Community Projects
The River Cultures Festival has its roots in the local community. We work in partnership with organisations to identify the needs of our users. This helps us inform the arts, heritage and multimedia projects we set up.
These range from the festival events to heritage, workshops, training and arts projects with and for the community. Read below to find out about past and present projects.
2008
Silk Screens
- Birmingham (Victoria Square)
- Glasgow (Pacific Quay)
- Manchester (Exchange Square)
- London (Leicester Square)
2007
Dance of the Cobra
Shandy Park, Ocean Estate, Saturday 8th September
"The crowd loved it. Everybody loved it. I loved it! It was good! Excellent!" remarked jubilant youth worker, Candice LaTouche after the thrilling Dance of the Cobra performance. "And well done the older boys who made up their own dance!"
"I really enjoyed it! First I was nervous but when the music started I was really happy and I really enjoyed it! And I think everyone loved it too!" an exultant 17 year old Shahin Ahmed enthused after a month of exciting workshops in which young people of 7-18 years, mostly from the Ocean Estate in Stepney, learnt Bollywood dance, stiltwalking and gained the wonderful experience of documenting themselves with video and photography.
An international cast of tutors and performers led the activities directed by two Tower Hamlets based stars, Cid Shaha, the charismatic dancer and Bollywood teacher from Bangladesh, and multidisciplinary performer Hi Ching. They were ably supported by the exquisite Ni Made Pujawati from Bali who gallantly kick started the stage performances with an impromptu Balinese dance when the first act was late, Indrani Datta, British-Asian Kathak dancer, Art Fazil, Malay composer from Singapore, and singers Graziella Rodriguez from Spain and Tunashree Guha from Kolkata. Lila Lifely from CircArts who took the stiltwalking workshops said how 'very rewarding' the whole project was.
Director Dr. Ananda Gupta of FIPA, Foundation for Indian Performing Arts, said, "It was great to see so many different cultural spectrums and mosaics - brilliant, it's wonderful." 18 year old Abeek Adhikari was equally thrilled and said, "I hope to do it again next Summer!"
Many of the scenes featured in the video below were filmed by the young people taking part - from seven years upwards.
Produced by River Cultures Festival in association with FIPA, the project was funded by Arts Council England, Denton Wilde Sapte Charitable Trust, Ocean NDC with workshop space provided by Arbour Youth Centre.
2006
Children Ask, Faiths Respond
Over 300 children from all over Tower Hamlets were asked to draw cartoon-style pictures demonstrating something of concern to them. The young artists were then asked to provide a question related to their image. These questions have been directed to faith leaders to respond to. Many of these issues were similar. Main concerns were bullying, drugs, death, gangs. Thirty drawings were selected for a week long exhibition in November as part of the first Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Festival. See drawings with an accompanying questions from 30 young artists. This interfaith project was funded by Community Development Fund.
2005
Print Positive (The Other Side Gallery)
Art printmaking workshops for disabled participants which were exhibited at the Museum in Docklands.
2004
Circus Skills and Costume Workshops
Children learnt circus skills, in particular stiltwalking and costume making on the theme of birds. Parades of stiltwalking birds took place at the festival event.
2003
Images Tell Stories (Dash Gallery)
An exhibition of photographs inspired by the cosmopolitan heritage of tea taken during Summer workshops by young people from multiethnic backgrounds, including deaf young Bangladeshis. They learnt how to use manual cameras
Basic Security Training (Museum in Docklands)
Certificated basic security training workshops for young men who participated in a buddy programme at the festival event - coordinated by Manguard plc.
2002
Fire Drawing (Alpha Grove Centre)
Young people designed fire drawings of a central crown (marking the Queen's Golden Jubilee) flanked by two seahorses (signifying the return of seahorse to the Thames). The workshop was coordinated by Emergency Exit Arts.
Circus Skills (Alpha Grove Centre)
Young people learnt stiltwalking and other basic circus skills.