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After years of anticipation, this week sees the brand-new, purpose-built Sadler’s Wells East welcome audiences for the first time.

This is not just a big deal locally, as the venue immediately becomes a significant new resource for the artform of dance nationwide, with it’s 550-seat mid-sized auditorium, six start-of-the-art dance studios filled with natural light (and magnificent views of the Olympic Park), plus a lovely big roof terrace.

It also brings a stellar programme of always accessible and often free entertainment, alongside masses of new opportunities for careers in dance or just the simple joy movement, all right to the doorstep of East Londoners at the East Bank.

Just in case you’ve not already been salivating at the prospect of all this, other key highlights include:

💺 The auditorium is fully flexible, meaning the seats can be quickly stowed away to create a big dancefloor for interactive shows like Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove, which opens tomorrow night.

🧢 The building is home to two educational facilities in youth hip hop training Academy Breakin’ Convention and experimental research project Rose Choreographic School.

👯‍♀️ The public spaces include a free-to-access dancefloor for community classes and activities, free performances and simply as a space for coming in and busting a move. We’ve got more exciting info for you on this next week…

🖼️ There’s also art and food to enjoy in the public foyers, with two striking new tapestries by acclaimed artist Eva Rothschild and in/outdoor spaces to come eat and drink in Park Kitchen and Bar and The Well.

🎟️ Ticket prices are purposefully being kept as low as possible, with 50% of all seats in the season available for £25 or less, and Barclay’s Dance Pass tickets for 16-30-year-olds costing just a tenner at every single performance.

Take a look at the full programme for Sadler’s Wells East including upcoming highlights like Skatepark, which swaps out the traditional dance stage for half-pipes and ramps featuring local skateboard talent, and TRAPLORD, the Olivier Award-winning hip hop production that questions the stereotyping of Black men in today’s society.

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Last call for print! Deadline day is approaching, so if you want to advertise to over 44k locals in the Spring print edition of The Wick, this week is your last chance to book space.

👷🏼‍♀️ Tour of Wickside

Following next week’s CIG meeting (details below) on Fri 14th Feb, the team from the new Wickside development will be offering everyone a free tour of their site, where you’ll get to see progress and hear about the plans for mixed use of the site. Places are limited and we need to know your shoe size for the PPE. Sign up here. 

📸 Photographer Alexandra Waespi has been mapping and snapping Hackney Wick’s many roses since 2021, shooting mostly at dusk with multiple layered exposures for an ethereal quality. She’s collected the work so far into a hand-stitched zine, linmited to 50 copies which will go on sale at an exhibition of her work running at Hackney Gallery, Feb 27th - Mar 3rd. 

🎼 Head to Bow Arts tomorrow night, Thurs 6th Feb for the first in a season of Thursday Lates, in the shape of a music night with Gusty Ferro and Joesph Ijoyemi playing alongside 12 incredible artworks shortlisteds for the Bow Arts East London Arts Prize.

🌳 Common Ground 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 tonight 5th Feb and also Wed 26th Feb.

🌐 Swedish animator Petter Schölander takes us to his imaginary utopia in Samoota: In the Shadow of Three Suns, an audio-visual experience at Indra Gallery on Fri 15th Feb. The work is inspired by his Sámi heritage, science, as well as his need to understand the world, and the event will also see three DJs from Stockholm play at the afterparty.

☝🏾 This Sat 8th Feb sees the return of Plentyppl at Colour Factory, where selector-in-chief Casuallyclued will play all night long, bringing his crate full of broken beats, jazz, soulful house and samba vibes.

🏈 If you’re a big fan of staying up all night to watch the Superbowl, then hear to The Leyton Star this Sunday night 9th Feb, to catch the Philadelphia Eagles V Kansas City Chiefs plus Kendrick Lamar’s hotly anticipated halftime show. There’s food and drinks all night with 25 pints of Two Tribes for the first customers to arrive, too.

🍹It might be wintery, but the Cheri Amour cocktail barge is moored once more on the canalside at Crate Brewery, serving 3pm-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays at the moment, with more days to come as the weather gets warmer.

🫘 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.

🤸🏻 New fitness studio Shape S Pilates opened its doors for the first time last month at Tradestars on Wick Lane, and is currently offering an introductory offer of 4 classes for £64.

🍼 Trowbridge Gardens monthly parents and carers coffee morning is back on Mon Feb 10th, for a casual and friendly event with lots of toys and ample buggy parking, where you can meet other local parents and get free support from experts.

👘 Local circular economy innovators Fibrelab are running a Textile Recycling Consultations and workshop on Fri 21st Feb aimed at fashion students, independent designers and community members. It will provide interactive hands-on experience of the textile recycling processes and guidance on improving your own practices

📈 The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a bespoke 10-week programme plus grants of up to £20k 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.

💘 How very romantic! Cone8 Ceramics are offering a 20% discount on all their classes for bookings of two over Valentines week. Prospective students should just email them on [email protected] for the discount code to use when booking, and you’ll both join a thriving local ceramic community, too.

👷🏻‍♂️ Westfield Stratford City is hosting the free London Job Show on Fri 7th and Sat 8th Feb, jiving anyone looing for a fresh start access to loads of potential employers in one place. Bring CVs, attend careers workshops and seminars and ask loads of questions up on the first floor next to the world food court.

🕺🏻 Studio Wayne McGregor is looking for an archivist to manage and oversee their collection of over 30 years of materials and support the company’s first major exhibition to be held at Somerset House. Closing date 26th Feb.

👩🏻‍🎓 If your organisation is looking for part-time staff, casual team members or volunteers, all 5 universities at Here East are collaborating for the first time on a student jobs fair, being held on Mon 24th Feb at Plexal. It’s free for employers to join and includes lunch - register your interest here.

🚢 Anyone who’d like to put on a cultural event to celebrate the Windrush Generation should contact Hackney Council, who have small grants of up to £2k now available to help make it a reality. Your event will need to be delivered in June 2025 and can also be part of a bigger project. Deadline for applications is 17th March.

🌊 Hackney Council is also working with the Environment Agency to develop resources aimed at helping residents and businesses in Hackney Wick better prepare for potential flooding. They are currently seeking feedback from residents and businesses through a consultation process via the link.

💹 The Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs has just opened for 2025, offering up to £20k and a mentorship programme to enable talented entrepreneurs to make positive social impact through their creative ventures.

📈 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.

💍 If you are set on becoming one of the next generation of creative designers and makers, the Rabih Hage Bursary includes £5k of financial support, brainstorming workshops and networking meetings, plus marketing and promotion of your work. Apply by 28th Feb.