Greek flavours into ice cold desserts in east London

by Jon Massey

T

his might be the perfect time to be writing about Gelato A Casa.

As the UK endures another heatwave – an increasingly common occurrence – what better establishment to showcase than an independent business that predominantly trades in edible products served below freezing.

Gelato A Casa opened a year ago at the Republic campus in Blackwall and is the brainchild of directors Theo Alatas and Elvira Govosti.

Having met in Athens, the couple decided to relocate to London, moving to the Isle Of Dogs six years ago.

“We met nine years ago and very quickly became a couple – we had similar outlooks on life,” said Elvira.

“We both wanted to pursue something more than what we had in Greece. We came to the UK to see what we could do with our skills in advertising, sales, construction, organisation and project management.

“Covid was one of the things that sparked the creation of our own business – we thought we wanted to do something with our lives that we were passionate about.”

The couple decided to combine a love of food with connections to a gelato business in Greece, by opening a hospitality business primarily focused on sweet, frozen refreshments.

“This comes from our culture, the way we grew up – you can go to a restaurant at midnight for a steak or whatever in Athens,” said Theo. “Hence the concept of the

The ultimate goal of this shop is to be exactly the same as those our grandfathers and grandmothers took us to when we were children Theo Alatas, Gelato A Casa

dessert restaurant. We’re open all the time – from 8.30am until 9pm every day. We were looking for somewhere with a nice exterior so people could sit down and enjoy our food.

“Republic is a lovely development that’s full of small gems that eo le need to find ven though we lived in Crossharbour for five years we never knew about it.

“The biggest challenge for us at the moment is to say to the people that this is who we are, this is what we do and that they can have a lovely experience.

“We serve eastern Mediterranean avours and we have a wide variety of options. Back in the day our grandparents would take us to pastry shops with desserts rich in syrups and spices – this is how we grew up – and now we’re serving those same avours here “The idea is to serve those desserts, but to also bring the tastes into the gelato we sell as well.

“We want people to come and try as many different avours as they like, for free. There are two categories – customers who are already aware, because they come from these cultures and others who are new to them.

“It’s very interesting describing the avours and telling the stories of how they came to be developed.

“For us, growing up and eating these desserts was another level of happiness. The ultimate goal of this shop is to be exactly the same as those our grandfathers and grandmothers took us to when we were children.

“That way, people can bring their families here and have those hand-made desserts that they will remember in 30 or 50 years.”

The couple had no experience in the hospitality industry when they decided to set the business up, but see this as an asset.

“We are both passionate about food good uality and finding the best ingredients,” said Elvira.

“The desserts we make are something you would serve your friends at home, not just something to sell and earn money.

“We like to feel proud about what we serve to our customers.

When our amazing friends created their gelato laboratory in Greece we were among the first eo le to experience it.

“There’s nothing like it in the so we thought we should find a way to work with them and to share it with the world.

“The response was: ‘Wow’. If you do things honestly and are hospitable when people come through the door you can really stand behind what you’re doing.

We have approached the business as though we were inviting people into our home – we want to make it as safe and as comfort-

£3

Price for a single scoop at Gelato A Casa – it’s £3.80 for two and £4.50 for three

Gelato A Casa’s directors Theo Alatas and Elvira Govosti

relax

and

Flavours at the dessert restaurant include bitter chocolate and sour cherry gelato with ingredients layered to maximise taste

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

39

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

Gelato A Casa is located at Republic, a short walk from East India DLR

In addition to gelato flavours such as kadaif and bubblegum, above, Gelato A Casa also sells coffee freddo and spinach and Feta pies

able as possible for families and everybody else to enjoy.” elato Casa offers an e ten sive array of avours including adaif bitter chocolate and sour cherry banofi and even bubblegum astries include baklava, ravani and terkenlis brioche chocolate alongside savouries such as eta ie and the sesame coated oulouri “We serve food that we miss from our country and that’s what eo le a reciate the most said Theo “We get eo le who are trying these things for the very first time and have no idea what they’re all about and others who say that we have done the im ossible by utting these avours into gelato “ t’s also lovely that we’re here because the walls surrounding e ublic were originally to rotect the ast ndia Com any’s doc s to sto thieves stealing from the sugar and s ice ware houses We want eo le to come through the walls for a taste ocated ust across the bridge from ast ndia elato Casa also sells coffee including another ree favourite “Coffee freddo is not a thing in the said lvira “ eo le usually have it warm and if you want an iced coffee then you’re retty much out of o tions unless you have a latte from a chain which is usually really acidic and mil heavy “We serve it because it’s com lementary to the other avours we have here What we’ve discovered is that not everyone is very adventurous with what they want to try but here eo le can sam le as many avours as they want “Then they get that confi dence and when they discover something that becomes their favourite Theo added “ t’s im ortant to realise the difference between ice cream and gelato ce cream is what you buy from the su er mar ets with an e iry date of two maybe three years and it’s as solid as a bric “ elato is made from mil we have our own machinery to asteurise it ourselves and then we buy the fruits from roducers and it needs to be eaten within a few days ome of our avours are seasonal because the variety of ingredients we’re able to source changes “We thin we have a great roduct and we’d love eo le to come and try it Go to gelatoacasa.co.uk

Scan this code to find out more about Gelato A Casa

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

The Space Westferry Road

STAGE | Our Field At Twilight An insomniac mother and an anxious pot-head find themselves trapped in a workers’ cult in Northern Europe. Catch this before it transfers to Edinburgh.

Aug 2-7, times vary, £12, space.org.uk Where?

Poplar Union Poplar

MUSIC | Sing And Play With Dendê Nation Learn songs and percussion inspired by Afro-Brazilian culture and have a go at the pandeiros, congas, agogo and tan-tan. Samba sensational.

Aug 7, 3pm-5pm, £8, poplarunion.com Where?

The Space Westferry Road

STAGE | Siblings Three characters lock themselves in an old theatre where they re-enact the killing of their parents. But is it rehearsal, make-believe or a confession?

Aug 9-13, times vary, £12, space.org.uk

flash back

There’s still time to book tickets to see David’s Play starring David Grindley at The Space on the Isle Of Dogs, which runs from July 26-31.

Tickets cost £15. Expect a series of turns from Space staff playing versions of themselves space.org.uk Scan this code to read our interview with David and Space artistic director Adam Hemming want more? @wharflifelive

40

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

509

Years is how long the house has stood on the banks of the Thames. It was remodelled in the 18th Century and restored by the current owners

by Laura Enfield

A

fter only a few years navigating the London theatre world, Joseph Winters felt he was going in circles. “The magic of going to the theatre and sharing a space and imaginative act with lots of other people had been lost,” said the 27-year-old. “It had become quite similar wherever we were “You could go to the Almeida, Donmar, Young Vic or the National, walk into a foyer and bo o ce that loo ed the same a bar that probably sold relatively similar beer and a room often painted black where actors went in and out of a separate door.

“Being an audience member was increasingly a retail experience rather than communion around a piece of art.”

Working as resident director at the Almeida sparked the desire to run his own theatre and being manager of Fortismere Music Centre gave him the skills to do it.

But, as a freelancer, his discontent grew as he realised he was being forced to battle for work with his fellow creatives and then torn away from them just as they found their rhythm.

“I had this desire to build something where I would have ongoing relationships and wouldn’t feel the sharp severance of opening night,” said Joseph. “I wanted to find a new way of relating to my own generation.”

So, in 2020, he founded The Shipwright, a communal theatre based in a 500-year-old house in Deptford, where the team, live, eat, create and perform together.

But it’s not just any old building.

The Master Shipwright’s House, built in 1513, is one of the few remaining parts of the Royal Dockyard. He landed there after directing Rupert Everett in play Rush written by Willi Richards, co-owner of the historic building.

“They invited me over,” said Joseph. “We were rehearsing in a dingy room down the road and, when I saw it, I thought: ‘Why aren’t we rehearsing here?’

“There was this amazing day, when we stopped a rehearsal, and had dinner together and didn’t talk about the play at all. The next day, it was so much better.

“That’s when I realised my idea of a communal theatre wouldn’t just be a nice thing, but that the work would get better.”

Willi invited him to move in and take the leap but, just as he did the first loc down arrived “It felt like a disaster and then immediately we realised we had to build a 200-seat auditorium in the garden,” said Joseph.

“We did it with immense imagination and goodwill from a

I had this desire to build something ongoing where I wouldn’t feel the sharp severance of opening night Joseph Winters, The Shipwright

The garden, above, was the setting for opera Dido And Aeneas, below

Joseph said he never wants to go back

crew to living solo

making theatre as a

the man behind The Shipwright on living, creating and performing with the owners of this historic riverside house in Deptford

Residents of the house include Olivier Award-winning actor Hiran Abeysekera

The garden structure was made of leftovers from the restoration of the house and looks out over Canary Wharf

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

41

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

lot of people. Everybody we knew needed something to do during that small window in October – it was all hands on deck and it was done for not a lot of money.”

They opened with opera Dido And Aeneas and sold out. The production was lit with desk lamps, costumes were made out of whatever the com any could find “It looked ravishing and it captivated everyone’s attention,” said Joseph. “Audiences came, and that was the most exciting moment – when we knew we’d built something that was going to continue to work, something that relied less on physical production and more on audience imagination.”

The company followed it with a festival of punk cabaret, stand-up, classical music, new and old lays arthouse film and children’s storytimes led by a drag queen.

Joseph said he realised Deptford audiences were up for risks.

He said: “As an artistic director you are basically saying: ‘I think this is interesting – do you?’.

“Theatre in itself is just a machine for encouraging conversations. First, between us and other artists, then between artists in the rehearsal room and ultimately between artists and the audience.” ince that first ush mma Halstead has come in as executive director to help create a more formal structure, but still with the aim of finding the most e citing people to work with. This summer The Shipwright welcomed a queer cinema collective from Nairobi and, on August 30, will host a world premiere of Bertie Baigent’s new opera based on Paradise Lost.

Joseph said: “Everybody joined in and, if they hadn’t, it wouldn’t have worked. The thing that is so magical about the space is that,

when people come to join us, they are part of the life of the house.

“Willi and Chris and everyone who lives and works here is at dinner every night talking and working things out.

“The one thing you need to do for young artists is encourage them and the owners have been the most supportive people.

“Willi is absolutely with us – always – and I talk to him all the time about the logistics and why we make work.”

So far everything has been done on a shoestring. This “fraught” move has been made a success through collective effort “You start a company and you think it’s going to be lounging around, staring into the eyes of beautiful actors,” said Joseph.

“In fact you spend a lot of time fundraising, begging people to work with you, thinking about toilets.

“There’s often moments when I realise haven’t had a day off for months. It’s exhausting but also incredibly nourishing.

“That said, when I step out of my bedroom in my pyjamas and someone says: ‘I’ve got a new sketch for the costumes,’ I do think: ‘What have I done?’.

“It’s an experiment to see whether this makes the work and our lives better. We’ve delivered a much more varied, diverse programme and more performances than I was expecting.”

These waves of change have been noticed. The John Hodgson Theatre Research Trust recently gave the company £1,000 to start developing work. In September it premieres The Gretchen Question

by Melly Still and Max Barton, which dissects the climate emergency and is a headline commission for We Are Lewisham.

Joseph said The Shipwright would always remain a place for the people. It runs a pay-whatyou-can system, the bar is stocked with locally brewed beers and all staff get at least the ondon living wage.

“We don’t spend our money on lavish sets, but we pay the bar staff ro erly he said “We are in a hostile environment because of the pandemic and global financial situation and I think it will be vital for us to keep asking how the creative community will look in the future.

“Collective living is the way to go. Ages nine to 60 live here in lots of different ways nce you have lived li e this the benefits are overwhelming.”

For more go to theshipwright.co.uk

Scan this code to find out more about The Shipwright

meet the owner For Willi Richards and Chris Mažeika, allowing a theatre company to run in their home wasn’t a big step. They took their giant leap in 1998 after glimpsing the Master Shipwright’s House over a wall.

“It really is one of the most remarkable houses in London,” said Willi. “But it was in a very sorry state with floors missing, barely any windows – the garden was a car park. It felt very vulnerable but I could see it was magnificent and wanted to repair and restore it.”

They had only just moved into a modern, minimalist home they’d spent two years building in Deptford. But they gave it up and spent another two years negotiating to buy the former home of master shipwright Joseph Allin.

“It was an incredibly long process, but when you fall in love with something it holds you quite tight,” said Willi.

He and Chris were already heavily involved in the theatre.

Originally from Wales, Willi has worked at RADA since 1992, now teaching there part-time in between his voice training work, writing and directing.

They began filling the house with events straight away and Willi sees The Shipwright as the latest incarnation of the “creative commune”.

“It’s wonderful having your own entertainment on site – you walk out of the kitchen door and there’s a performance going on,” he said.

“I love it, because it feels like living inside a theatre.

The rhythm of eating, meeting and creating together is very potent.

“I try not to stick my oar in or interfere too much because I am an old hand and this is a new generation thing.”

The couple keep some rooms private and Willi said it was a delight seeing the mix of people who visited their home.

“It’s a real privilege to welcome people into this extraordinary space,” he said.

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

The Richard MacVicar Playground Deptford

GENRE | Climate Home: Triple Bill –Words An evening of work-in-progress, text-based performances exploring issues facing young people today including cancel culture and how men treat women.

Aug 6, 6pm, pay-what-you-decide, thealbany.org.uk Where?

The Richard MacVicar Playground Deptford

FASHION | Climate Home: Staying Out DIY Show Fashion creations from the elders group Meet Me at the Albany and the young people at Climate Home feature in this event for all ages and bodies.

Aug 13, 2pm, pay-what-you-decide, thealbany.org.uk Where?

Matchstick Piehouse, Railway Arches Deptford MUSIC | Beyond Borders: Social Records Society Local musicians and vinyl DJs will play music that encapsulates the capital’s unique energy. Expect Dub, Jazz, House, Post-punk, Afrobeat and more.

Aug 12, 7.30pm-1am, £TBC, thealbany.org.uk

flash back

If you’re quick there’s time to catch the likes of Drag Syndrome and other acts at Liberty Festival which runs in Deptford and Lewisham from July 22-24 and celebrates disabled, neurodiverse and deaf performers thealbany.org.uk Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with Drag Syndrome at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

42

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

how Just Vibez at Greenwich Peninsula is a ‘everybody ting’ aimed at broadening the appeal of soca and hip hop culture

by Jon Massey

T

here’s a fair bit going on at Greenwich Peninsula over the warmer months with events and pop-ups scheduled by developer Knight Dragon, all with the aim of bringing life and entertainment to the area. There’s mini golf from artist Yinka Illori, table tennis from artist Camille Walala and JeeYong Lee’s new installation a Now Gallery Maiden Voyage, all running into September.

Also on the horizon is Just Vibez – a sonic rather than s ecifically visual attraction – set to take over a slice of land beneath the columns of raised public park The Tide.

Running over two days – August 13-14 from 1pm to 8pm, this free musical festival marries a line-up of DJs and MCs with dancercise and street food in a celebration of soca, hip-hop, afrobeats and reggae.

“Just Vibez is a collective of DJs, musicians artists different ty es of creative people, and we have crew in the UK but also in Singapore, Australia, Brazil and Toronto – our main goal is trying to put on events which will entertain or ‘edutain’ people,” said Mark Chan Poon, one of the movement’s coordinators.

“We run authentic Caribbean and African-American pop events, but it’s not just for that community, it’s to open up and be welcoming for all communities to enjoy.

“For us, ‘edutaining’ means entertainment where people also get to learn something, such as facts about the countries where the music comes from, or about their culture.

“For example, with the kids, we don’t just have a colouring corner, we have Caribbean heroes they can colour-in, so they learn a little bit while being entertained by the music. They party, but with a bit of education as well.”

Mark, originally from Trinidad And Tobago, came to the UK via New York and Costa Rica.

He said: “Music’s always been a big part of what I do and through that music I’ve had lots of collaborations in urban music, Latin music and hip hop. We’re stronger together, so we wanted to pull this together as a crew rather than all of us doing our own things individually.

“Out of that desire came Just Vibez for the UK, but I’m not the only person organising it. It’s been going loosely for more than 20 years, but probably a little bit more formally over the last seven or eight.

“I guess there are really three kinds of events that we put on. The most straightforward is the club nights with various DJs playing.

“That’s adults only and probably takes place three times a month in London but also in Australia, Singapore and other places. We also do special events such as one for the F1 racing in Singapore – any excuse for a party.

“People may not know us or the music, but some people have even travelled to the Caribbean for the first time after hearing it.

“Finally there are the family-friendly days like the ones we’re doing on Greenwich Peninsula. We encourage people to bring kids, nieces, nephews, as well as their older relations so that we have babies of maybe a few months up to people in their 90s.

“We try to programme the day so that it runs a bit more kid-focused at the start, with entertainment for them, such as bouncy castles, face-painting and colouring – even making a carnival costume – then later it will be the full-on carnival vibe, and similarly we do this for hip hop as well.”

Just Vibez at Greenwich Peninsula will have two different themes on the Saturday and Sunday. The event will open with Caribbean Vibez - The Soca Summit featuring UK soca artists such as Trini Boi, Joocie, Scrappy, Sun Divas, Miss Desire, Batch, Pahjo and One The Band.

“This will be up-tempo calypso from Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada and so on,” said Mark. “Of course, there’ll be dancehall and reggae too.”

This will be followed by CelebrateTY on the Sunday – an event to mark what would have been the 50th birthday of Brixton-born rapper, TY. The line-up will include long-time collaborators Shortee Blitz, Billy Biznezz, DJ Croc and DJ Mr Thing as well as a live stream from Maseo of De La Soul and a set from DJ Sarah Love.

“Ty was a UK hip hop legend who passed from Covid in 2020,” said Mark.

“We thought it would be a nice opportunity to have a good outdoor event, where

bringing the

14

Hours of performance over two days as Just Vibez comes to Greenwich Peninsula

Just Vibez’ Mark Chan Poon in full flow at Greenwich Peninsula a lot of his peers and collaborators could come out and perform – or just be there to celebrate. He was a great pillar of the hip hop community in London.

“On the Sunday we’re doing special T-shirts for TY, a limited edition of about 200 – get one there and then never again.

His mum and sister will be coming as well.”

Mark said one of the core principles of Just Vibez was its mission to attract and entertain as many different eo le as possible.

“One of our lines is that Just Vibes is a ‘everybody ting’,” he said. “That means everyone is welcome to be there and that’s really the main thing about it.

“Some events may be quite closed to their own communities, because, if you don’t know the culture or the language, you would feel quite out of place – but that’s not the way we do things.

“We also encourage people from our

community to invite their neighbours, who may feel it’s not their culture, so that they can have a taste of that.

“We’ve done a lot of events in Brixton over the last 10 years, but some people were very sceptical at the start. Now they come often.

“For example, there was an English gentleman I spoke to a little while ago who discovered soca music at our event in Greenwich in 2019.

“He’s in his late 60s and joined Instagram just to follow us and now he comes to so many events and brings many of his family and friends who have never heard this type of music before.

“That’s really satisfying to me – he even came to our special event to mark the arrival of the Windrush and also drove out to one of our events at Lingfield racetrac That’s really nice to see “With Greenwich Peninsula, people might know The O2 but some don’t know about other things that happen there, so, by us doing these events, our followers will find other things too “We’d done events at places like the Royal Festival Hall and the National Portrait Gallery – cultural icons around London. “ o we were very attered to be as ed to do one on Greenwich Peninsula and now to come back again.

“We hope people will come for us, but also that they will check out all the other things on offer during the summer too In addition to a few surprise guests over the course of the two days, visitors to Just Vibez can expect a selection of street food to keep audiences fuelled for the dancing.

Those visiting the event can also find refreshment at Design District Canteen – a nearby food court or at the wide selection of restaurants on offer within The O2.

For more information follow @justvibez on Instagram or go to greenwichpeninsula.co.uk

Scan this code to find out more about Just Vibez on the Peninsula

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

43

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

what’s on

We try to programme the day so that it runs a bit more kid focused at the start, then later it will be full-on carnival

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

The O2 Arena Peninsula

Mark Chan Poon, Just Vibez

GIG | Christina Aguilera The singer of Dirrty, Ain’t No Other Man and Genie In A Bottle brings her arena-filling anthems and powerful voice to the venue's main stage.

Aug 5, 4.32pm, from £43, theo2.co.uk Where?

Design District Peninsula

FILM | The BFG Summer is here and that means watching films outside – check out The BFG for the kids or catch sci-fi blockbuster Dune on Aug 27.

Aug 6, 2pm, £6, greenwichpeninsula.co.uk Where?

Indigo At The O2 Peninsula

GIG | Chimbala The urban music rapper and singer from Santo Domingo, Chimbala, promises an electrifying performance of Dembow. Not to be missed.

Aug 6, 6pm, from £37, theo2.co.uk

festival focus

Just Vibez runs at Greenwich Peninsula from August 13-14 with Caribbean soca on the first day and plenty of TY-focused hip hop on the second

Stay fully up-to-date with the Summer Sessions – a collection of events happening at Greenwich Peninsula from July to September including film screening, art installations and games to play for all the family greenwichpeninsula.co.uk Scan this code for full listings of Summer Sessions events, taking place over the next couple of months want more? @wharflifelive

44

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

why the Bamboo Bicycle Club insist customers build their own rides at home or at workshops

by Jon Massey

J

ames Marr was working in rural Wales as an engineer when he encountered the problem that would lead to the creation of the business he’s now run for 10 years in east London.

“I was doing a lot of commuting and I was really uncomfortable on my bike,” he said. “I decided I needed a frame that would absorb more of the vibrations from the road and be a bit more pleasant to ride.

“I’ve always been someone who ust gets on and does stuff and a bicycle gives you that ability.

“I’ve always cycled – it gives you a lot of freedom, and I really en oy that ’ve always tried to fi things and build things myself, so I thought I’d make my own bicycle.”

Having lived in the USA and seen people riding bikes with bamboo frames he began researching the material and found it to his liking.

“That’s where I got the original idea,” he said. “Bamboo bikes are about 120 years old now – they’ve been around for a while.

“Technology has obviously progressed in terms of how you build bikes over time and that’s made making your own much more accessible. You’re able to create something really decent now, so I thought I’d build one.

“I told my best mate Ian

McMillan about it, and he joined in. We used to meet up at the weekends – we’d have some beers and build our bikes. That was really the inception of the Bamboo Bicycle Club.

“We really enjoyed building them and riding them – it was enjoyable and sociable and our mates asked if they could come and build with us as well.”

Initially the idea was to open up the club as a social project with James and his friend keeping their jobs in engineering while continuing to build and teach others at the weekends. But the idea snowballed and James quit his job to run the business full-time.

He relocated operations to Ca ton Wor s in Canning Town in 2020 after years in Hackney Wick, mostly because rents in the area were becoming prohibitive for a firm li e his that needs a significant amount of space.

It’s necessary because the spirit of the original club still forms the spine of the business.

“We don’t sell finished bi es – only kits and building sessions in our workshops,” said James.

“Over the years it has been a tem tation to sell finished bi es but it was that early feeling I got when I rode the bike I’d built which is really key.

“I remember that when I rode it, me and my mate were giggling, because we just couldn’t believe that we’d built these bikes and were riding them for the first time. They were functional, they wor ed and they definitely planted the seed of what could be achieved. That initial spark from riding them was unique.

“The first one built was retty shit, but it made me realise what I’d done wrong. When I was teaching others the first thing say is: ‘Make mistakes, but just embrace that and learn from them – it’s a process’.

“This is something that’s not allowed in our society that much – you don’t go to work to

10

Years since James Marr launched the Bamboo Bicycle Club in east London

James Marr of Bamboo Bicycle Club, which is based at Caxton Works in Canning Town

frame in the

James helps a client mark out a section of bamboo to use on their bike

Bamboo Bicycle Club now offers kits and building sessions with pre-moulded lugs to speed up and simplify construction

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

45

Royal Docks - Canning Town

Many bamboo bikes decorate James’ unit

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Royal Victoria Dock Royal Docks

James discusses angles with a client before helping them cut their top tube to length, ready for fixing with flax and resin

Those building bikes in the workshop use metal jigs to hold the pieces in place

Images by Jon Massey

make mistakes – but trying to give things a go and learning from doing them is what I believe in and that’s what we do here.”

That’s, of course, because the other thing the club does is build a lot of bikes and sell a lot of kits so people can make them at home.

“Our home-build kits are our biggest growth area,” said James.

“We now do a lugged frame with pre-moulded components – it’s the Ikea of bike building.

“You get the bits in a box, slot all the bamboo into them and you’ve got yourself a bike. It moves away from the possibility of compromise, but it gives people the ability to use their hands and learn some techniques. It takes a few hours instead of the 70 you’d expect using a cottage industry method.”

There’s a sense, however, that James prefers custom builds – clients who want to get their hands a little dirtier by using a and resin to join the lengths of bamboo into frames that will suit their needs and desires.

“When you have that combination of materials, the frame becomes a bio-composite and it’s a lot more interesting,” he said.

“The initial concept was to build a certain bike a certain way, but some of the bikes we’ve built are completely bizarre. Loads of people build crazy bikes with us in the workshop and we also do custom kits that we ship all over the world.

“People build mountain bikes out of bamboo and that just shows how robust and versatile a material it can be. We’ve done loads of BMX and stunt bikes as well.

“Everyone is following the same general blueprint here but each bi e is different and uni ue t’s down to the individual who is building it.”

Visitors to the Canning Town workshop can see all sorts of machines created from bamboo including tricycles, electric variants and rides with oversize

Loads of people build crazy bikes with us in the workshop and we also do custom kits that we ship all over the world James Marr, Bamboo Bicycle Club

chunky backbones. The business also sells a wide range of add-ons from gear and brake packs to the simple addition of water bottle holders.

“If you’re into bikes, you know there are hundreds of different types and variations,” said James.

“Basically a bamboo bike is just a bicycle no different from any other, that you use or may have used regularly.

“The only difference is that you can customise it, create something you want and it’s a lot more accessible. If you want to build a custom bike from other materials, you’re talking tens of thousands of pounds, so bamboo bikes are uite affordable to build “From a ride perspective it’s also a lot more comfortable because the material naturally absorbs impact. We’ve done a lot of work with universities researching bamboo because there’s huge under-investment and naivety about it in the western world.”

Frame build kits start at £410, while one-day frame building workshops, which run once a month and must be pre-booked, start at £695.

Go to bamboobicycleclub.org

Scan this code for more about the Bamboo Bicycle Club

FAMILY | Kids Summer Splash Enjoy a swim in the lido with a shallow end for children, building in the sandpits, relaxing on a deck chair or food and drinks from the snack shack.

Until Aug 21, free, royaldocks.london Where?

Expressway London Dock Road

WORKSHOP| Vibe And Flow Enjoy three sessions hosted by Goodvibes - Vinyasa Flow, meditation and mindfulness and a refresh and reset with refreshments and chill vibes.

Aug 6, 11am-1.30pm, £25, eventbrite.co.uk Where?

Sea Cadets Royal Docks Boat Station Dockside Road

SPORT | On The Water Free sailing and paddlesport sessions for young people aged between nine and 14 allow youngsters a chance to try the sports for the first time.

Aug 12, 15, 9am-12.30pm, free, eventbrite.co.uk

be quick

Petrol heads turned battery brains still have time to book seats or passes to the London E-Prix at Excel as Formula E returns to the indoor-outdoor circuit around the Royal Docks venue. Runs July 30-31 fiaformulae.com Scan this code for more details about the Formula E London E-Prix or to book tickets to the event want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

4

Free workshops will be held by Uchenna Dance, offering young east Londoners a chance to be part of the first show at Sadler’s Wells East

how Sadler’s Wells East is looking to young east Londoners for its opening production in Stratford

by Jon Massey

B

aptism” is the word Vicki Igbokwe uses to describe the inspiration for her show Our Mighty Groove. Apt then that a refreshed and revived version of the work has been chosen to anoint Sadler’s Wells East as the first production to hit the stage at the new dance theatre when it opens next year in Stratford.

This summer Uchenna Dance – the company Vicki runs as creative director – is looking to young east Londoners to get involved with a series of workshops, leading to some participants taking to the new stage with the professional cast in 2023.

“Our Mighty Groove is inspired by the night I was baptised at an underground house club in the USA,” said Vicki. “I’d been travelling to New York every summer from 2008 for a few weeks, because I’d discovered house dance and I wanted to learn.

“On this particular night I had just finished a house class and the teacher said that to really understand and get into the spirit of these styles, you had to experience them in their natural habitat by going to a club. When I got to this club, I got stage fright – everyone was amazing.

“They weren’t all professional dancers, just people who could boogie. Some were trained but others were just people who had maybe grown up with the dance as part of their culture.

The amazing thing was that everyone around me made me feel like Janet Jackson, shouting and cheering me on Vicki Igbokwe, Uchenna Dance

“All my self-esteem evaporated. I had my back up against the wall of this club for what felt like six hours. Any time anyone came up to me I’d wave them away, saying: ‘Oh, no, no, I’m from London’.

“I can laugh about it now, but on the night I felt that I couldn’t do what they were all doing.

“So I watched this cipher in front of me – a dancers’ circle – with one person in the middle, giving it large, and other people cheering them on.

“Then I saw a person in a pink balloon hat and somehow I could tell they weren’t going to take no for an answer. They got closer and closer, and I was thinking: ‘Gosh, gosh, gosh’.

“They didn’t say anything, just extended their hand. There was just something about that person which made me peel my back off the wall and they led me into the cipher.

“I got into the middle with all these amazing people looking at me, and I thought: ‘Sugar.

I’ve got to do something’. So I tried to remember some of the steps that I’d learnt in the dance class. I had four moves, so I just repeated them. I thought I probably looked like a robot.

“But the amazing thing was that everyone around me made me feel like Janet Jackson, shouting and cheering me on.

“Something just clicked in me and I went from feeling I couldn’t dance to total freedom in my body – I just had the best night ever. I was one of the last people to leave the club, still in my moment.

“It felt absolutely liberating, I felt good within myself, and it was a life-changing moment, not just for me as an artist, but as a person – a human being and a woman.

“I realised that when we feel good, we do good. That when you empower someone,

groove get in the

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

47

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

even if they’re going to struggle with what they’re trying to achieve, they’re going to have so much more energy if they have that support.

“So that’s why I call it a baptism – I felt like I’d been reborn. I came to New York that year one way and I left a completely different person – not in culture – but in confidence, not just for myself but also thinking how I could enable other people to experience their own versions of that.”

D

ance was not the most obvious path for Vicki. “I was supposed to be a barrister,” she said. “My dad was a barrister and my mum was a councillor in the Labour Party. They were Nigerian, so the choice was lawyer, doctor, engineer or failure and the fourth was not an option.”

Vicki, whose father had died when she was a child, became a carer aged 14, looking after her mother, who had become seriously ill, plus her three younger sisters.

She battled through GCSEs and began studying A-Levels with the aim of becoming a barrister, but realised she was following her parents’ dream

Vicki Igbokwe is creative director at Uchenna Dance, which will stage Our Mighty Groove at Sadler’s Wells East in November 2023

An artist’s impression of how the new theatre at East Bank will look when work is complete

rather than hers. Instead she enrolled on a BTEC in performing arts at a college where she discovered it was possible to study dance at university.

“To this day I believe my mum – may her soul rest in peace – paid my teachers to only talk to me about law or possibly becoming a teacher,” said Vicki.

“So I went on to study dance at Middlesex University and then did some performing with Impact Dance and producing with East London Dance.”

Not satisfied with popping and locking, exposure to house styles in London in 2006 set her on her current path – something more “feminine, graceful and elegant” – with elements of waacking and vogue.

Following her stateside pilgrimages, she set up Uchenna Dance – derived from her Nigerian name that means God’s will – left a full-time job in the 2009 recession and started making work.

“We worked very much as a community group for the first year and a half, not really doing shows,” said Vicki. “We did lots of rehearsals – I was exploring my movement vocabulary – looking at how I could fuse West African influences and contemporary dance.

“Our first professional show was Our Mighty Groove in 2013, which was at Sadler’s Wells so it’s such a big deal to be the opening show of the new venue at East Bank.

“I’m really excited, first because it’s such an honour but also to be working with young performers. For me that makes it extra special – to work in dance, to be giving these young people the opportunity to get to know themselves better whether they want a career as a performer or not.

“Some of those taking part in the workshops will be among the first people to be in the new building, to touch it, to be on the stage and in the dressing

rooms. That’s something which is really exciting.”

Uchenna Dance will be running four workshops for young people interested in taking part in Our Mighty Groove in November next year.

Youngsters wishing to take part must either be living or studying in east London and be aged 16-21 on August 31, 2023.

“Those taking part can expect an introduction to dance, to who we are and to the styles that we work with,” said Vicki.

“This includes club styles such as house, vogue and waacking, along with West African influences. But most importantly the workshops will be a space where people can come as they are to learn to be inspired, because we, as artists and teachers, will also be learning from them.

“There will be connection, meeting, making friends and also a bit of a journey. Sometimes we work with people who just say that they can’t do what we do – that they’re not good enough.

“We say that they should start where they feel comfortable.

What we’re really good at is pushing people past their comfort zones. They’re often surprised and ask how they did it, but it’s all in them.

“In terms of the final show, this won’t just be a five-minute slot for the young performers, they will be part of it from the beginning right through until the end.”

Uchenna Dance’s Our Mighty Groove workshops are free and take place on August 8, 14, 18 and 27 at various times.

Go to sadlerswells.com for full details or to express an interest in participating Scan this code to find out more about the workshops

Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stratford

EXHIBITION | 10 Years On This new exhibition celebrates the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, telling the story of the events and their legacy. Look out for Wenlock.

Aug 15-Sept 30, daily, free, queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk Where?

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stratford

EVENT | UK Black Pride: Power Europe’s largest pride celebration for LGBTQIA+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern descent is all set for Stratford.

Aug 14, time TBC, free, ukblackpride.org.uk Where?

Stratford Picturehouse Stratford

FILM | Kings Of The Road Directed by Wim Wenders, this movie chronicles the relationship between a film projector repair man and the depressed man he offers a lift to.

Aug 7, 1pm, £8, picturehouses.com

flash back

Bow-based journalist, editor and author Tufayel Ahmed recently published his first novel – This Way Out – dealing with grief and coming out as gay in a strict Muslim Bangladeshi family, priced £8.99 tufayel.co Scan this code to read an extract from Tufayel’s novel, which is published

by Lake Union want more? @wharflifelive

48

Wharf Life Jul 20-Aug 3, 2022 wharf-life.com

>>> also booking Neuro Inclusivity Lunch: How to Embrace Autism for a Thriving Workforce

Summer Music Series

Over lunch, join Richmal Maybank from the National Autistic Society and learn why neuro inclusivity is game changing for business growth and thriving teams, and how to be at the forefront of positive change. >>> Aug 24, noon-1.30pm at Republic London scan this code to book your FREE place

finding Republic Republic 2 Clove Crescent Blackwall, London, E14 2BE 020 7712 0000 republic.london

a celebration of acceptance and warming hearts Just one of the performers taking part in the Summer Music Series at Republic, Sherika was born and raised in South London and writes and produces her own music including latest EP Patience And Fears

>>> catch the Summer Music Series

She's opened for the likes of Seal and her original song We Don't Need A Reason featured in Spike Lee's Netflix series She's Gotta Have It

Thursdays, 4.45pm

Performances at Republic take place lakeside, so why not grab an ice cream from Gelato A Casa, a drink and a pizza from Salento or a coffee from Gentleman Baristas – all on site – and settle in for some smooth sounds?

AUG 4 - Kapan Music AUG 18 - Sherika Sherard FREE TO ATTEND no booking needed

Town Hall

Republic

Find the Summer Music Series

Republic Blackwall DLR Station

East India DLR Station

scan this code to listen to Sherika Sherard on YouTube

sherika is sherika sherard sherard PERFORMING LIVE 4.45PM, AUG 18 AT REPUBLIC

Scan this code to find out more the Summer Music Series