In the first of a series of regular collaborations with Canary Wharf’s guitar school, Kitchen Jam, we take a look at the history of a track with a local link and deliver some tips on how to play it
Kitchen Jam 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.
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: Kitchen Jam
Kitchen Jam 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.
Opened a couple of years ago, the original plan was for a sports-focussed space more akin to A Herd Of Yaks’ establishments in Wembley and Elephant And Castle.
Both of those are named Feed The Yak in tribute to totemic Nigerian striker Yakubu and a fan chant encouraging his teammates to pass him the ball, that followed him throughout his career in the English leagues.
But the company’s founder, Sebastian O’Driscoll, is a cheerful laid back sort – a man content to let his bars find identities suited to their communities rather than the other way around.
“I’d been working in the third sector for a number of years, but I had a bit of a desire to set up my own thing,” he said.
“So in 2014 I decided to jack it all in, took over a shipping container in Elephant And Castle and built a little sports bar in it with a friend.
“The Six Yard Box did really well over four years and we went on to open our first bricks and mortar bar – Feed The Yak – in 2018.
“Yakubu was this everyman footballer who seemed to have played for every mediocre club in England and that felt like very much the vibe.
A Herd Of Yaks founder, Sebastian O’Driscoll – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
“We wouldn’t get fans of Manchester United or Arsenal so much, we’d have disparate groups of Leeds or Aston Villa supporters.
“We were a little bit cult, a little bit fringe.
“While I dictated that vision onto the first Feed The Yak – I wanted it to be a sports bar – with our openings in Wembley and Deptford, things have been more organic.
“That really works because we’re not inspired by the kind of American sports bars that have 550,000 screens and serve wings.
“We looked to the kind of cafe bars you find in Spain, Portugal and Italy in smaller towns.
“These places are everything to their communities.
“They’re somewhere you can go for a drink, get something to eat and where everyone goes to watch the match because they have the big TV.
“Equally though, they’re the places where musicians will play and artists will showcase their work.”
Little Yak manager, Phoebe Tallman – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
food, drink and entertainment
Little Yak shares its space with Irish-Chinese takeaway Paddy Wok (paddywok.com) and global fusion foodie spot How Greedy (howgreedy.co.uk) and has taken an adaptive approach to appeal to the Deptford community.
Manager Phoebe Tallman, who has worked with Seb for seven years, is in charge of things and has led a redesign of the bar, bringing live music and DJs into the mix.
She said: “We wanted to make it more like a lounge – somewhere very comfortable – a third space away from home were people could come and see friends, relax, eat good food, have a drink and play board games. We’re also pet friendly.
“On the live music side, we have a group from Trinity Laban Conservatoire Of Music And Dance, who put on a regular night, which is really amazing.
“I’ve been blown away by the quality.
“It’s something we’d like to do more of, as well as poetry nights and things like that, because there’s a really well established artistic community here and building something for them is really important to us.
“We have local DJs too, who come down and mix their own tunes and a regular hip hop night that’s really popular.
“We also have a really good selection of beers – some crafty, but also standard lager.
“We wanted to be accessible and offer something for everyone on tap that would also go well with the food.
“Our assistant manager, Ed, has built a great little cocktail menu too with a lot of south American flavours such as Pisco Sours and Chilli Margaritas as well as a really good Espresso Martini.”
Inside, the theme is welcoming comfort – image supplied by Little Yak
popping over from Cork
Seb, originally from Cork, is especially passionate about the stout, opting to stock Beamish, which has been brewed in his home town since 1792 rather than Guinness.
Another Irish flavour, Mo’s Lager, is set to arrive at the venue in the coming days.
“It’s gluten free and, because lots of our visitors are here to enjoy Paddy Wok’s food, we think it will work well for that market,” said Seb.
The venue has not abandoned sport, opening a second bar outside with a big screen and late licences for fans to enjoy matches during the World Cup.
“We’re not a very conventional venue to watch a game of football in – it’s not like going to the pub, which can sometimes feel a bit off putting, especially for people in the queer community, for example,” said Seb.
“While we do serve alcohol, we also have lots of food options and non-alcoholic drinks – I hope we’re a welcoming space for everyone.
“We really like welcoming different people.
“The manager of our Elephant And Castle bar, for example, is Colombian so we’ll be staying open late for all of Colombia’s games and driving hard to welcome any expats in London for those.”
The bar has moved away from a focus on sports to a broader remit – image supplied by Little Yak
launching in Stratford
Growth is also in the offing for A Herd Of Yaks as it prepares to open its latest bar in Stratford at East Bank.
“We’ll be launching a pop-up there on June 27, 2026, and then hoping to open fully in September,” said Seb.
“The plan is to marry the work we’ve done in all the other venues – it will be our largest space by far and we’ll be aiming to serve the West Ham fans or away supporters but also to have a compelling offering for the students at UCL East and the London College Of Fashion.
“We’re also looking to tap into the cultural venues like the V&A East Museum and Sadler’s Wells East and I hope, as an independent bar, we’re dynamic enough to do that.
“There are a lot of chains in that area and we want to offer something different, including kitchen residencies with up and coming chefs to give talented cooks a space in a place they might not otherwise be able to afford.
“We’ve been so lucky in south-east London to be able to get involved with things like Deptford Jack In The Green and to welcome the community in.
“Hopefully we can take that approach in Stratford too.”
Little Yak is screening World Cup games – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
key details: Little Yak
Little Yak is located at The Artworks Creekside in, well, Creekside a short walk from Deptford Bridge DLR station.
The venue is usually open Tuesday-Thursday from 4pm-11pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 1pm to 1am and Sundays from 2pm to 10pm. It is closed on Mondays.
Located at Sweetwater Mooring on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it boasts a fine dining floating restaurant, a riverside terrace, a garden, a sister ship that sells drinks and gelato and plenty of space to stretch out alongside the River Lee Navigation canal.
It even offers paddleboard, kayak and canoe hire and that’s before you even mention the connections to DJs, live music and entertainers.
Fine dining is available on board – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
flexible options for all kinds of function
“We’ve got space at Barge East for almost any type of function, from weddings to corporate away-days and festival-style summer parties,” said Stuart ‘Tommo’ Thomson, one of the three founders of the business.
“We’ve got restaurants, with outdoor menus and terrace menus, with Parisian bistro-style, and our street food menus with amazing burgers.
We’ve got food across different price points, and all of it is sustainably sourced, using responsible suppliers.
“There’s our 125-year-old Dutch barge and the Milk Float, a more modern wide beam vessel with a beautiful sun deck that overlooks the London Stadium.”
Executive chef Kayla Dimmick and her team hard at work in the venue’s kitchen – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
In addition to adding this new ship to the fleet, Barge East is also now operating the Moo Canoes hire business, allowing people to explore east London’s waterways via stand up paddleboard, canoe or kayak.
“We can offer all sorts of activities and events at Barge East for groups of any size.
“We can organise garden games, entertainers and live music outside and we’re happy to signpost Bola Beach Tennis next to us and work alongside them in collaboration.
“Companies are welcome to use Barge East for a whole day or use us as a base to explore the area.
“There’s so much going on around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Hackney Wick.
“We’ve even introduced a litter-picking day every month where groups go out on the boats, help clear the waterways and then swap the bag of rubbish they’ve collected for a beer.”
Barge East offers bistro style dining on the canalside – image by Barge East
space for summer parties
Barge East is located a short walk from Hackney Wick station and can also be easily accessed from Stratford.
The boat itself can handle standing receptions for up to 80, while its Terrace and Gardens can take up to 150 and 300 respectively.
The Milk Float is suitable for standing parties of up to 80 and all of the venue’s spaces can be booked in combination.
Barge East offers a wide range of party packages starting at £15 per head.
Executive chef Kayla Dimmick oversees all the food on-site including dishes created with ingredients from the venue’s edible garden.
Those seeking a deal can visit Barge East’s Terrace on weekdays from noon-4pm to indulge in its £10 lunch offer and enjoy a Chicken Burger or Mushroom Burger with a drink for a tenner.
The Milk Float has joined the Barge East fleet – image by Barge East
The collaborative promise of East Bank has been long in the making.
But now the wait is over.
V&A East, Sadler’s Wells East, UCL East, BBC Music Studios and the London College Of Fashion have all come together for the first time publicly to play their parts in The Music Is Black Festival in east London.
Essentially a creative response to V&A East Museum’s first exhibition – The Music Is Black: A British Story – the programme includes four weekends of live gigs and performances as well as film screenings, talks, digital elements and exhibitions.
The aim is to reflect the breadth and depth of the impact made by black music in the UK.
East Bank director Tamsin Ace – image by Christian Cassiel
collaborating on The Music Is Black Festival
“Each of these five institutions have pivoted to respond to this theme and, layered on top of that, we have our programme of four live weekends – one each month,” said Tamsin Ace, director at East Bank.
“For example, the BBC has created The Music Is Black digital hub across TV, radio, iPlayer, Sounds and online to celebrate some of the key genres, personalities, scenes and compositions that define the last 125 years of black music in the UK.
“They’ve also created amazing educational resources through BBC Bitesize for secondary schools to use.
“It’s all been developed in collaboration with V&A East Museum.
“UCL East have organised a series of talks looking at black British visual culture, fashion – all kinds of different things – throughout the season.
“The London College Of Fashion is also hosting an amazing exhibition looking at sound system culture and designer identity.
“Then the four live weekends will bring people down to East Bank to celebrate the artists and musicians through free public performances.
“For these we’ve worked with an amazing curator, Gillian Jackson, and for each event we’ll have three stages – two right on the East Bank waterfront, with the Sadler’s Wells East public dance floor making up the third.
“The idea is we’ve got intergenerational dances, workshops and specially commissioned choreographed pieces, with live music, DJs and MCs.
“That’s the format we’ll follow for each of the weekends.”
The festival is inspired by the V&A East Museum’s The Music Is Black: A British Story exhibition – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The Music Is Ours
The live programme kicks off on June 13 and 14 with The Music Is Ours, featuring acts curated by Footsie, of grime collective the Newham Generals, on the Saturday and saxophonist and Soul Mama restaurant owner, YolanDa Brown, the day after.
Performers will include the likes of King Original, Tailor Jae, Nicole Blakk, My Runway Group, Acantha Lang and Melodees From Heaven.
Tamsin said: “We’re kicking off with a real block party, a celebration of east London’s huge contribution to black music.”
Sadler’s Wells East will feature Garage X Grime Reload curated by Kloe Dean on the first day with Breakin’ Convention taking over the dance floor on the Sunday for exhibition battles.
Power And Respect – image by Flashpop
Power And Respect
Black women and non-binary people take centre stage on July 11 and 12 with Jamz Supernova on curatorial duties for the first day with Yaazmin Lacey and Tyson handling the second.
At Sadler’s Wells East, Jade Hackett’s Let Love Be Your Rock will showcase original group work set to lovers rock and reggae on the Saturday, followed by DJs L’attise Rhoden and Glade Marie the day after.
“This will have a different flavour and feel to it,” said Tamsin. “We hope people will come to all four of the weekends, but others may just pick one to attend.
“One of the things we’re really excited about is building that kind of recognition, that people will start getting to know that the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a place where you can just turn up and bump into culture and creativity. We’re building that into a regular rhythm of free programming.
“We also know that people are hungry for moments of congregation and celebration and being in a joyful environment, and that’s what these free weekends will create.
Queer Frequencies – image by Leo Patriz
Queer Frequencies
Bringing together the queer collectives and communities that shape the rich tapestry of London’s queer scene, August 22 and 23 will be curated by Shy One, Donnie Sunshine, Mark-Ashley Dupé, Joel Mignott and Zinzi Minott.
Sadler’s Wells East will be blending dance with poetry and sound art alongside a pre-carnival party from Faggamuffin Bloc Party.
“This weekend is all about focussing on the huge contribution that queer creators have made to the scene, delivering a different vibe and energy,” said Tamsin.
Black To The Future – image by Atlantide Phototravel
Black To The Future
“This is all about showcasing people who are really pushing the dial, bringing together different ideas and genres to mix things up,” said Tamsin.
“We don’t know what the music of the future is, but these are some of the people who are imagining what it might be.
“What’s exciting about it is that there are people right now, in their studios and bedrooms, in their youth centres and their schools, creating sounds we have not even heard yet.
“That’s what east London has done so brilliantly over so many decades.”
Taking place on September 12 and 13, the final live weekend features curation from Flohio, The Blues Project and Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe.
It’s hoped that the festival will form something of a blueprint for future years with East Bank’s members continuing to collaborate.
“It feels like a significant moment for the project,” said Tamsin.
“It’s amazing to see the momentum and we’re supporting 20 jobs for east Londoners to help deliver the festival programme.
“The ambition is to build a corps of freelancers that East Bank can tap into and invest in – a pipeline of local creative talent and that’s so important.”
key details: The Music Is Black Festival
The Music Is Black Festival runs from June 13 until Sept 13, 2026, and includes four free weekends of music.
Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Company returns to the East Bank venue, following the sell-out success of Inside Giovanni’s Room last year, to showcase a programme of four pieces.
“Interplay is all about artistic expression – what we wanted to do was to produce works that were varied and that ask what it means to express ourselves in different ways with specific reference to the idea of duality,” said Marcus Jarrell Willis, artistic director at Phoenix.
“The key is in the title we’ve given the show – it’s a way for us to remember that, while this is a dance programme with a unified theme, we don’t always have to take everything so seriously.
“Yes, there are meaningful messages in the different works featured, but it’s also about simply offering a full palette of dance so audiences can take what they want from it.
“I don’t have any intention of trying to prove anything with that, I just want it to be something that people can connect to.
“People may love all the works, just one or none of them.
“I just hope those watching feel something, that they are impacted by what they see and that they receive something.”
Phoenix Dance Company artistic director Marcus Jarrell Willis – image by Hugo Glendinning
choosing the works
For Interplay, Phoenix, which operates as a rep company, will present Marcus’ Next Of Kin, Ed Myhill’s Why Are People Clapping?!, Travis Knight and James Pett’s Small Talk and a new collaboration between Marcus and choreographer Yusha-Marie Sorzano entitled Suite Release.
Some are duets while others are ensemble works.
Marcus said: “The programme actually came together quite seamlessly.
“With one selected, immediately it tapped into my brain and I’d think of a complementary work to go with it – it all gelled.
“Small Talk came first – I’d been following Travis and James’ work already, connected and had a conversation.
“A year prior to them creating, I just invited them into the studio to have a jam session, to play and to see how they related, with no real expectation.
“Straight after that, there was something there, which led me to commission the work.
“I’d seen Ed Myhill’s piece years before in different iterations.
“He grew up in Leeds and has been a dancer for a long time in the National Dance Company Of Wales.
“When I first came to the UK to focus more on creating dance I was based in Cardiff and I’d viewed Why Are People Clapping?! digitally during lockdown and then seen it on stage.
“It’s set to Steve Reich’s Clapping Music, so people’s hands are the driving force that create the rhythm for the dancers.
“It’s really interesting to see something so unusual, but also about who is coming to our company.
“I’ve known Ed for a long time and I knew he’d bring a great energy to our studio and the culture of Phoenix.
“From there, I knew I wanted to restage Next Of Kin, which I choreographed and originally danced with a dear friend many years ago.
“I was quite precious about it at first, but I realised I wanted it to be reimagined with this company because there are such special relationships between the dancers and this is a work that draws on those.”
Ed Myhill’s Why Are People Clapping? features in the programme – image by Drew Forsyth
a step into the unknown
“Finally, there’s Suite Release, which has been an incredible project. It’s my first time co-creating,” said Marcus.
“I’ve cooperated on many projects but never with another choreographer and it was about recognising that, while I have responsibilities and expectations, I’m still learning as well.
“So, I dug deep into what that might look like, picked up the phone and called Yusha-Marie. We have a 25-year-plus journey together.
“We danced together and have been friends for many years and we have seen each other grow.
“I wanted to make sure that it was with someone who I felt comfortable with but who would still push me and that I could push.
“We’d spent all these years in different companies, continuously trying to enhance and perfect our crafts, with all these different styles and techniques.
“Our piece is about why we started dancing in the first place.
“She was a young girl, born in Trinidad who migrated to Miami, with her dad DJ-ing and I grew up in Houston, Texas with hip hop, r’n’b, house music and soul.
Phoenix Dance Company members perform Suite Release – image by Drew Forsyth
“I danced at the barbecues with my family and that’s where the moving started.
“So Suite Release is a big party.
“It allows the dancers to break free from all expectations.
“They know it’s on stage, but they have to dance like there’s nobody watching.
“Collaborating was really great, actually and I will admit I was a bit nervous.
“I hoped it wouldn’t ruin a friendship, but many of our ideas just pinged off each other.
“We do have our own singular ways of approaching our practice as creators, but we have a common goal.
“It was nice to be in the studio and work in that way.
“One of the other really lovely things was that the dancers in the company got to see me in a different light.
“We work and play hard in the studio, and so we always have openness.
“Having someone come from my beginnings into the space allowed them to see young Marcus hanging out with a friend, which then opened them up and made them more ready to go.
“It’s amazing and the four dancers have really held that essence throughout the tour we’ve taken Interplay on.
“It’s also been an experience that’s made me want to collaborate more.
“Even now I’m tapping into colleagues and friends that are trying to be involved in the more dramaturgical side of things.
“I feel I’ve opened up a whole new layer on how we, as a company, can collaborate too – we know how to bring creative people into the room, but what happens when we start producing?”
Small Talk by Pett Clausen Knight – image by Drew Forsyth
key details: Interplay
Interplay is set to run at Sadler’s Wells East for four performances from June 24-27, 2026.
Shows start at 7.30pm and last an hour and 50 minutes including an interval. Tickets start at £15.
Based on the 1972 film of the same name, which starred reggae legend Jimmy Cliff in the lead role of Ivan, the show is a story of poverty, music, love, religion and crime.
The Harder They Come features classic reggae hits from Cliff, Desmond Dekker and Toots And The Maytals and has been adapted for the stage by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks who also wrote new songs for the piece.
For the latest production, Natey Jones returns as Ivan alongside Madeline Charlemagne as Elsa, with Chanice Alexander-Burnett taking over that role from June 8, 2026.
The story follows an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams on his own terms and make it as a music superstar.
After cutting a record deal with a manipulative music mogul, he learns that the game is rigged and becomes increasingly defiant.
As his star rises, he finds himself topping the charts and the most-wanted list of criminals.
This show transports audiences to 1970’s Jamaica and asks what the cost of fighting against systemic injustice really is?
Natey and Madeline Charlemagne are both returning for the latest run – image by Danny Kaan
a hit comes back
“As the DJ says in The Harder They Come: ‘It’s a hit because you people made it a hit’ – and it turns out that isn’t just a line in a play, it’s exactly what happened at Stratford East,” said director Matthew Xia.
“Coming back now feels like a celebration of Jimmy Cliff’s legacy and of the audiences who showed up and claimed this story.
“I’m thrilled and as proud as rum punch that The Harder They Come is returning, just as big, bold, and revolutionary as before.
“There’s something rare about bringing a show like this back to the building where it belongs.
“This is a piece that lives in the exchange between the stage and audience – a summer reggae party driven by Cliff’s music, the energy of this fantastic company and the people in the room with us each night.”
Audiences can expect top quality reggae including Cliff’s timeless hits You Can Get It If You Really Want, Rebel In Me and Many Rivers To Cross.
Tickets for the show are already selling quickly – image by Danny Kaan
key details: The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come is set to run at Stratford East from May 16 to July 4, 2026, with performances times varying depending on the day.
Tickets range from £10 to £53.50 and are on sale now.
Storehouse, located at Here East, has been a resounding success, welcoming 600,000 visitors through its doors since it opened last year, despite being somewhat tucked away amid the fabulous sprawl of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The new museum sits on one end of East Bank beside the London College Of Fashion, the new BBC Music Studios and Sadler’s Wells East.
Its opening is a key part of the 2012 Games’ cultural legacy.
Just like the South Bank, these buildings are statements of intent, powerhouses for the arts rising proudly above Waterworks River with the V&A’s golden geometric concrete arguably the most visually striking.
But for Gus, it’s the flow of young minds in and out of its doors that he and the team care most about, the museum’s connection to the community.
Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
becoming the ladder
“East London is the place that gives us Alexander McQueen, David Bailey and so many other creators who had to struggle and fight in their fledgling careers to get their feet on the first rung of the ladder,” he said.
“For all those future makers and artists, we want to be there as that ladder.
“It shouldn’t just be middle class kids who have an uncle who works in film or an aunt who runs a gallery that succeed.
“It’s wonderful they have those opportunities, of course, but how do we ensure that those without those advantages in east London can get purchase on careers in the creative industries?
“I’m proud of the sense of possibility we’ve created here.”
Over simplifying, if Storehouse is a place to hold, look after and offer access to the 280,000 objects in the V&A family, chronicling some 5,000 years of human creativity, V&A East Museum is a place to show them off in tightly curated, thought-provoking ways.
To that end, it features two permanent Why We Make galleries, packed with treasures that are free to view.
There’s also an exhibition space, currently occupied by The Music Is Black: A British Story, which aims to illuminate 125 years of black British music via exhibits, stories and sound.
On its fifth floor there’s a terrace and another free exhibition, Dispersal, which captures the businesses that called this part of London home before the Olympics.
Then, on its lowest level, there’s Café Jikoni, a partnership with a restaurant group known for “cooking across borders”.
Even on press day it’s easy to see how these spaces will quickly fill with visitors, thanks in part to a programme of free live events, including a takeover by DJ Nia Archives, workshops and talks.
Molly Goddard’s Daria dress, once worn by Beyoncé, features 61 metres of tulle and takes pride of place in the Why We Make galleries – image by V&A East Museum
V&A East Museum – built for the community
“When I came into my role, it was at the time of the pandemic and we built a team and an idea through remote working,” said Gus.
“Part of that was informed by that period, but we wanted to create connectivity – an institution able to connect with the community.
“As soon as we were able, we got out there to see those communities, to talk to them and ask them what they wanted at the V&A East museum.
“They were really keen to tell us.
“I loved it because I got to visit more than 100 schools within a bus ride, speaking in assemblies and asking them what we should offer.
“Listening to them, many of those young people were frustrated.
“They aspired to work in the creative industries but had little or no understanding of how they might do it.
“We saw that there was a desperate need for institutions like V&A East and for young people to get engaged with them.
“So we worked with them – more than 30,000 people consulted on every area of operational and curatorial delivery.
“I hope this is an institution that reflects their aspirations, hopes and dreams and that visitors will see that as they walk through these spaces.
“Our permanent galleries are called Why We Make because we thought making was a theme that would really speak to young people.”
Robes worn by a Daoist priest – image by V&A East Museum
respecting the residents
“Everything here has been part of us demonstrating our respect for this place and its populations,” added Gus.
“I can’t wait to see people come streaming through these doors and absolutely fall in love with this space.
“It’s a different kind of museum, which I hope will appeal to a different kind of audience.
“The building is extraordinary. Architects O’Donnell + Tuomey have created a kind of multi-faceted jewel with gold-faced concrete and it’s absolutely exquisite.
“Inside, it has these astonishing geometric windows, which mean that almost anywhere you are, you can see out across the Olympic Park that surrounds us.
“You get a real sense of where you are when you’re inside.
“They also created circulation spaces where you can come in the entrance on the lower ground floor and walk all the way up the five floors above without encountering a door.
“We are living in societies which can feel very fractured.
“We’re located next to one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe and I hope we’ll become a place of gathering.
“Shops are wonderful, but they aren’t places of civic convening.
“We want this to be a place where particularly young people can come, hang out, learn things, but they can also be inspired.
“It’s a wonderful privilege to be the inaugural director of V&A East – it’s probably the best job in the cultural sector.
“My hope is that, as time goes on, it will also be a place where they don’t just find opportunities to remake themselves, but also to remake V&A East.”
This Paimio armchair by Alvar Aalto was designed for a tuberculosis sanatorium in Finland – image by V&A East Museum
key details: V&A East Museum
V&A East Museum is located at East Bank on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Concessions for students and those under 26 are available.
Skin of Skunk Anansie performs at Glastonbury. Her Clit Rock suit can be seen at V&A East Museum – image by Daniel Newman
tried + tested: V&A East Museum
Any way you cut the complex geometry of V&A East Museum, it’s a fantastic addition both to the Stratford skyline and Newham’s cultural heft.
What Gus says about the relentless focus on connecting its spaces to the local community finds its proof in the new institution’s galleries.
The Why We Make spaces are refreshing. Superficially incongruous treasures – everything from glacial stupas to healing chairs and Daoist robes – are sewn together with a golden thread of locality.
Walk into the lower of the two galleries and you’ll immediately be confronted by Molly Goddard’s hot fuscia Daria dress, an east London creation that features 61 metres of tulle and was once worn by Beyoncé.
I’m left with no choice but to knock off a star because (teething troubles) my radar-linked Sennheiser headphones provided for a stroll round The Music Is Black: A British Story, failed to function properly.
This left me with a loop of the intro melody, rather than the 120 tracks promised.
My guess is that given this exhibition is about music, it’s probably better when you get to hear it.
However, even without the gospel, soul, rap, r’n’b, blues, rock, folk and grime, it’s a collection worth viewing thanks to the variety and vibrancy of the exhibits.
Here too, thanks to kids from the Lansbury Estate, Dizzee Rascal, Billy Ocean and countless performers still gigging at the likes of Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, the east is ever present.
“Choir Boy absolutely resonates with me,” said Tatenda Shamiso, co-director of the show that’s set to arrive on Stratford East’s stage later this month.
“I grew up in the US, in a Catholic school and I’m queer.
“To be a queer person in a rigid and hyper-traditional religious environment makes it very difficult to discover who you are when you’re discouraged at every turn.
“The show dates from 2008, but it gets updated every time it’s remounted and it feels all the more pressing at the moment, even from when we revived it in 2023.
“It can be hard to be black and queer in an environment that tries to force-feed you the idea that there is no space for you.”
Tatenda’s role has grown from associate director to co-director for the new show.
He frequently runs the rehearsals, with Nancy typically in the West Country as the production is updated for its run in the capital.
a struggle to access softness
“Choir Boy is about an all-boys black preparatory school in upstate New York in the US,” said Tatenda.
“These boys are under immense pressure to understand what it means to be the black leaders of tomorrow – the black men of the future – and to hold onto the labels and duties we associate with masculinity and black excellence.
“It’s a struggle to access any softness in this environment and to identify how to step into your real self when there isn’t any room for it.”
The show follows the story of Pharus (Terique Jarrett), a gifted singer who has earned his position as a soloist, but falters when his pride is sullied by one of his peers, forcing him to question what it means to be a young, black, openly queer man in such an institution.
“We’re taken on this journey with a really beautiful score of a capella gospel music, sung by the boys,” said Tatenda.
“Choir Boy is hilarious – definitely expect to laugh – but it’s also deeply joyful and cathartic.
“Whether you believe in something or not, the spirit will move through you when you hear these boys sing. It’s beautiful and very tender.
“One of the big changes we’ve had is two new cast members – Rabi Kondé playing Bobby and Freddie MacBruce as AJ – which has given us a really great opportunity to refresh the whole show.
“We have a star-studded team in the cast and backstage and it’s still very much a family affair.
“It’s really great to bring fresh talent into the piece.
“One of our former cast members said that while he was sad to leave, he was really happy to pass the gift of being able to play the role on to someone else who needs it.
“In Bristol, we had five weeks to prepare the show for the stage and this extra time has given us an opportunity to maybe deepen our thoughts.
“With the cast a couple of years older now, we’re asking what it means to be a teenager right now?
“I hope we’re offering audiences a cornucopia of things to take away.
“I hope they leave with greater empathy and compassion for the people they’ve been watching and those around them, perhaps a softness and a strong urge to sing.”
Kalid Daley is back in the role of JR – image by Camilla Greenwell
echoes of Choir Boy
As a director, writer, performer and artist, Tatenda’s own theatrical journey began at school.
He said: “Children’s hobbies are taken ridiculously seriously in California and I started off as a performer in musicals.
“I was doing about three shows a year for most of my time in school. I was a really shy child, but there was something about being a performer, being something bigger than yourself, that really appealed to me.
“You can enrapture an audience and take them on a journey.
“For me it was like a mission to learn how to be an extrovert, which was really lovely.
“It got me out of my shell and introduced me to a beautiful community of people who were as strange as I was, which was a very joyful experience.
“That’s the core theme, whatever I’m doing, which keeps me in theatre now.
“It’s the ritual of transformation you go through as a company, but also what you’re bringing to those who are watching.”
Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton and his pupil, Pharus – image by Camilla Greenwell
from performer to writer and director
After moving to Europe as a teenager, Tatenda’s path began to broaden while at university.
“I fell in love with directing while I was training at Goldsmith’s,” he said.
“When I wasn’t on stage, I spent the time figuring out what everyone else was supposed to be doing, so I ended up doing a lot of different tasks.
“I turned that into a career as a writer. As far as directing goes, I started off as an assistant director on other shows, then directing my own work and performing it at fringe venues.
“My first big show was assisting on A Streetcar Named Desire, back in 2022 at the Almeida Theatre, before going on to work on productions in the States and getting the chance to contribute to Choir Boy.
“I’ve developed a really beautiful working relationship with Nancy and a friendship too. She’s such a generous collaborator.
“I’ve been really moved by this show.
“It’s quite rare in this role to see yourself in what you’re making and what’s being put on stage.
“It feels incredible when you see a message being communicated so beautifully by this cast.
“Every creative steer you give them, they multiply it ten-fold with their bodies, their spirit, their minds and their voices.
“What they bring to these characters, these experiences, is almost overwhelming.
“One of the amazing things about seeing live theatre is that you get to have a collective experience, that the audience is going to be roughly in the same place emotionally as they watch.
“That’s something you don’t get in the digital world and I do think people are hungry for that kind of connection.”
Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow – image by Camilla Greenwell
key details: Choir Boy
Choir Boy is set to run at Stratford East from March 26 until April 25, 2026.
Performances are typically at 7.30pm with shows at 2.30pm on selected Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets start at £10.
