Culture Within Newham is a cultural and creative activity programme for Newham, funded through Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places scheme.

Culture Within Newham aims to shape, together with everyone, a culture in Newham that represents all of the diverse creative talent that sits within each and every one of us. We hope to inspire community-led change in how people in Newham access, make, experience and curate culture and creativity. We hold community voices and collective decision-making at the heart of everything we do, and so at every level our programme is shaped by the dreams and desires of local residents.

In practice, Culture Within Newham commissions artists and cultural organisations to create events, workshops, and artworks that reflect and represent our vibrant borough. From Newham’s first film festival, to a comedy night for young people, to intergenerational storytelling through food, we’ve supported a wide range of imaginative and inclusive projects that bring culture directly to people’s doorsteps.

 

A programme shaped by our community

Community Voices Panel

Our Community Voices Panel is made up of 18 local residents from a representative cross-section of the borough, who play a central role in shaping our programme. They make decisions on which projects we work on, which commissions we fund, and which communities we focus on in Newham. They have also shaped our mission and write a manifesto every 18 months to ensure we work to relevant and representative priorities. Their networks within and expertise of local areas are crucial to helping us create a programme that is truly for and by the people of Newham.

In the foreground a bald person wearing shorts and a vest top is expressively dancing, with arms lifted and feet barely touching the ground. Behind him a band of people with a variety of access needs play brass and woodwind instruments and even a drumkit. They are processing down the road and members of the community look on and take pictures on their phones. Everyone is smiling!

 

Children’s Board

Culture Within Newham’s Children’s Board was established in 2024 to give children the opportunity to decide what creative and cultural things happen in Newham. It helps children get involved in exciting events near where they live, and supports Newham’s future artists and creative leaders. The Board is made up of 20 children aged 8-11 from across three primary schools.

Their biggest task so far has been commissioning an artwork for the winter programme. The Children’s Board set their own priorities for an artist’s brief, which they decided should focus on sustainability. After Culture Within Newham gathered responses, three artists pitched their ideas directly to the children at their primary schools. The children voted to work with Ricebox Studio, with whom they developed ‘The Sound Hive’, an interactive sound table featuring the children’s recordings, with graphic design inspired by their drawings.

The Children’s Board conducts research among their peers to discover what art and culture activities Newham’s youngest generations are interested in, which informs the programme for the next Children’s Board cohort.

 

Explore the artworks, performances, events and workshops commissioned by Culture Within Newham’s Community Voices Panel and Children’s Board on our website.

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Culture Within Newham is governed by a consortium made up of Community Links (part of Catch22), the University of East London, Jazanne Arts, Blossom Group and the National Cricket League. It is part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme and powered by the people of Newham.