Perhaps key to the show’s success was its pacing. Contemporary dance can sometimes err on the side of self-indulgence, with routines spun out far beyond the attention of the audience.
But Dickson’s show had none of this. Not a flick of the hand was wasted as we watch a kinetic, talented cast gouge a story out of the stage.
A simple set of lights and a string curtain constrained the action to the dancers’ forms – and what a sight they were.
Tellus follows the story of a young person disconnected from Mother Earth and living in a village beset by drought.
He appeals to the goddess Mami Wata for help and is guided in the ways of worship and caring for the land.
His is a desperate, heart-rending attempt to reset a relationship and restore balance.
Throughout the dancers contort themselves as though these elemental forces are coursing through their bodies.
At one point they transform, bringing their torsos down and expressing themselves through their shoulder blades as if possessed. It’s an unsettling, but unforgettable image.
Projections, courtesy of Yeast Culture, enhance the piece without detracting from the performers and a score by Dickson himself provides the sonic foundation.
At no point, for a full hour, does the intensity drop.
While the pain and ecstasy of movement on display here is palpable, the cast deserved their multiple curtain calls simply in recognition of the extraordinary physical achievement of staying the course, never faltering as Dickson uses them to explore his Cameroonian heritage.
5/5 *****
The show’s cast deliver a masterclass in movement – image by RULA
key details: Sadler’s Wells East
While Tellus’ run at Sadler’s Wells East is now at an end, this show is emblematic of the quality the Stratford venue is now hosting.
Here East in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is already home to the University Of Staffordshire London, UCL, Teesside University London and Loughborough University London.
Further enriching the educational mix in the buildings that once housed the press and broadcast operations for the 2012 Olympic Games, is a creative arrival from Italy.
Both are part of Galileo Global Education – a private education provider based in France that operates more than 110 campuses, serving 300,000 students worldwide.
NABA’s east London facility is the academy’s first site outside Italy and represents an evolution of a brand that’s well known in its country of origin.
The academy brings making and thinking together – image by Peldon Rose / peldonrose.com
thinking and making
“Our campuses in Milan and Rome have a reputation for combing the academic side of study with practical elements – thinking and making,” said Diego Mattiolo, school director and head of education at NABA London.
“In London, we wanted to keep that theme of practicality and marry it with UK academia.
“You might be studying fashion design here, for example, and within that you’ll have modules on drawing and styling – the theory – but you’ll also learn pattern-making.
“In the first year our students learn how to make a women’s skirt, but within that they’ll be looking at fabric culture and experimenting with colours and techniques.
“Our students learn the theory but also hone their practical skills at the same time. I always say it’s about helping them find their voice.
“A student might come to us with no interest in knitting and then come here and discover it’s what they want to do.”
The newly minted campus, which is just starting to welcome its first intake, has a capacity of around 500 students and all the facilities necessary to deliver the three undergraduate courses it’s currently offering.
Diego Mattiolo, school director and head of education at NABA London – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
always on-trend
“One is in design, one in fashion design and one in fashion marketing and management – all accredited by Regent’s University London,” said Diego.
“We also offer a foundation programme and we’re looking at introducing postgraduate options.
“We look at the trends and the market before we decide whether a new course should be run or not.
“We’re looking at what skills employers are lacking, what skills the students feel they need and then see how those can best be married together.
“Evolving together with industry is a necessity. Our fashion courses have always included photography, but now that module includes AI.
“We shouldn’t shy away from these tools because when people go to the workplace, that might make the difference between two different applicants going for a job.
“Some take a view that AI should never be used in classrooms, but we feel that isn’t helpful.
“Instead we have a scale that helps students understand what they can use it for when given a particular task.
“It’s not about telling people they can’t use something but showing them how it might be helpful.”
NABA London has been thoughtfully designed for its function – image by Peldon Rose / peldonrose.com
joining a creative cluster
NABA recruits both domestically and internationally, trading partly on its location.
Here East is now a bustling place with more than 6,500 students and professionals on site.
It’s home to V&A East Storehouse and is close to the BBC, London College Of Fashion, Sadler’s Wells East and V&A East at East Bank with direct links to an increasingly vibrant Stratford beyond.
“There was no question of basing NABA anywhere else,” said Diego. “It’s important our site is accessible and the Elizabeth Line puts Stratford about 13 minutes from central London.
“You have all the amenities close by, but also vibrant areas such as Hackney Wick.
“The other thing you get here is a boutique, tailored service as a student. You’re not just one person in hundreds. This campus is not huge, so we get to know each other.
“It’s one of our biggest selling points. We are able to offer a level of service that takes in aspects such as welfare, safeguarding, tutorials and attendance on an individual basis.
“Our class sizes are 24 for practical sessions and about 30 for theoretical modules.
“The lecturers really get to know their students and we have labs packed with equipment like laser cutters, 3D printers and machines for dyeing fabrics.
“Personally, my door is always open. Students are welcome to come in and I love those interactions.”
In some senses Diego’s own journey echoes what NABA is aiming to do in London. Originally from Monza to the north of Milan, he spent time in Germany, France and the UK while studying languages as a teenager.
After graduating, he relocated to the USA for five years. Initially a planned visa break in Cambridge, which was intended to last six months turned into a career teaching English as a foreign language, eventually gaining experience in setting up educational sites in the UK and even in Dubai.
While he’s been in Britain for 15 years, he’s unmistakably Italian, albeit with something of an English flavour.
“NABA London offers a chance to learn the Italian way – the processes and procedures – but we’re also international,” said Diego.
“That’s something this city does very well. It’s British culture but all mixed up with influences from around the world.
“Our staff come from many different places and each brings their own twist on what we do.
“You can’t take Made In Italy out of that country, but we’re offering it with an English accent.
A classroom at the newly opened campus – image by Peldon Rose / peldonrose.com
key details: NABA London
NABA London’s campus is located at Here East in the Broadcast Centre. You can find full course listings and more information via the link below.
Course fees start at £13,400 for a foundation year in 2027.
In the second in our series of regular collaborations with Canary Wharf’s guitar school, KitchenJam, we take a look at the history of a track with a local link and deliver some tips on how to play it
KitchenJam founder Darryl Powis has created a video tutorial to help Wharfers get their fingers around the riff that drives Oh Well. Find it above or follow this link to get playing
To play the whole track you’ll need the chords below:
All the chords you’ll need to play Oh Well by Fleetwood Mac – image by Wharf Life
looking back on the history of the track and its link to Docklands
BY ZAINAB HASSAN
Ask most people about Fleetwood Mac, and they’ll likely think of the five-piece unit behind landmark album Rumours.
But the group began in London as something else, a blues band built around Peter Green – a guitarist BB King said gave him ‘cold sweats’.
Born Peter Allen Greenbaum in 1946, the youngest of four children in a Jewish family in Bethnal Green, Green grew up miles away from the Mississippi Delta that inspired his playing.
Green’s older brother showed him a few chords and he cut his teeth playing professionally around east London as a bassist or guitarist in various bands.
In one group, Green met a young Mick Fleetwood and the pair later worked together in the influential blues-rock band John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers, then going on to form Fleetwood Mac.
Like many young British players of his generation, he learned blues licks from Muddy Waters, BB King, Freddie King and John Lee Hooker, but he channelled that inspiration in a different way to his peers.
Green played with measured restraint and a distinct, pained vocal colour, writing songs such as Black Magic Woman, Albatross and Oh Well.
At the height of the band’s early success in 1970, he walked away, but his playing remained ingrained in the band’s DNA.
Peter Green was born in Bethnal Green – image by Nick Contador
the unsung hero
Green’s contributions to Fleetwood Mac don’t always get the same attention as the band’s later recordings, but his influence is undeniable.
Santana’s 1970 cover of Black Magic Woman, originally written by Green in 1968, became one of their biggest hits and a staple in their set list.
Green’s influence even reached The Beatles with George Harrison admitting that Sun King on Abbey Road was inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s reverb-soaked sound on Albatross.
a well of inspiration
Oh Well was a Green-penned hit and its heady blues-rock riff is one of our favourites to play at KitchenJam.
Comprising two parts it’s a mini-epic in E minor.
At just over two minutes, part one ricochets with breakneck riffs, then simmers into the melancholic E Minor and D-chord chimes that signal part two, a passage of folk and classical-inspired music in stark contrast.
Once you get the main riff under your fingers, you’ll find plenty of inspiration from Green’s fusion of American blues with east London grit to infuse into your own playing.
key details: KitchenJam
KitchenJam offers guitar lessons rooted in musical connection and community from its studios in Canary Wharf and Stratford.
When he answers the zoom call from his north London home, he’s wearing a red beret similar to those of Public Enemy’s S1W security force, known for their stern, imposing presence.
Internationally successful, his piece Enowate by Sadler’s Wells and Barbican won him an Olivier Award in 2023 for Outstanding Achievements In Dance and he’s had a storied career on stage and screen, working with the likes of Robbie Williams, Corrine Bailey-Rae and the Black Eyed Peas among many others.
In many ways, however, Tellus is something of a full circle moment for Dickson – a show that explores his origins and childhood tales, staged in the very place where his own journey into dance began.
Born in Cameroon, he learnt English at boarding school before a move to east London, aged 12.
“It was a bit different – I was standing up to ask questions, which puzzled the other students here,” said Dickson.
“But boarding school was great for me, it gave me strong resilience and taught me a lot about life and independence – how to take care of myself on my own – and I’m grateful for that.”
After football at West Ham didn’t work out, Dickson got his first job at McDonald’s before embarking on an apprenticeship to become an IT technician.
However, while out in Stratford, a chance meeting set him ultimately on a different path.
Dancer, choreographer, musician and composer, Dickson Mbi – image by Foteini Christofilopoulou
discovering dance
“In African culture, dance is not considered a viable source of income or a career to follow,” said Dickson.
“You should be a doctor or a lawyer – something with high status.
“I was 18 or 19 and I met a girl who was dressed unusually, with her hair up in a particular way.
“I asked her why and she said she was going to a dance class at Stratford Circus. She invited me to come.
“I was going because I liked her. At the class, I met a lot of people into all sorts of dance and I thought it was amazing.
“Then I had to do an improvisation, a freestyle. I’d grown up watching Michael Jackson so I though I could do something like that.
“I was just joking around, trying to impress that girl, but the teacher invited me to another class at Pineapple Studios.
“At first I said no, then I found out the girl was going to be there, so I signed up. It was a Saturday, my first time on the Central line on my own.
“I grew up in Manor Park and Forest Gate – you go to Stratford or maybe Hackney, you don’t go anywhere else.
“Being in Covent Garden was different for me.
“We went in to do the class. There were lots of routines I couldn’t pick up – I didn’t want to look stupid in front of the girl or the teacher, so I pretended I needed the toilet and left.
“But just outside there was a group of guys body popping.
“Their performance drew me in. I wanted to know how people could move their muscles like that, how they could have control of their bodies to that degree.
“I stopped thinking about the girl and started to ask them about the dance.
“They told me what it was called, how it was started in the late 1960s, early 1970s, via James Brown.
“I didn’t know this music.
“All I knew was hip-hop from the 1990s, r’n’b, nothing else. I had heard a bit of jazz and classical music, but nothing like this.
“That was my introduction to dance.”
Dickson has worked extensively with the dancers to choreograph the piece – image by RULA
steps to learning
Dickson pursued his passion in his spare time, dancing with friends around London and in Newham, entering and winning competitions.
But it was meeting Stuart Thomas during a class in Graham Technique at Danceworks that proved fateful.
“He said that I had talent, but it needed to be nurtured and that I should go to school to learn how to look after my body,” said Dickson.
“That coming twice a week to his class wasn’t going to cut it.
“I said no – I was African, I couldn’t imagine what my parents would say, but Stuart was quite cunning.
“Without my knowledge, he filled out an application for Lewisham College and he told me I should go down there to try a class that was being taught by his friend.
“He said I’d fit right in. I went and there were some people I knew but something was weird – everyone had numbers on.
“It turned out to be an audition.
“The only reason I didn’t walk out was because, having won some competitions, I’d built up some street cred and, at 22, I didn’t want the younger dancers who were there to say I’d chickened out.
“For the ballet, I just copied the girl next to me – it was the first time I’d ever had a class.
“But then I did some contemporary and jazz, which was just like street dance. It was my thing and, at the end, I was given a full-time place.”
Dickson’s latest work was inspired by his childhood and becoming a father – image by RULA
a door opens
Supported by his future wife, the dancer, Julia Chen, Dickson made the tough decision to quit his job and study. Then another moment of good fortune struck.
“I went on to study for a BA and, while I was a student, I performed an improvisation at Sadler’s Wells and the choreographer, Russell Maliphant, saw me and offered me a job,” said Dickson.
“Upon hearing who it was, the principal of the school I was at said I should take the opportunity because people trained from the age of 10 to get that chance.
“I spent eight years dancing with Russell and I really got my choreographic education from him.
“He taught me how to stand in the lights, how to use dancers in an organic way, so it doesn’t feel jarring to the body, or look weird when you see it.
“He’s worked in so many genres of dance, so I also learnt to bring those different worlds together – he’s my biggest influence in dance.”
For Tellus, Dickson is back at Sadler’s Wells – this time at its Stratford venue – to present a work that touches on his own childhood and his experience of becoming a father.
“It’s really nice to be able to show this work in east London,” he said. “Tellus means Mother Earth in Latin. In 2023 my son was one and I was putting him to bed.
“The year was very hot, with lots of forest fires happening, lots of droughts in Somalia, for example – my brain was full of all this information. I was wondering what I could do to soothe him and put him to bed.
“Then I remembered a story my parents used to tell me about the goddess of water, and that’s when the whole idea for Tellus started to come up.
“Different melodies started to come into my brain – songs I knew as a child – and I thought this was a starting point. I was thinking about how I could bring a kid up in this world right now.
“When you become a dad, you start thinking about all these crazy things – it’s not just about you any more.
“So you have all these questions about how we connect to our bigger mother, the earth.
“If Enowate was more about my own biography, my African-ness and my East End-ness, this new piece is about how I see the world, what we’re doing and how we can create space for the next generation.
“I think Tellus is one of the best things I’ve done.
“It has live music, which I’ve composed – I’ve always wanted to bring my music and dance together in exactly the way I want it.
“The melodies come from spending time with my son, but there are also elements of grief in the mix too.
“Having the opportunity to present this in Stratford is one of those emotional moments for me and I’m really proud to be doing it.
“I’m not dancing in it personally and it’s really hard to build a piece like this.
“Not everybody has my background, my training and my body. It’s a long process, it’s not been easy and there have been several iterations with different performers, but it’s been so rewarding.
“The group we have are amazing artists and they do what I need them to way better than I could have done it.
“What I hope, when people come to see it is not that they understand the work, but that they feel it.
“I want them to feel connected to the story and what I’m trying to express.
“This is my first time back in Stratford and it feels like I’m coming home and it’s great to be back.”
Tellus will be performed at Sadler’s Wells East this October – image by Luc Lodder
key details: Tellus by Dickson Mbi
Tellus by Dickson Mbi is set to run at Sadler’s Wells East in Stratford from October 21-24, 2026.
Performances will take place at 7.30pm and tickets start at £19.
While Matt Damon and his fellow film stars are living it very large on the nation’s IMAX screens, east London is set to host its own show set in the aftermath of Homer’s Iliad.
Bloodsport: After Helen Of Troy by Ava Pickett chronicles the queen’s return to Sparta following the war fought in her name – her husband, Menelaus’ celebrations and her childhood friend Cee’s dismay.
Staged for its world première at Stratford East, the play deals with friendship, motherhood, loyalty and the “true cost” of one woman’s decision to abandon her life.
Michelle Dockery, best known for Downton Abbey, will play Helen, opposite Laura Aikman who is making her stage debut in the role of Cee following stints in Gavin And Stacy and Line Of Duty.
a bold reimagining
“Ava is such an extraordinary voice in storytelling right now and I’m delighted to be part of this bold reimagining of Helen’s return from Troy,” said Michelle.
“Stratford East’s history of bringing vital and ambitious stories to life makes it the perfect home for this production.”
Laura added: “From the moment I read Ava’s brilliant script I was desperate to play Cee.
“I think we can deliver something really gripping and I can’t wait to get started.”
The production is directed by Lisa Spirling, artistic director and co-CEO of Stratford East, and will run at the venue from September 3 until October 10, 2026.
She said: “When I first read Ava’s debut full length play Bloodsport three years ago, I was struck by how powerful, prescient and visceral it is.
“To tell this mythical story of Helen Of Troy at Stratford East, through Ava’s laser sharp lens is thrilling and to get to do that with our phenomenal creative team and company led by Michelle and Laura is ridiculously exciting.
“The team and I are buzzing to bring Bloodsport to Stratford East and to share it with our audience.”
Ava added: “I feel so excited and lucky to be working with Lisa, Michelle and Laura on this new play at Stratford East.
“To be given the opportunity to reimagine characters we feel we know is such a privilege and I can’t wait to share this story with audiences.”
Ava’s debut play, 1536, enjoyed a West End transfer following a successful run at the Almeida Theatre.
Also an historical work, the dark comedy drama explores female friendship in Tudor England against the backdrop of the fall of Anne Boleyn.
key details: Bloodsport: After Helen Of Troy
Bloodsport: After Helen Of Troy runs at Stratford East from September 3 until October 10, 2026, with evening performances at 7.30pm and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.
The brand’s latest launch sees owners Denis Gobjila and Victor Rosca build on their success in Stratford as they deliver Peruvian-Japanese fusion dishes
Bamboo Mat serves Nikkei cuisine, a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cooking – image supplied by Bamboo Mat
Already it’s hard to remember a time when East Village in Stratford wasn’t a thriving community.
What was once the athlete’s village for the 2012 Olympic Games has become both an attractive place to live and a sustainable home for hospitality businesses.
That the likes of Darkhorse, Signorelli and La Gelatiera have all been trading for more than a decade, is no small achievement in a turbulent sector.
Having truly come alive over the last year, there’s a sense something similar is happening to the food and drink scene at the eastern end of Canary Wharf’s Wood Wharf.
Ong Lai Kopitaim, Mama Li, Cafe Seek and Signorelli have all proved popular since launching, while Osteria Al Molo and Lockdown are finding their feet.
Beam, a rapid re-brand of Nora London from the same owners, is also attracting all-day diners, having moved towards more brunch-friendly fare.
Walk through on a sunny weekend and you’ll find al fresco tables packed with Wharfers enjoying food and drinks from across the world as awareness rises.
With more rental properties on the estate due to come on stream through Vertus, it feels like an auspicious place to expand to.
That’s very much the hope of Denis Gobjila and Victor Rosca, co-owners of Bamboo Mat, who are aiming for a September opening next door to Beam.
An artist’s impression of how the Canary Wharf restaurant will look when it opens – image supplied by Bamboo Mat
growing in east London
Born in a small unit in Leyton in 2022, their first Bamboo Mat achieved runaway success following a glowing review from Grace Dent in The Guardian.
This allowed them to quickly open a bigger site in Stratford, which has been their focus ever since and continues to grow steadily despite pressures in the industry.
Now it’s time to branch out and their plans are for a venue unlike anything else on the estate.
“What we are building will be one of the nicest restaurants in Canary Wharf,” said Denis.
“It will be a journey. Customers are not going to come just for the food, but will be excited by what they’re seeing, hearing and feeling.
“Gynda Gourmet Hospitality Management group has overseen the design based on the combination of two cultures – Japanese and Peruvian, which is at the root of the Nikkei cuisine we serve.
“We’ll be recreating the beautiful Rainbow Mountain – the restaurant will have the feel of a house in the Peruvian highlands.
“Everything is hand-made, with wood as the key material.
“We’re having chairs carved especially for us – there’s an artist working on them for us non-stop.”
Bamboo Mat co-owner, Denis Gobjila – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
a focus on detail and balance
It’s not just the furniture.
Bamboo Mat takes great pride in presentation, with all the ceramics used in the restaurant hand-thrown in Denis’ native Moldova to create backdrops to the restaurant’s dishes.
Overall, the approach is similar to the style of food that will be on offer – an exacting approach to high quality ingredients that fuses into a result that’s more than the sum of its parts.
Nikkei cuisine is all about the delicacy of Japanese preparation married with the fiery vibrancy and crunch of Peruvian cooking.
For Denis and Victor, that looks like an 82-cover restaurant that features a raw bar and cocktail bar on its ground floor and a robata grill, hot kitchen and sushi operation upstairs.
When it opens it will be the only establishment serving dishes of this kind on the estate.
“Canary Wharf will have a menu that is a 90% match to our Stratford restaurant, but there will be some differences,” said Denis.
“We’ll have the charcoal grill, which is a nice update and we’ll have ceviche and our signature salads downstairs so people can enjoy them with a glass of Champagne.
“Bamboo Mat is really a sharing concept so people can try as many flavours as possible – there will be our take on sushi, teriyaki and tiradito.”
Nikkei dishes make much use of fresh fish and ceviche techniques – image supplied by Bamboo Mat
combining the flavours
Victor added: “The bar will serve wine, all kinds of spirits and, of course, Peruvian cocktails and other drinks that match with our food.
“We like our dishes to always be balanced when it comes to texture and taste. My favourite on the menu is the Chicken Anticucho, which is flavoured with coriander and mashed potato.
“There are 25 ingredients on the plate including produce from Peru and the Amazon.
“Using those in balance is what we’re always trying to do as chefs and it’s one of the most difficult parts of the job – we know we did it right when we see empty plates.
“If we can keep doing that, I’m confident we’ll do well in Canary Wharf.”
Bamboo Mat itself is, perhaps, a venture that could only have emerged in London.
A pair of European chefs cut their teeth in the capital at the likes of Sushisamba, Inamo, Lucky Cat and Roka before meeting at trailblazing Nikkei restaurant Chotto Matte.
They team up in east London to cook food inspired by a South American reinvention of Japanese cuisine and go on to successfully grow and expand. It’s a fusion of multiple, potent ingredients.
Bamboo Mat co-owner, Victor Rosca – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
targeting the top
“We started out by wanting to make something we are proud of – to create and deliver good food and, if you do that in the right way, then money follows,” said Denis.
“Hospitality is a big challenge for everyone and the bills are massive, so we have to be careful, but alongside the stress comes happiness.
“We want to become the best restaurant in Canary Wharf, to make everyone happy after a day in the office and we’ll do that by offering really good quality at the right price.
“One of the trends we’ve noticed is that people like to dine out at restaurants in the neighbourhoods where they live so they don’t have to travel after dining.
“If you create a nice atmosphere, then that will attract customers.
“Everything at Bamboo Mat is going to be open, so guests will see how we cook and create what we’re serving.”
Chicken Anticucho at the Stratford restaurant – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
key details: Bamboo Mat
Bamboo Mat is set to open at North Lane between Union Square and Harbord Square in Wood Wharf in September.
A fresh programme of free dance classes is set to begin at Sadler’s Wells East in September.
Held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from September 14, 2026, the initiative takes place on The Dance Floor at the East Bank venue, a deliberately public-facing space on the ground floor that looks out over the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
“In our first year we had more than 6,600 people participate in these classes,” said Natasha Anderson.
“And that’s just one of the ways we use the space.
“Creating The Dance Floor when Sadler’s Wells East opened was done with the vision that dancing in the foyer, on the stage and in the rehearsal rooms upstairs are all the bread and butter of what we do.
“It’s positioned by the window so there are lots of people passing by who see what’s going on and come in to take a look.
“The floor feels like our most welcoming space, so we spend a lot of time thinking about the dance styles we want to showcase on it, the type of artists we’ll feature and what we’re going to teach people.”
Natasha Anderson of Sadler’s Wells East – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
welcoming people in
As Sadler’s Wells head of community engagement, Natasha is tasked with reaching out beyond the organisations’ walls to connect with residents, organisations and visitors, with The Dance Floor central to those efforts in Stratford.
“People might just stop by to visit the café or the toilets at Sadler’s Wells East,” she said.
“No matter how you come into this building, we want you to feel welcome and that this space is for you.
“The Dance Floor is our shop window and it’s one we’re really proud of, whether that’s the classes we’re hosting or the performances we’ve programmed.”
From September 14, there will be free lunchtime classes three times a week, this season covering Afro-Caribbean Fusion, Funky Social Dance and Reggae + Soul Line Dance.
These are suitable for all ages, but under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
A free class on The Dance Floor – image by Sylvie Belbouab
a place where friendships start
“I tell people to expect the unexpected in terms of how they’re going to feel,” said Natasha.
“People who are dancing for the first time often come with hesitation and trepidation, but they leave with such big smiles on their faces because they’ve had so much fun.
“It’s been a place where friendships have started – those interactions are so important for mental health, as well as the physical benefits of getting on the floor and dancing.
“There are so many joyful things that happen to your body when you move to music – serotonin levels rise and it makes you feel good.
“We work with a pool of really talented teachers who work in a variety of different styles. The important thing for us is to set a bar for positivity – that’s really important.
“I encourage as many people as possible to take part in these classes, including our own staff.
“They can be a real jumping off point for people to discover what they like and then to find other places to dance too.
“New this term will be the Reggae + Soul Line Dancing – it’s something that’s really big in the States. We ran a trial session in June and it went down really well.
“People might know the steps to Candy from parties, but there so much more to explore.”
The space is used by a wide range of ages in a variety of ways – image by Sylvie Belbouab
Natasha said: “The community groups we work with use it as a performance space too and we’ve had some really lovely feedback.
“For a lot of the groups we work with, getting the support, the care, being heard, being seen and respected, has been really amazing.
“We’ve even had some dancers ending up on stage because they performed here on The Dance Floor and were seen by artists putting on shows here.
“We also use it in our work with schools across east London for our regular Creative Classroom sessions.
“We have set times when anyone can come and use the space called The Floor Is Yours – people just need to sign in and then they can get moving.”
Natasha, who worked for the Barbican before joining Sadler’s Wells, said she especially enjoyed watching young children dancing with their adults at the regular Family Freestyle sessions, which are also free but need to be booked in advance.
Family Freestyle sessions take place on Thursdays, from September 14 and are also free but must be booked in advance, suitable for ages 2-4 accompanied by an adult.
In the first of a series of regular collaborations with Canary Wharf’s guitar school, KitchenJam, we take a look at the history of a track with a local link and deliver some tips on how to play it
KitchenJam founder Darryl Powis has created a video tutorial to help Wharfers get their fingers around the riff that drives Rebel Rebel. Simply follow this link to get playing
To play the whole track you’ll need the chords below:
All the chords you’ll need to play Rebel Rebel by David Bowie – image by Wharf Life
looking back on the history of the track and its link to Docklands
BY ZAINAB HASSAN
Picture this – it’s early 1990, and David Bowie has just announced the Sound+Vision tour, a series of gigs where he’d play his biggest hits live for the very last time.
Rather than choose the setlist himself, he handed the decision to his global fanbase through telephone voting.
Dial 1-900-2-BOWIE-90 on your landline, and you were taking your chances at getting your favourite track onto the bill.
As calls flooded in from every corner of the globe, Bowie built the setlist from a mix of UK votes, American votes, and requests from everywhere else in between.
It was a truly global selection, curated to reflect what the world wanted to hear.
echoing on the island
For three nights that March, the tour landed in the capital at the London Arena, an indoor venue on the Isle Of Dogs that held up to 15,000 fans.
Demolished in 2006, the landscape is markedly different to when Bowie’s genre-shifting hits were last played, but the echoes of his riffs still resound in the hands of guitarists to this day.
Sit down with that six-string and get strumming – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
glam rock swagger
The Sound+Vision tour setlist was shaped with deep cuts standing shoulder to shoulder with Bowie’s biggest hits.
One such song, Rebel Rebel, came early in the setlist. Salvaged from a scrapped Ziggy Stardust musical, it was the lead single for 1974 album Diamond Dogs and was the last of Bowie’s singles to swagger with true glam rock bravado.
Deceptively simple, yet roaring with a Rolling Stones-esque ferocity, the main riff loops around three chords – D, A and E – and an unrelenting descending melody that’s as instantly singable as it is impossible to shake.
the end of two eras
As a swan song to glam rock, Rebel Rebel was the end of an era for Bowie.
The Sound+Vision tour was the end of another, as he retired the hits from his live sets for good.
Two farewells, made decades apart, overlapped for three nights at the London Arena.
But all these memories remain in music. Just listen to that rebellious opening riff – it all comes flooding back.
For those who’d like to know more, east London is also now home to the David Bowie Centre in Stratford.
Based at the V&A East Storehouse, the collection includes more than 90,000 items from the artist’s archive and is free to visit.
key details: KitchenJam
KitchenJam offers guitar lessons rooted in musical connection and community from its studios in Canary Wharf and Stratford.
Annual free outdoor arts showcase presents its 31st edition on Greenwich, Woolwich, Romford, Thamesmead, East Ham and Stratford
Efectos Especiales (Special Effects) is set to be performed on Greenwich Peninsula on August 29 and 30, 2026 as part of the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival – Image by Matheus Jose Maria
Having given nearly a third of a century to curating and producing the annual event, Bradley’s enthusiasm is undimmed as he and his Greenwich Peninsula-based team prepare for its 31st edition.
“The theme this year is ‘We Move’ – we wanted to respond to what the festival does best, which is to give everyone a bit of a lift,” he said.
“Those wondrous moments in public spaces that are created as part of our programme are exactly that and it’s important that they are free and accessible to everyone.
“For the theme, we took inspiration from a common expression used by young Londoners to indicate when they’ve put an issue to one side so they can get on with their lives.
“We want to embody that spirit of resilience you see in this city – the way people make things happen and get on in difficult times.
“All our events are open to everyone, but we’re especially thinking about how we engage with young Londoners in 2026.”
360 will open the festival in Woolwich – Image by Duy Laurent
opening in Woolwich
This year’s programme kicks off, as is traditional, in Woolwich’s General Gordon Square with a 55-minute performance of 360 at 7pm on August, 21.
“It’s an amazing dance theatre spectacle, that’s getting its London première,” said Bradley.
“The performance takes place on a multi-tiered stage with energising music and a real sense of connection with the challenges that young people face – but it’s also full of hope and possibility.
“The audience will get drawn in until the line between who’s watching and who’s performing is blurred.
“It’s been created by an incredible French choreographer called Mehdi Kerkouche of CCN De Créteil Et Du Val-De-Marne and we’re really excited to be bringing it here.”
Returning to Greenwich Park it boasts an extensive schedule of events.
“This is another festival institution and the new location was hugely successful last year,” said Bradley.
“It’s a setting that audiences really appreciate – it’s relaxed and the tree cover is quite useful at this time of year.
“There are incredible views and the programme we’ve put together is great.
“There will be children’s games, dance performances and installations.
“Do Birds Dream Of Flying? by Fabla Collective from Slovenia will be one of the highlights and I’m also really looking forward to Inertie by the French company Underclouds CIE, who perform using a circular frame that’s very reminiscent of a sundial.
“In the context of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, it will be a nice thing to see alongside.
“Then there’s ElevateHer by Daughters Of The Wire, which has a feminist perspective and a joyous soundtrack that celebrates the heritage of women as circus performers.
“Regular visitors to our events may remember that one of the directors of the company performed on the high wire back in 2018 at the Old Royal Naval College in a piece created to mark the anniversary of women’s suffrage.”
The UK première of Benched will be part of Dancing City – Image by R+Solholm
branching out to Romford
Romford Market will be the setting for a pop-up son et lumière show on August 28 and 29 as the festival reaches out to Essex with Meet Me By The Fountain.
Variable Matter’s presentation takes inspiration from a lost water feature, using video projections and sound to span nearly 800 years of history and take audiences through into an imagined future.
Similarly transformational, Efectos Especiales (Special Effects) is an Argentinian show by Luciana Acuña and Alejo Moguillansky that casts the audience as part of a live film shoot as they follow a dancer past a truck with blaring music before the elements erupt, thunder rolls and snow falls.
“This will be staged over August 29 and 30 on Greenwich Peninsula, which is another of the festival’s long-standing destinations,” said Bradley.
“We’ve worked there since 2017 and we try to do new things each year.
“Our offices are based there and we’re very much a part of the creative district.
“I saw the show in Paris and it’s beautifully staged – a very beautiful piece with wind, rain, smoke and fire.
“It’s one of the pieces we’re able to bring to the festival through support from Without Walls, which works with events nationwide and allows productions to tour across the country.”
I Have No Name forms part of Nature Speaks in Thamesmead – image by Vidy Lausanne
dates for the diary
Other diary dates for readers to note are September 3 and 4 in Queen’s Market Square in Green Street for Chair! and Kismat Walla and September 4 and 5 for Nature Speaks in Thamesmead.
The latter is a two-part immersive storytelling experience in the Tump53 Nature Reserve featuring imagery, music, sound and voice.
The penultimate major pop-up event in GDIF’s programme is then set to take place on September 5 when Dancing City returns to Stratford.
Bradley said: “We’ve packed the schedule with shows, having established a really strong relationship with Sadler’s Wells East and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
“This includes the UK première of Benched by a Danish company called Uppercut Dance Theatre. It’s a very high energy piece featuring five dancers.
“There’s also a specially commissioned production from Fuse Theatre called Man Down, which explores issues around toxic masculinity.”
GDIF is set to conclude back in Woolwich’s General Gordon Square with a performance of (In)visible Dancingon September 6.
Bradley said: “This is by the fabulous Protein, a phenomenal company based in Woolwich, and audiences are in for a real treat as the choreography builds throughout the town.”
key details: Greenwich + Docklands International Festival
The Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is set to run from August 21 until September 6, 2026, across a variety of locations.
“Discover is a hands-on centre for creative story sharing,” said Rebekah Polding, the charity’s CEO.
“When you come here, there’s nothing children can’t touch – they are completely free when they come through our doors to enjoy play, making stories, reading books and taking part in storytelling sessions in whatever way works for them.
“Children learn through play, they learn to love stories, to love reading and, as we know, loving books is the single greatest skill that any child can develop to lead a long, happy and successful life.
“It is the magic bullet, it is transformative.
“Books can help us overcome anything this world throws at us. I’m so proud that Discover delivers that for the people who come here.”
Discover Children’s Story Centre CEO Rebekah Polding – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
a haven, a cafe, a playground
Following the upgrade, the centre has been brightly decorated outside by artist Hanna Benihoud, whose colours frame large windows onto its new cafe and bookshop space.
Part haven for refreshments, part playground, this features a reception desk complete with purple fur, plenty of plywood construction to create nooks to explore and relax in as well as a horde of books dotted around that are free to read with kids.
This is an attraction in its own right, but pay for entry, venture into the centre and there’s so much more to discover.
Author and illustrator Rob Biddulph has been enlisted to create a graphic retelling of Discover’s origin story – billed as “totally real and intergalactic”.
Alien visitor Hootah, following the disappearance of stories on their own planet, Squiggly Diggly, has journeyed across space to Earth in search of tales to beam back across space and help restore their homeworld.
Consequently all visitors to Discover are not only enriching their own lives, they’re helping save another planet by creating and participating in storytelling.
Everywhere there are little and large Hootahs to spot, not to mention a space ship and plenty more steampunky installations to discover.
“We have a fairytale forest with a trip-trap bridge and plenty of areas for children to explore,” said Rebekah.
“Then on the upper floor there’s a spaceship theme that skews to slightly older kids.
“Outside, we have our beautiful story garden where we’ve increased the diversity of planting for sensory exploration and also have incredible structures to climb on.
“Everything has been designed with the help of children, taking inspiration from their imaginations.
“Following the renovation we now also have a dedicated multi-sensory space for our smallest visitors aged 0-2, filled with interactive toys.
“Books are a great bond between carers and little ones.
“You don’t need to be a scientist to see that babies tune into the person reading to them and they understand a little bit more about focus and concentration each time it happens.
“It’s like a really wonderful hug.”
The centre’s enchanted forest – image by Marc Sethi
a new quiet space and upgraded facilities
Also new is a quiet space that can be used for prayer, feeding or simply taking a little time out.
The centre also features a new heating and cooling system, to better cope with the extremes of weather the UK is now beset with, as well as refurbished toilet facilities that are fit for purpose.
“It feels amazing now we’re back in our space after a meanwhile pop-up in the Stratford Centre while the work was being done,” said Rebekah.
“Now we have a place where people can mingle that’s safe, a place where they can connect both for the people of Newham and London beyond.
“That’s part of the magic – interacting away from screens.
“We enable really supportive behaviours.
“There isn’t really a typical amount of time that people spend here.
“It depends a lot on the attention spans and energies of the individuals involved.
“But we’re designed as an enriching experience – there are lots of quiet nooks and corners where those who are here can rest and refresh themselves.
“A visit might involve free play, time in the gardens and then listening to one of our story builders’ interactive performances, which are included with entry.
“That might involve reading, creating, singing or dancing.
“We also have our early years shows which feature lots of props and action in an intimate setting.”
Discover’s outside now features art by Hanna Benihoud – image by MT Art
from film to stories
Rebekah herself is just the right mixture of silliness and passion.
She’s clearly delighted to be running an institution that carries a crucial message – the importance of reading for both personal education and enjoyment – but carries it with lightness and fun.
We spend some time during our interview, for example, seriously discussing the merits of various jacket potato toppings in the cafe (she is, naturally, right to champion beans and then cheese).
Having worked in the cultural sector her entire career, she became CEO of Discover via a route that included Picturehouse cinemas, Film London, BAFTA and Enfield Council.
She said: “I joined in April 2023 and am extremely grateful to my predecessor Karla Barcacle-Best who saw Discover through Covid.
“The first thing we did was to sit down with kids, local families, community groups and others and that’s enabled us to build our Stories For All strategic framework.
“One of the planks of that has been the capital renovation of the building called ‘up and out’ – words from Willy Wonka who also accepted no limits to what he could achieve.
“That’s the work that we’re nearly at the end of now, turning this former hotel from the 1870s into a place that families will really enjoy visiting in the 21st century.”
The next milestone in the project will be the opening of new immersive exhibition Luna Loves London on July 25, 2026, in the building’s basement, created with former children’s laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrator Fiona Lumbers.
Kids aged 0-11 are encouraged to revel in stories at the Stratford centre – image by Sorcha Bridge
even more to come…
Rebekah said: “These installations are unique to Discover and we have a history of celebrating some of the best writers in children’s literature – Judith Kerr, Michael Rosen and Julia Donaldson.
“The exhibition opens towards the end of the month and it’s a way for children to step in to the kinds of environments they’d find in the Luna Loves series.”
Visitors will encounter a bus, a library, a street for playing sports, an art gallery, a community garden, a dance studio and a carnival with a strong emphasis on the kind of down-to-earth settings of the real city rather than a collection of landmarks.
Tickets for the experience cost £5.50.
One further, major, change is also in the pipeline at the centre.
Discover is set to drop an enormous oak tree into the building that will sit proudly in a disused atrium under a glass roof.
“This is going to be so exciting,” said Rebekah.
“With the help of Adventure Playground Engineers, based in Canning Town, we’re going to build a three-storey vertical playground in its branches with wheelchair accessible treehouses guided by children’s designs.
“The idea is that stories grow like trees and there will be a whole series of adventures for kids to discover and explore.
“Stories are important. One of my favourite books is called My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes.
“It’s a building story and includes the line: ‘The cat from Norway got stuck in the doorway’, which has always made me laugh.
“So, in our family, whenever anybody gets stuck, we all shout: ‘The cat from Norway’.
“This is what reading is. It’s about shared experience, empathy and connections between people.
“Telling each other how we experience the world and seeing it through new lenses.
“We built Discover so children can learn there’s no right way to tell a story – that’s why the monster on our roof has no name. You have to give them one.”
The refit includes a new space for ages 0-2 and their adults – image by Marc Sethi
key details: Discover Children’s Story Centre
Discover Children’s Story Centre is located at 383-387 Stratford High Street and is open from 10am to 5pm every day.
Entry costs £11 for adults and children aged one and over.
Babies aged 0-1 are free. Discounts are available for Newham residents.
The best value option, however is £19 per person which grants a full year of unlimited access.
