Inigo Lapwood Archives

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026

Glenn Tilbrook on why it’s vital to support grassroots music venues

Squeeze co-founder is set to play Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs for Music Venue Trust’s Everywhere At Once festival, plus donate tour cash

Glenn Tilbrook is participating in the Music Venue Trust's Everywhere At Once festival - image supplied by MVT — Glenn Tilbrook is participating in the Music Venue Trust’s Everywhere At Once festival – image supplied by MVT

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“Back in the day, access to venues and pubs was key for me in learning how to do what I do,” said Glenn Tilbrook, co-founder of Squeeze, who is set to play a gig in support of Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs later this month.

“I wasn’t taught by anybody. I started out playing with Jools Holland in pubs in east and south-east London as well.

“We did that for a couple of years and it taught us a lot about communicating with people – there’s no real substitute for that experience.

“That’s where we got our training – how we got ourselves together to move on and climb the ladder.

“It’s why you need these spaces to do that work in – they’re so important, not just for musicians, but for people to come and access performances – for it not to be all about money.”

Glenn is set to perform on board Theatreship - image by Theatreship — Glenn is set to perform on board Theatreship – image by Theatreship

playing the festival

Glenn is set to perform alongside his son Leon at the venue as part of the Music Venue Trust’s Everywhere At Once festival, which will see more than 1,200 gigs take place from June 26-28, 2026, nationwide.

Thousands of artists are set to participate with the likes of Fatboy Slim, Becky Hill, Tinie Tempah, The Divine Comedy, Rizzle Kicks and many more all performing.

Glenn, who has fond memories of performing early in his career at The Waterman’s Arms – just down the Isle Of Dogs from Theatreship – is scheduled to perform on the Sunday evening.

“I’ll be playing with Leon, who has joined Squeeze,” said Glenn.

“He’s 23 now and a great musician.

“We’ll be playing a selection of his songs and mine – we’ve just finished a short tour, so we’re well-versed in performing together and we’re sounding great.

“I first went to Theatreship about two months ago and I was so impressed by what they’ve done with the space – the atmosphere is great and it has a lovely bar at the back.

“I think it’s important for people to recognise what venues like this bring to an area.

“They’re quirky, but they work so well.

“Theatreship is clearly a place people will come and be surprised by what you can do on a ship.

“Squeeze have played on boats – we did a cruise gig last year, which was interesting.

“We were only on board for one day between Florida and The Bahamas, where we got off.

“It was a small stage, but it seemed like there were thousands of people in the audience.”

Glenn and squeeze will also be performing at The O2 Arena later this year - image supplied by MVT — Glenn and squeeze will also be performing at The O2 Arena later this year – image supplied by MVT

how Glenn Tilbrook co-founded Squeeze

Born in Woolwich, Glenn grew up in Docklands, forming Squeeze after meeting Chris Difford via an advert posted in a shop window. Jools Holland also joined.

The band first found fame in the 1970s with albums such as Cool For Cats and Argybargy, with Glenn and Chris continuing their partnership to this day.

“Squeeze is having a bit of a moment in the sunshine and we’re relishing that,” said Glenn.

“We’ve got an album called Trixies out at the moment, which is a set of songs that Chris and I wrote when I was 16 and he was 19 in 1974.

“At the same time we did an album of new songs that will be coming out next year. I’m keen to prove that our chops are still intact and we’re still growing.

“The old songs really sound like they were written in 1974, and the influences in the songs were in the three years leading up to 1974.

“When you’re 16, you don’t have a lot of history, so we were listening to contemporary music at the time and that’s what we were absorbing.

“Now I’ve had a lifetime of going to see lots of different acts and I’m thrilled by it even now.

“I love the journey – it’s never-ending, it’s fantastic.

“This year we’re on tour in America and we have a lot of huge shows including one at The O2 Arena in Greenwich.

“Who would have thought that at this stage in our career more people would be coming to see us than ever?

“It feels really great and we’re a really tight, professional band – we sound fantastic.

“The reaction we get from audiences now is unlike anything we ever had, even from the beginning of our career.

“We were really exciting when we started out and we’re really exciting now, at the other end of my life.

“It’s wonderful to play locally. I have my studio just yards from the Thames in Charlton.

“I’ve always been around Greenwich, it’s where I grew up and I love it.

“I remember that there was a tradition among the people who worked in the dock and on the ships to sound the ship’s horn at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and it was a really thrilling noise.

“I also love what’s happened to Canary Wharf, which I can remember before anything was built, and I’m amazed at it – it’s a brilliant place.

“It was a big vision to develop that, and it’s ongoing – a really exciting place to be.

“What’s important is that it isn’t just on a monetary level.

“What places like Theatreship do is so good for people’s souls. I don’t think it’s too much to say that.

“It’s a place that brings people together, it’s so enriching.”

Inigo Lapwood, project director of Theatreship and Artship – image Matt Grayson — *Inigo Lapwood, project director of Theatreship and Artship –* image Matt Grayson

how Glenn Tilbrook is supporting Theatreship

Inigo Lapwood, Theatreship director said: “We’re so thrilled to be working with MVT for their Everywhere At Once festival.

“At the moment we’re sadly all too accustomed to hearing about grassroots music venues when they’re under threat of closing.

“We’ve lost almost a third of them nationwide over the last three years alone.

“The trust has worked tirelessly to try to stem that tide.

“At Theatreship we’ve been hugely grateful for that work – they’ve been instrumental in our own ongoing battles to stay afloat.

“Everywhere At Once is a great counterpoint to this narrative of loss – a nationwide celebration of the spaces that remain.

“We really appreciate this timely reminder that we’re not alone, that the UK is filled with passionate grassroots music venues showcasing incredible work, and that brilliant, inventive artists like Glenn can be found in them.

“Since opening Theatreship, we’ve been consistently amazed by the sheer depth of musical talent in London.

“From the upper decks of the ship you can see The O2 where Glenn will be playing later this year, but we’re absolutely certain that he won’t be the only artist currently performing on the grassroots music circuit who’ll be headlining stadium gigs in short order.”

key details: Glenn Tilbrook and Squeeze

Glenn And Leon Tilbrook are set to play Theatreship on June 28 at 7pm. Tickets cost £33, although the gig has now sold out.

Find out more about the venue here

The Everywhere At Once festival runs from June 26-28 with more than 1,200 gigs at 500-plus venues.

Find out more here

Squeeze (with support from Billy Bragg) are set to play The O2 Arena on November 26 at 6.30pm.

Tickets start at £47. Squeeze is donating £1 to support the trust from every ticket sold.

Find out more here

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October 30, 2025November 4, 2025

Artship set to join Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs in cultural flotilla

How a 1938 diesel coaster is being reborn in Kent as a venue for the arts in east London’s docks

Inigo Lapwood, founding director of Artship and Theatreship - image by Artship — Inigo Lapwood, founding director of Artship and Theatreship – image by Artship

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“What’s incredible here is just how the guys view steel – as something completely fluid,” said Inigo Lapwood.

“When we brought the boat in, they just cut the two stairways we use for access off the pontoon and welded them back on in the right position.”

We’re sat atop the crusty, rusted panels of a vast barge looking out over the River Medway at Stick-Mig Welding in Chatham Docks, Kent.

Above us, resting on the steel – her keel snugly held in place by sacrificial lumps of wood – rise the curves of Artship.

The yard is rich in oxidised metal, but this is no scrapheap.

As we walk through, the searing white light of fabrication and the pop and hiss of melting steel cut the air.

This is a place where things are made and repaired, where function is preserved and created.

Artship herself is in for repairs on her way to the next chapter of her life afloat.

She’s set to join up with Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs to form a multi-vessel floating arts centre.

But before she can carry a cargo of culture, she needs a bit of work doing – spearheaded by Inigo as founding director of the project.

Artship is currently out of the water in Kent - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life — Artship is currently out of the water in Kent – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

creating Artship in a piece of maritime history

“We’re finishing all the structural work necessary in dry dock,” he said.

“This is actually one of the last places where you can get this kind of work done.

“Historically, Chatham was where all of the great sailing ships were built in the 1800s and we’re really lucky that those skills have been handed down.

“With Artship, we’ve had to cut sections out of the hull and replate them, we’ve had to make repairs to the rest of the machinery onboard and we’re making her suitable for public access.

“Unsurprisingly, a ship designed to carry 500 tonnes of coal isn’t immediately suitable for welcoming hundreds of people.

“However, we want to keep her as honest as possible with the fabric of the ship present and on-show.

“Inside, we have a big space that isn’t really on a human scale so we’re really excited that it presents us with an opportunity for large installations, exhibitions and music events.

“We can do a lot of really interesting things.”

Artship’s keel was laid in 1938.

She’s one of the first diesel coasters – a type of vessel that came to dominate short-sea shipping around Europe through the Second World War and the first half of the 20th century.

There are only a handful left intact.

At the peak of their popularity, there were more than 1,000 similar vessels in use and the class would once have been a familiar sight in the Thames and across Docklands.

Her hold is big enough for a vast, flexible arts space - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life — Her hold is big enough for a vast, flexible arts space – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

a cargo of culture

“We’re going to be filled with a cargo of arts when we arrive at West India Docks,” said Inigo.

“It’s really building on what we’ve been doing with Theatreship. Just as goods once came to the area from all over the world, our ships can provide somewhere for artists to deliver and unload their ideas today.

“Just before the very first skyscrapers went up in Canary Wharf, the last cargo ships left the docks. Now we’re bringing a second one back.”

Artship’s journey to get to east London has already been an eventful one.

Inigo said: “We found her on the wrong side of Germany, so we had to take her around the Baltic, along the Kiel Canal and across the North Sea.

“We brought her over in July last year and it was quite an undertaking – to get a 90-year-old boat with original machinery working well enough to undertake that kind of trip safely.

“In the end, it took us about two weeks to sail over and we ran into a couple of issues along the way.

“We were about 30 hours into the North Sea, it was around 4am and our second engineer woke me up to tell me she thought the oil pressure was a bit high, but that everything was fine.

“It wasn’t. We actually had a leak in the engine that meant the coolant water was getting into the bottom of the oil sump, producing what amounted to a horrible vinaigrette.

“In that situation, the bearings get starved of oil and, if you don’t spot it, everything overheats.

“Fortunately, we’d had a similar problem with the engine and noticed what was happening so we took a sharp turn and headed for shore as fast as we could.

“However, we ran out of time and had to drop anchor and try and repair the engine at sea.

“It’s a lovely old piece of machinery probably dating from the 1950s and our plan was always to keep it going as long as possible.

“The repair took me almost 36 hours and it nearly killed me – I’m not very good when I don’t get enough sleep and, by around hour 30, I’d forgotten the word for bolt.

“We were working against the clock too because we knew there was a force seven gale blowing in.

“If that had hit us, unballasted and with no power in the engine, the anchors would not have held and we might well have ended up on a beach in northern Europe somewhere – not at all the planned location for a new arts centre.

“We were very lucky to have a brilliant skipper on board, however, who was really experienced.

“After we stopped the engine to repair it, he went straight off for a nap, which was wise because at hour 30 there was someone just waking up fresh to steer the boat.”

Work takes place to replate Artship's hull - image by Artship — Work takes place to replate Artship’s hull – image by Artship

bringing Artship to east London

Fortunately, Inigo and the crew had prepared well, including custom-making tools to service the ageing engine – a piece of foresight that made their North Sea repair possible.

The plan is now to complete works down in Kent, before sailing Artship up the Thames to her new home.

“I hope to bring her to Canary Wharf by December and I’ll be a happy man if I can have my Christmas dinner on the ship,” said Inigo, who typically lives on board the ships he’s restoring.

“There will be stuff to do, but we want to get her back into the docks, even as a living artefact.

“It will be the first time for 50 years that a cargo ship like this has been in the docks that were built for them.

“Then we want to open up the space as quickly as possible.

“We’re working on a really exciting programme to get people on board.

“I’m really pleased with how Theatreship has been received.

“It’s a difficult time for independent venues – we’re a not-for-profit organisation, completely independent and are not supported by investors.

“A third of independent music venues have shut in the last three years, so we’re perpetually grateful that we are able to be open.

“We also do a lot of our events completely free because we believe audiences shouldn’t always have to bear the cost of culture.

“We’ll always try to get funding to make sure we’re not excluding people financially.

“The result of that has been the creation of a really rich community – it’s done what we hoped in bringing people together from all over the place.

“We’ve had multiple film seasons in partnership with the BFI and all sorts of musical events.

“One of the things we love doing with our cinema events is having an interval so people have the opportunity to talk to one another.

“You can end up seeing a work differently as a result of those interactions and that’s creating a greater work of art.

“Our bar is open whether we have a show on or not and we encourage people to use it as a social space.

“One of the reasons east London is as interesting as it is stems from individuals and families coming here from all over the world, staying and sharing the city.

“Amazing things emerge from that.”

She's expected to come to east London by Christmas - image by Artship — She’s expected to come to east London by Christmas – image by Artship

key details: Artship

Artship will hopefully arrive in east London later this year with opening expected in 2026.

Full details of Theatreship’s programme can be found here.

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January 24, 2024January 24, 2024

Isle Of Dogs: How Theatreship and Artship are set to carry cultural cargo

Vessels in the Canal And River Trust’s arts and heritage berth will bring new life to the water

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Boats are Inigo Lapwood’s thing.

He’s been living on them and repairing them since moving onto a sinking barge in Oxford when in need of a place to live.

That’s fortunate because, as project director of Theatreship, moored in the Millwall Cutting between West India South Dock and Millwall Inner Dock, there’s plenty to do.

“I’ve drifted further and further down the Thames and as the river has got bigger, so have the boats, said Inigo.

“Generally, my living space in them has got smaller, but the idea has very much remained the same.

“I first came to Canary Wharf about five years ago. That was for a boat that had sunk – a steam tug named Addie in Blackwall Basin.

“By the time I got there, the Fire Brigade had done the hard work of raising her.

“So I took that on as a repair project and found this part of London really fascinating. It seemed like a real opportunity.

Theatreship is moored in the Millwall Cutting

“You have these huge bodies of water that are deeply connected to east London and the communities that lived and live in the area.

“There’s the white working class community, of course, but also the British merchant navy was about 25% Bengali, and that’s reflected in Tower Hamlets today.

“I really believe in what the waterways do.

“They are one of the few truly democratic spaces left – you get all kinds of people living on the water on all kinds of boats.

“There are people who are one step up from homelessness and others on super yachts. But everyone is connected to the water – the river is the reason London exits.”

Inigo is at the heart of a team of volunteer creatives that is hoping to establish a new arts centre based on two historic craft in the dock.

Theatreship is already in place and set to host its first events from January 24 to February 2, 2024.

The former bulk dry cargo carrier is set to be joined by Artship – a diesel coaster currently in north Germany.

“We’ve been working very closely with the Canal And River Trust trying to increase the utilisation of the water here and to do so in a way that’s connected to the history of the place,” said Inigo.

“Theatreship and Artship occupy the arts and heritage berth – the idea is really to reopen the dock as a public space.

“Theatreship is now in place – it’s exactly the kind of boat that used to be here when the docks were working.

“She was a bulk dry cargo ship transporting things like grain and coal.

“We sailed her across from the Netherlands and in the harbour she feels like a very big vessel.

The boat will host performances on board

“As soon as you’re out onto the North Sea, she feels like a very small boat. We were really surprised how much she moved – how rocky she was on that crossing.

“When loaded there would have been 300 tonnes of cargo in here and, without that, she bobbed around all over the place.”

Fully converted, Theatreship boasts a 110-seat auditorium suitable for theatre performances or film screenings and a cafe-bar area, all housed amid the steel fins of her cargo hold.

“This is where we will host our more conventional performances – stuff that works with rows of people on seats,” said Inigo.

“When it comes to programming, our plan is to really heavily lean into being a mixed arts space.

“For example, our forthcoming film screenings are all combined with live performances.

“We want to avoid silos – especially because different artforms are richly in dialogue with each other – cinema and ballet, for instance.

“We’re screening The Red Shoes, which features one of the most extended and virtuosic ballet scenes on film, with live dance as a response to the film from West End performer Pàje Campbell.

“For us, its an opportunity to introduce audiences to one or the other through our events.”

The venue’s first series – Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds Of Powell + Pressburger – features six screenings of movies made by the filmmakers.

She has a 110-seat auditorium that can be used for theatre or film screenings

Hosted with the support of the BFI as part of a national celebration of the duo’s works, Theatreship’s events include the likes of opera, dance and music presented alongside the screenings.

“At present we’re focusing on these screenings,” said Inigo.

“And we will be hosting many events in the future. We’re really lucky.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with the support that people have shown for this project.

“We’ve been met with generosity at every level.

“That’s everything from people coming along and grabbing a paintbrush to the support of organisations like the Canal And River Trust and BFI.

“All the projection equipment we’re using, for example, has been lent to us by one of the world’s top projectionists.

“While Theatreship is run by a volunteer team, it’s still very much a professional organisation.

“Our head of film programming, for instance, is Natalie Hill who has 25 years experience as a TV executive, has won multiple BAFTAs and has produced The Apprentice, 24Hrs in A&E and Stacey Dooley Investigates.

“Our head of music programming is Karl Lutchmayer – a multi-award winning Steinway artist and former professor at Trinity Laban in Greenwich.

“He will be performing as part of our first season at our screening of Black Narcissus on January 26, 2024.

“One of the most amazing things about the project is how supportive people have been with their professional time.”

As for the heritage aspect of the project, when in place, Theatreship and Artship will be a visual and functional link to the history of the docks’ former life as part of what was once the busiest port in the world.

“Theatreship is from 1913 and Artship is from 1938,” said Inigo, who works as a data scientist and AI developer when he’s not crawling around on boats.

Theatreship boasts a bar space below decks, that will also be used as a cafe

“Artship is currently in north Germany, about an hour and half outside Hamburg.

“We’re basically just waiting for the weather. I spent most of last year rebuilding her engine.

“It’s largely in its original condition and you are not only unable to buy parts for it, you can’t buy the tools to take it apart to know what you need to get.

“So we had to make the tools to disassemble it, then make the parts necessary to get it working.

“But she’s now ready to come over.

“There’s a lot about sustainability in what we’re doing – it’s one of the cores that runs through the whole project.

“We’re reclaiming and reusing these ships rather than seeing them go to scrap, which is what’s happened to many of their colleagues.

“There were literally thousands of ships like Artship and they would have filled these docks. Now she’s one of the last ones left.

“It’s really nice to bring these boats back into use and to make them relevant to the docks today rather than building something new, with the associated environmental cost of that.

“When they are both here, it will be a collection of historic ships on the dock. We’ll have theatre and cinema on this one, installations and exhibitions on the other one but they will also both be pieces of living history.

“They will be used to present things that are contemporary and current in the arts.

“Our plan is to open through the day as a cafe and bar for as many hours as possible.

“We really want to be the nucleus around which other things can be built and we’ve seen this happen already with the covered market that’s arrived nearby on South Quay.

“Ultimately, we’d like it to be the best place to be in London, maybe even the UK.

“We genuinely believe in this project and are really excited about developing an arts programme to give opportunities to young artists here.

“Very much the long term goal is to make it something that is financially self sustaining. We’d love to become one of the Arts Council’s national portfolio organisations.

“We’d also like to develop a long term sustainable structure so that we can have paid staff members who can commit to being here all the time.

“Our strategy has been to demonstrate that we’re able to deliver the project.

“We’ve been lucky with the funding we’ve had already, especially in the current climate, and I think that’s a reflection of how exciting this project is.”

Wharf Life readers can get tickets to any of the forthcoming screenings for £9 plus a booking fee with code WHARFLIFE9 (normally £15).

Find more information about Theatreship and Artship via these links

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com