Join us at London College of Fashion this Friday

In partnership with

The Cultural Interest Group, now in it’s 16th year, returns this Friday morning, 14th Nov, with another in the ever-popular series of free monthly meetings.

Everyone with an interest in all things local is invited to join in person, or online.

November’s edition takes place on East Bank, in the fantastic UAL London College of Fashion building, so it presents a rare chance to check out the University as well as to hear from a bumper line-up of guest speakers.

From local retail and tech start-ups to developers and architects working on some big new projects, it’s a chance to hear what’s coming to the neighbourhood, and how you can get involved.

Full details of this month’s agenda and where to come on Friday morning are in the box below. See you there 😊

🤯 Ross Nicol is a writer and medium living in Fish Island, who will be exhibiting a decade’s worth of his artworks at CONTINUUM, a collection of premonition pieces and vision paintings (pictured above) which speaks of his spiritual journey to awakening. Launch night on Fri 21st Nov at Unlock.

📚 Also at Unlock, catch the first supper club, this Thurs 13th Nov, from the brand new book shop pop-up Fish Island Books, the first in series of bookish collaborations at the restaurant/gallery.

🍉 East Village long-standing purveyors of healthy smoothies and mindful meals, Ginger and Mint, have opened a brand new branch on East Bank waterfront.

🏢 Newington Green’s Atom Gallery features Places & Spaces, a new two‑person exhibition by Hackney-based artists Jo Peel and Maxine Gregson, pairing Peel’s hand-drawn cityscapes with Gregson’s surreal, nostalgic‑futurist scenes. Runs to 29th Nov.

💦 Essex Rd’s Twilight Contemporary presents new show Awash by artist Mary West, a solo exhibition of her paintings exploring the paradoxical nature of water: at at once tender, sentient and furious, which opens with a private view on Thurs 20th Nov.

🍿 Head down to The Cave in the basement at Algha Works to see a free bi-monthly screening series of short films with ReDavolt Studios - the next one is Wed 19th Nov.

🎧 Join the mighty DJ veteran Johnny Reckless (pictured above) dropping soul, R&B and house at Overjoyed which returns this Fri 14th Nov to Grow.

🆓 There’s free entry to Colour Factory this Sat 15th Nov with an unannounced special guest will be dropping delicious house, techno and trance at the Origins Free Rave.

🥊 Lively nights out at the pub in the coming days should include the Game of Thrones pub quiz down at The Lord Napier Star on Thurs 13th Nov and then the big Connor Benn v Chris Eubank Jr rematch over at the Leyton Star on Sat 15th Nov. 

🔥Meanwhile, Star pub honcho and HWFI local, Rob Star, launches his first food venture, the live fire-roasted, bold flavour-led Firestarter Grill over in Liverpool St, where you can pick up things like crab doughnuts with cowboy butter, espresso-tamarind ribs or gochujang wings. There’s a 450g Iberico pork chop if you’re supersizing, or fire-roasted cauliflower with black garlic if you’re not eating meat. Opens Thurs 13th Nov.

🌍 Hackney Wick Town Hall join forces with UCL East for a free Climate Challenge codesign workshop blending sustainability and enterprise at Trowbridge Gardens on Mon 17th Nov.

🍷 The new Sip & Scrawl Creative Writing Experience is a two-hour session led by comedian Mike Sheer, with fun, guided writing exercises from haikus to sensory descriptions and character creation at the People's Park Tavern, next happening on Mon Nov 24th.

🍯 Trace Ceramics is a new pottery studio based at Omega Works offering a range of workshops and classes, specialising in a diverse range of Asian ceramic techniques for people of all abilities. Look out for special family-friendly Christmas decorations workshops in the current line-up.

🪡 Learn the unique slow art of paper stitching and make your festive season cards in the process at the Paper Tex & Stitch holiday card-making workshop, being held by local hands-on practitioner, Katy Homes, at FibreLab on Monier Rd on Thurs 13th Nov.

♻️ UCL Innovation & Enterprise are running an Upscaling Circular Economy event on Thurs 20th Nov at The Loop. Through panel discussions, workshops and networking, you’ll explore how to turn circular ideas into scalable, commercially viable, and socially beneficial innovations, plus there’s an opportunity to co-develop project ideas and apply for up to £5,000 in funding to pilot circular solutions.

🆕 Creative workspace and training hub Poplar Works is expanding, with more studios available alongside their existing collection of resident designers, makers, and London College of Fashion’s Making for Change programme. To celebrate the launch, they’re offering new tenants one month free on a 12-month lease. Info and to book a tour.

📝 Caramel Rock and McKinsey are offering a free career coaching session and CV surgery to help you grow personally, professionally, and entrepreneurially. It’s on this Fri 14th Nov.

💁🏼‍♀️ Tower Hamlets have a free Business Support Projects Launch at the Town Hall on Mon Dec 1st, for a new £400k suite of options for Tower Hamlets residents who want to start a business, providing support to early stage start ups and a specific package of support for female led/owned businesses.

🎥 Local social innovators BADU are looking for a Creative Media Producer working on photography, videography, editing, graphics, and short-form social media content across sport, health, education, and innovation, alongside their team and partner brands. Cultural competence, respect for lived experiences, and the ability to tell authentic stories are key. Apply by 20th Nov.

🛥️ The award-winning 2 AA Rosette restaurant aboard a historic Dutch barge and towpath garden, Barge East, is seeking an experienced General Manager with strong kitchen operations knowledge. The ideal candidate will bring proven leadership in food-led or AA Rosette-standard venues, exceptional organisational and financial skills, and a genuine passion for hospitality, people, and produce. Full time, £52k–£60k + performance bonus. Find out more & apply [email protected] by tomorrow, Thurs 12th Nov.

Join the Landscape Institute’s Robert Holden and Tom Turner as they cast a critical eye over the architecture and public realm designs of East Village. We’ll hear about the bits they like, and also their gripes over it being excessively based on car transport and lacking in green living balconies and roof space, with lots of lovely sunny imagery of the neighbourhood.