Have your say! - creative Archway

Do you work in a creative sector, have an idea for a project, or a passion for creativity? If you’re a resident in Archway, an artist, part of a community group or local business, we’d love to hear from you about what you’d like to see from our new Archway Creative Enterprise Zone. 

Creative Enterprise Zones (CEZ) support creative talent by developing affordable creative workspaces, supporting emerging arts and creative businesses and help local people into creative careers. The Archway CEZ will be offering training, work experience and mentoring opportunities and hosting events to showcase Archway’s immense talent. 

For more information about the CEZ and how you can benefit from this programme, please email us and we’ll explain how you can get involved. 

Islington Outlook, is a fully accessible resource centre for adults with physical disabilities, sight, or hearing impairments, dedicated to providing people with the skills and knowledge they need to develop their education and careers.  

The centre also focuses on building confidence in using local services like public transport, gyms, job centres, and internet cafes to help you thrive in the community. The centre is at 133 St. John's Way, N19 3RQ and is open Monday to Friday from 9am–5 pm.  

To attend the day centre and for more information, call us on 0207 527 6530 or email a member of our team. An assessment and referral from Social Services is required to use this service. 

Throughout the Easter holidays we’ll be working with Better to offer free swimming lessons to children aged 4-16. 

The lessons are specially tailored to improve swimming skills and confidence in the water for young people through playful yet instructive lessons. The next lessons will take place over the Easter holidays at Archway Leisure Centre as well as in Ironmonger Row Baths, Highbury Leisure Centre, and Cally Pool & Gym.  

During the summer, lessons will also be available for families and children under 4. Call 0203 915 7060 or visit their webpage to find out more.

Do you have a creative idea of how to improve or create a new green space in your local area? You can submit your ideas and help make this a reality. 

From planters and rain gardens, to planting trees and creating beautiful tree pits, we can help to perfect your ideas to improve your area. Successful applicants will have their project funded and created by specialists within the greenspace team.  

You don’t need to be an expert gardener to apply, you just need to be committed to improving and maintaining the green space and keep your plants growing. Applications are open until Friday 12 April and you can contact the team on greenertogether@islington.gov.uk with any queries. 

We’re working with Voluntary Action Islington and Octopus Community Network using Local Wellbeing Networks (LWN) to give you an opportunity to have your say and shape decisions in Islington. 

In these sessions we’ll discuss key services that promote a healthy lifestyle for residents and the benefits our services can have on wellbeing and how they can be improved, as well as hearing from guest speakers from local organisations. 

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 13 March, 12.30–3pm, at Manor Gardens Community Centre, Conference Room 6–9, N7 6LA.

The Stuart Low Trust have partnered up with Healthy Generations to bring you free online weekly exercise classes every Tuesday.  

They’re running their Gentle Exercise: Building Energy through Movement class for local people practicing tai chi, chi kung and a little yoga all designed to exercise and strengthen muscles, joints and bones in the body, increasing your overall energy and resilience throughout the day.  

The class is suitable for people of all ages and experience. To book, please email info@slt.org.uk or call 020 7713 9304 and for more information on the benefits of this type of exercise, visit their website.

Girdlestone Community Centre, N19 5DX, is helping people learn basic woodworking skills to upcycle items completely free.  

All you have to do is come with an idea of something you’d like to create, transform or fix and they’ll provide you with the tools, space and expertise to create fun and innovative designs, be it a work of art or fixing a chair. 

If you’d like to ask anything beforehand, email archwayupcycle@gmail.com. They have a range of dates available this March, so book your space on their Eventbrite page today!

Queer Comedy Club

The Queer Comedy Club is hosting some of the best LGBTQ+ comedy acts in London for you, completely free this spring. 

The Queer Comedy Club is the UK's first LGBTQ+ comedy club and offer acts ranging from seasoned TV and circuit comedians testing their material before going on tour, to newcomers dipping their toes into the comedy scene. Why not pay them a visit to have fun and show your support? 

They have a host of free shows throughout March, April and May at 114 Junction Rd, Archway, N19 5LB.