Check out all this incoming food - and it's not pizza!

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After last week’s news of the opening of Stratford’s Soul Mama, complete with its South American-African-Caribbean fusion menu, the next big local food opening is Duvale’s, the brand new upmarket residency that’s just landed at Riverside East in the Olympic Park.

Expect small plates like lamb koftas and BBQ courgettes alongside larger mains like flat iron steak, signature chicken schnitzel and punchy nduja cauliflower, all complementing the existing array of food and drinks options already available on the site.

Low waste and sustainable practices are, of course, also key to the new venture, which focuses on British food, flavours and produce.

🍔 Meanwhile, just over the water it’s the grand final of The British Streetfood Awards 2024, which comes to Hackney Bridge this Friday 13th and Saturday 14th September. It’s free to enjoy, but you’ll likely want to grab a £15 ticket, as that gets you the all-important food and drink tokens. From impossibly juicy-looking double burgers to vegan flat doughnuts and Welsh pasta - you can ogle some of the things on offer here.

🍳 Fish Island fave Lanterna kick off their new weekend Bottomless Brunch offer this Saturday, with classic breakfasts and Italian dishes plus 90 mins of the usual Proseccos, Bloody Marys and more for £35, and a £10 upgrade for martini and spritz cocktails, too.

The CIG meets again this Friday morning. All welcome…

Twine is a play based on a true story about adoption, set in a forest of bloody eggs, ghost family members, vaudeville politicians and broken TVs. It’s a story of how one shattering moment can transform multiple family trees for generations to come, and runs until 21st September at The Yard Theatre.

📦 Head to Leytonstone’s Church Lane for a pop-up shop to coincide with London Design Festival, featuring the work of brilliant designers from across East London. These include ceramicists, sign writers, textile and interiours specilists, mural painters and many more. There’s a private view on Friday 13th Sept, to kick things off, and the shop is open all next week.

🏗️ Wicked Changes IV is the latest edition in Felstead Arts exhibition series exploring how East London artists respond to current social and urban challenges of large-scale redevelopment; who is involved in creating the new image of the area, and who is left behind. See the exhibition at The Trampery now. Runs until November 30th.

🔓 Space Studios are offering the chance to visit over 300 artists across their 11 East London studio buildings across the last two weekends of the month, 20th - 29th September. Check out the various dates and times for each location.

🎙️ The Colour Factory hosts the fiercely sex-positive, St Louis raised, 00‘s-obsessed singer-songwriter Slayyyter (pictured above) for a live show of Tuesday 17th September. She’s toured with Charli XCX and Tove Lo plus collaborated with Big Freedia and Pussy Riot, so this should be a blast.

🎶 Demonstrating that they will be offering much more than just top jazz at Soul Mama, the neighbourhood’s hot music venue newcomer has the award-winning London Community Gospel Choir this Sunday 15th Sept.

🎧 Makin’ Moves Records are back at All My Friends for a takeover this Sunday (15th) as residents Matt L-S and Jamesey bring special guests to dig deep across soul, disco and deep house for an afternoon into evening session.

📲 Do you work at night in London? You could earn up to £100 simply by taking part in a research workshop run by University College London’s UCL Urban Lab. Take the Voices of Nightworkers survey 

👩🏻‍💻 Book now for Creative Coding Crafts Space, an afternoon workshop for anyone interested in picking up or using coding skills to produce interactive or generative artwork in the browser. No previous experience necessary, just being curious about creative expression through code. It will be meeting for the first time on Saturday 28th September at The Cave in the basement of Algha Works.

🏏 Ever heard of Pickleball? Well, whether you’re a big fan of this racket sport - which mixes elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong - or totally new to it, Lea Valley VeloPark is launching new courts this Saturday, 14th September, aiming to bring the game to the masses. The launch day event will see some of the UK’s top players and coaches on hand to coach you through drill sessions and put on exhibition matches, then public Pickleball sessions can be booked from Monday onwards.

🎾Fab Tennis is offering limited spaces for girls aged 5-12 to enjoy free tennis sessions on Saturdays, right through to the end of the year. It all takes place at Eastway’s Young Hackney, starting this weekend, so sign up now to secure a spot.

🎂 It's the 3rd birthday of the Community Sauna Baths this Sunday, 15th Sept, with a full day of events including everything from to yoga and ice bath sessions to massage, candlemaking and bag painting workshops, with a soundtrack of live music, DJs and gong baths, both out the back and inside at The Bath House.

💁🏻‍♂️ The Help to Grow: Management Programme is an opportunity for local SME founders to boost their leadership skills and their business performance. The programme is delivered by business experts at Fashion Business School, LCF and is 90% funded by the UK Government, but if you are an alumnus and/or networked with UAL and meet the eligibility requirements, you can get a bursary so the entire 12-week programme, including 1-1 mentoring, will be fully funded. The next course begins on 30th October.

🚺 Tower Hamlets is launching two fully-funded programmes to support female-led businesses or community/voluntary sector organisations in the borough. Women Mean Business will support 50 small independent such businesses to expand, while the Social Enterprise Impact Project will do the same for 50 voluntary groups. There’s a launch event on midday-2pm on Thursday 19th September at the town hall opp. Whitechapel station - register here.

🎬 If you’re a Hackney resident (aged 18 or over) with a passion for a career in the movie or TV industry, then Hackney Council is offering an exciting FREE training in partnership with Screen Hackney. led by industry experts. The two-day Set Ready programme will train you in the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to work as a Location Marshal on large-scale film or TV productions. Upon completion, you'll be eligible for a paid placement on a major film or TV production. The course takes place 22nd & 23rd October - apply before Tuesday 1st October. 

🌱 SEEDED is a five-month part time residency for East London-based creative practitioners and thinkers to explore ideas relating to their socially-engaged practice. UCL East and other East Bank partners work closely with the selected individuals, who also get £6k funding to support the residency. The focus themes this year will be social justice, inclusion and accessibility in the arts, the built and the natural environment, or community engagement. Deadline for applications is Tuesday 17th September.

🤖 The Digital Body Festival will celebrate the intersection of the moving human body and the latest technology this November in Hackney Wick, with tickets going on sale later this month. Living with my Digital Twin is an open call for dance artists under the age of 25 to create a short motion-capture film under the guidance and mentorship of Alexander Whitley Dance Company. The festival is also inviting artists and academics to join the growing line-up of speakers and panelists.

🫂 Foundation for Future London are looking for expressions of interest in their Year 5 Community Grant Scheme from the Westfield EastBank Creative Futures Fund. If you are an individual or organisation based in the Olympic boroughs you could get up to £20k for any project that offers new skills, training and work opportunities in the creative sectors (including arts, heritage, innovation, culture and placemaking) in the local area. Apply by 20th September.

🎨 The Loop, the new circular economy space in Hackney Wick hosted by Arbeit and the Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust, has its official opening on Thursday 19th September, 5pm to 9pm, as part of the London Open House Festival. The event includes open studios, workshops and artists installations, and invites locally-based artists, designers and makers - ideally those who work with recycled materials or on the theme of circularity - to apply for limited spaces now. This exhibition is free to participate in, and financial contributions towards costs of transportation and installation are available. For full details and to apply, please email [email protected]. If you would like to attend this free event, sign up for free here.

🚺 Public art org Up Projects are seeking girls, women and gender diverse people based in - or regularly travelling to - the Marshgate Lane area who are interested in playing a unique and exciting role in an innovative new public art project exploring wayfinding and safety in the area. This is a paid opportunity to become a Community Collaborator, where selected participants will directly inform and shape a series of new public art commissions by working with an artist over the course of 10 workshops between October and December 2024. Apply by the end of the day today (11th September).

❤️‍🩹 Legal & General and UCL’s Institute of Health Equity have launched a £3m Health Equity Fund to support place-based projects addressing social issues around health. Charities, social enterprises, NHS Trusts or primary care organisations, university or academic organisations and community groups can all apply for grant funding to support initiatives or early-stage projects, up to £75k per project. Register your interest now.

🫂 Have your say in the future of Wick Award at a special meeting on Tuesday 24th September from 6.30pm-8pm at Gascoyne 2 Community Hall, where you’ll learn more about their latest plans and connect with other locals and groups looking to address the community’s most pressing needs.