Join us on a new journey

For those readers who’ve been following the progress of The Wick since our first print edition landed, way back in the decidedly odd epoch of 2020’s Covid lockdowns, you’ll know we’ve always harboured aspirations to do something a little bit different when it comes to digital.

You might even have joined one of the workshops we ran over the summer, supported by Foundation for Future London, to make sure we develop something that is truly wanted, genuinely useful and enthusiastically used by the whole community.

Now, armed with those vital insights, we’re moving into the next phase. Our proposal for a ‘creative place platform’ has been accepted onto the Barclays Eagle Labs Product Builder Programme, run by Plexal at Here East.

Over the next eight weeks, we’ll be refining the ideas for a tools that improves visibility and interactions between local businesses, the community and the third sector across this part of East London, while rewarding our audience (that’s you) for doing good things such as shopping local, supporting grassroots events and venues, volunteering and reducing waste.

There’ll be an update on our progress in this newsletter every Wednesday, and we’d love you to participate in the process too, by answering a simple one-click poll question each week.

Here’s the first one:

🎬 A free, long-weekend of films and cultural events celebrating Newham’s diverse communities of all ages; the inaugural PictureEast Film Festival 2025 has been curated by local residents and includes Q&As, panel discussions and more, following the showing of each film. It takes place across various local venues from Thurs 30th Jan - Sun 2nd Feb and aims to provide a platform for local artists and filmmakers, and an exciting programme of entertainment for residents.

🎭 Chaotic Jewish heist comedy Revenge: After The Levoyah pairs two twins with an 80-year-old gangster for a caper that tears through antisemitism in the diaspora, now on as one of the final shows at The Yard Theatre before the whole place is totaled and rebuilt, runs until this Sat, 25th Jan.

🌱 The latest ReRooted Residency artist at Trowbridge Gardens Gallery, Anita Agarwal, opens her show, Let’s Be Eco-Logical this Thurs 30th Jan, 5–8pm where you can see her playful yet powerful exploration of sustainability and cultural intersections through installations like an insect hotel, wind chimes made from single-use plastics, and flags inspired by Buddhist prayer traditions.

📔 The work of South African author Bessie Head is celebrated at a new immersive exhibition, Summer Flowers - Wolff Architects Exhibition opening 30th Jan with a special film screening and talk on the night. The installation includes sound, drawings, plant pressings, and texts and runs at UCL Urban Room at Pool St until the end of May.

🌳 Common Ground (pictured above) invites us to contemplate a single woodland scene, and to consider the role of nature in shaping our mental health, identity and sense of self. It’s on now at UCL Marshgate, including three special late night openings that are booking now, to be held on Wed 29th Jan, plus 5th and 26th Feb.

🍺 The Lord Napier Star has not one, but two beer tasting events coming up, starting with The Kernel Brewery tasting this Thurs 23rd Jan, with plenty of varieties from the acclaimed Bermondsey brewery to try. That’s followed on Sat 1st Feb by the pub’s first ever Winter Beer Festival, featuring kegs of the good stuff from Drop Project, Floc Brewery, Two Flints and many more soon to be revealed. It’s on all afternoon into evening and is free - you just need to buy tokens for the samples, thirds, or halves of your new favourite beers.

🛋️ Expect intimate live sets from three country, folk or Americana bands as the famous travelling pop-up gigs Sofar Sounds touch down in the Wick, up in the loft space at Crate Brewery on Tue 28th Jan.

🪩 Reformed hellraiser turned meme-powered national treasure Fat Tony finally gets to play his headline gig at No90 on Sat 25th Jan. Last month’s original date had to be postponed after Tony was shockingly attacked by another DJ in the booth at a party in Margate, his facial injuries plastered all over the socials, so this is a triumphant return, too.

🖤 Listening in the dark experts Pitchback Playback begin a brand new Hackney Wick residency for their ‘Mixtapes’ strand of DJ-led listening journeys - with eye masks included in the ticket price. Expect stripped-back soul and an atmospheric soundtrack for stillness courtesy of founder Bei Gomori and his guest Raji Rags up on the mezzanine at Colour Factory on Wed 28th Jan.

🫘 Healthy, zero-waste homemade food service, Gaia Pulses, deliver a selection of three delicious, nutrition-packed stews and salads direct to your door every 1-2 weeks. The meals come by bike and in fully reusable containers, plus there are extras you can order like locally baked bread, organic kimchi and olives. Not only that, but The Wick readers can currently get 50% OFF your first order using the code WickBeans at the checkout.

🧘🏼‍♂️The epic Community Yoga Project are throwing another of their Mindfulness Day events this Sat 25th Jan at The Bath House. Expect meditation and breathwork, an immersive sound bath, ecstatic dancing, and plenty of yoga too, of course.

🥕 Growing Communities provide organic fruit and veg boxes that you can pick up from 30 locations across Hackney and Haringey each week. Their latest collection point has just started in Hackney Wick, too, located at at Grow. To celebrate and kickstart a healthy 2025 they are offering The Wick readers 10% off all boxes in Jan and Feb if you use the code Healthy2025 at the checkout on their website.

📈 Applications are now open for the 4th edition of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, a bespoke 10-week programme and grants of up to £20k are designed to help early-stage start-ups developing innovative, more sustainable consumer products. It is run in partnership with EIT Climate-KIC, Europe's leading climate innovation hub. Applications by 7th March.

♀️ Femake Entrepreneurship is an all-day female business exhibition showcasing the work and the women behind everything from handmade crafts to tech startups. You’ll meet the founders of 16 female-led businesses and 7 artists, offering inspiration and networking plus food and drinks, all at Indra Gallery on Sun 2nd Feb. 

💁🏼‍♀️ Civil Society Consulting is running two free sessions sharing insights into effective pathways and strategies to fundraising for your project or organisation. The first is today (22nd Jan) on Funding strategies and income diversification followed by Community, corporate, and challenge fundraising on 5th Feb. More info and register here.

🍯 If you want to learn a new skill and fancy getting into pottery, Cone8 Ceramics now offer memberships just like you’d get for a gym or yoga studio, but for regular classes on their throwing wheels, instead. Find out more about the offer which gives discounts and you’ll join a thriving local ceramic community, too.

📌 Culture Within Newham are looking for a Creative Community Builder to start as soon as possible on a fixed term basis. The role includes building relationships with locals, organising and delivering cultural events and inspiring local people to take ownership of Newham’s cultural offerings. Deadline tomorrow, 23rd Jan.

🦋 Pangaea Sculptor Centre is looking for a workshop facilitator for an event they will be holding locally on Sat 1st March. Email [email protected].

🕺 Local tech-meets-movement innovators Alexander Whitley Dance Company are offering use of Studio 90, their fully equipped motion capture studio, dance rehearsal space and conference room, to hire to freelancers from £15 per hour. Motion capture recording and consultancy are also available as an additional service.

🧵 UCL Culture Lab are looking for eight participants of South Asian descent from East London to take part in a project on phulkari at the UCL East campus. Workshops will be led by artist and poet Suman Gujral where you will explore this embroidery technique from the Punjab region and experiment with collage and block printing. You will be paid for your time at three workshops between Feb and April.

📈 If you live in Tower Hamlets and have a business idea, but don't know where to start, the Council and Allia Impact are offering support through structured training and a grant of £2500 to start a new venture. You need to be a first-time entrepreneur and full time resident. Open until end of March 2025.