Tower Hamlets has a vibrant arts scene, and a host of family and community activities. We hope you find something to enjoy.
For more events taking place in Tower Hamlets this month, visit our What’s on Guide for arts and entertainment listings.
Join world-renowned composer Max Richter, star violinist Elena Urioste and Chineke! Orchestra on Earth Day for a free concert in the unique setting of The Ecology Pavilion, situated among the picturesque lakes and reed beds of Mile End Park.
The BBC is offering tickets to the event to local residents. A limited number of tickets are available, so book early to avoid disappointment!
In a concert which celebrates the natural world and reminds us of the need to protect our planet, you’ll hear Max Richter and Chineke! Orchestra perform three of the composer’s works. Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, with violinist Elena Urioste, is inspired by Vivaldi’s hugely popular work, while Infra and On the Nature of Daylight are both deeply moving and contemplative pieces of music.
Linton Stephens, host of BBC Radio 3’s podcast Classical Fix presents the concert which is part of the BBC-wide season of nature programming Wild Isles.
Supported by Tower Hamlets Council
Egg hunts, sticker hunts, window box planting, pond dipping, arts and crafts, adventure play sessions at Whitehorse Adventure Playground and gardening in the Growing Zone at Mile End Children’s Pavilion. We’ve got a lot going on in our parks for children and families in the Easter holidays. Come and have an eggs-citing Easter break with us!
Over 50s residents are invited to celebrate St George’s Day with an afternoon of live music and song from The Sunshine Kings, with dance leader Tony Lane. The Tea Dance will take place at The Ecology Pavilion in Mile End Park. Light refreshments will be served.
Seats will be allocated in advance. Please book as a group if you want to sit with friends. Maximum 8 people per group.
Free admission. Booking opens on Thursday 13 April and is essential due to limited numbers. Call 020 7364 7900/ 3115 10am - 2pm Monday to Friday or email festivalsandevents@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
This event is for Tower Hamlets residents only.
Retrospective exhibition, drawing and textile workshops, special film screening and book launch at The Art Pavilion, Mile End Park
Peter Gibson passed away in 2021 leaving a legacy of art, music, film and photography. This exhibition, events programme and new biography bring together the extraordinary range of his work and wider influence. As an inspired teacher Peter Gibson also left an enduring legacy of people he influenced through his lifelong dedication to community education in East London and beyond.
The visual art work in his retrospective includes more than twenty unique hand embroidered denim jackets, a collection of experimental mixed media constructions and an extensive portfolio of maritime photographs and oil pastels.
The events programme includes practical drawing and textile sessions, a special film screening/discussion and the launch of a new biography of Gibson by his wife Hanelle Levine, co-edited by Roger Mills. The exhibition is open 11 – 13 April. Full details and event booking.
আত্ম (Soul/Self) প্রেম (Love)
A solo show at The Brady Arts Centre from one of Bangladesh’s most dynamic and inspiring contemporary artists. Nazia Preema’s work explores issues of women’s representation that fuses traditional and digital techniques. She creates poetic visual metaphors on canvas and has received global recognition for her bold and innovative output, including representing Bangladesh at the 58th La Biennale de Venezia in 2019. In this exhibition, Nazia Andaleeb Preema is representing herself as the mirror of others in our society, where we are all engrossed in self-love. Her self-portraits and deconstructions provide a visual narration of her journey as a single woman through bravery, ownership and self-love.
The exhibition is open from 8 – 28 April. Thursday 6 April, 6-8pm - preview, performance and book launch.
PRISM Textiles, a group of international textile artists, return to the Art Pavilion in Mile End Park, with their latest exhibition WARPED. If you think the world has already been turned on its axis in recent years, be prepared for things the get “curiouser and curiouser” as over 50 artists present their interpretation of the word warped.
The work on show covers a range of themes, from gastropods to dysfunctional relationships, alongside fabric and thread. Expect to see found objects and unusual materials such as porcelain, jesmonite, driftwood, sea threads and metal bolts all skillfully woven together to create contemporary pieces of textile art.
There will be free workshops open to all in collage making, hand stitching, weaving, printing, found objects and more.
Come along to the Brady Arts Centre on Wednesdays and take part in painting and printmaking classes. Those of all abilities are welcome. Hone your skills or learn how to use a variety of media. Beginners are welcome as well as established artists.
In the summer term, the focus will be on exploring landscapes and seascapes, looking at texture paste, mulch, collage, oil painting, watercolours, screen printing, stencils, dry point and lino.
All artists get a chance to exhibit in the Summer "Wellbeing" exhibition. This focuses on "places that make you happy". Classes begin on April 26 and continue until July.
Drop-ins are welcome so no booking required. For further details, please email ginnyhawke5@hotmail.co.uk
Fast Fashion Therapy help you repair and upcycle your old or damaged clothes.
Bring along your old clothes or textiles and get advice and ideas on how you can repair or alter them. If you would just like to have a go at some simple techniques, spare fabrics are provided so you can practice on those first.
The Create Place has sewing machines and basic sewing equipment to get you started. If there are extra trims or fabrics you want to use please bring these along.
This is a friendly and inclusive group. Everyone is invited to share ideas with others on how we can mend and refashion clothes to combat textile waste.
Workshops take place from 6.30pm - 8pm every 2nd and 4th Monday at The Create Place, in Bethnal Green. Book your free place.
Image © Philip Cunningham
"In the 1970s… taking photographs was much less common and documenting working class lives even less so.”
Lost East End is a new exhibition of photographs taken by Philip Cunningham in the 1970s. Philip was born and raised in the East End of London and in the 1970s became a youth worker at Oxford House while studying at Ravensbourne College. Encouraged by his tutor, Philip took hundreds of photographs of the people and places around him. He captured striking portraits of neighbours, friends, forgotten pubs, community activism and everyday life in East London. Many of the images on display in the exhibition have not been seen in over 50 years. This free exhibition opens on 20 April at Oxford House.
Installation View: Escape The Slick, Whitechapel Gallery, London, 13 January – May 2023. Photo: Damian Griffiths
An evening of music, workshops, and exploration programmed by Whitechapel Gallery’s youth collective Duchamp & Sons. Inspired by their current exhibition Escape the Slick, which asks questions about access to public space whilst embracing comfort and self-expression. You can expect an evening of good vibes, exploration, and moments to connect to others. 6 April, Free, No Booking Required
Duchamp & Sons is a collective of 15 - 24 year olds from across London who meet regularly to experiment with art, curate exhibitions and events, and share space for food and conversation.
Are you ready for an adventure? On Saturday 15 April, join the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, for a 3-hour pottery workshop that will take you on a journey through the Victorian tradition of gravestone symbolism.
You will explore the fascinating history of cemeteries in London, discover the hidden meanings behind Victorian grave carvings and the secret language of flowers, and create our own hand-built clay gravestones or monuments inspired by the symbols of the Cemetery Park. Just make sure to wear comfy clothes and closed-toe shoes for this hands-on workshop. Booking essential.
If you are organising arts or cultural events, either online or at your venue in Tower Hamlets, please submit listings to our What’s On pages.
Use #TowerHamletsTogether to highlight your event and enter wider conversations about activities and support available to the local community.
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