Newham Heritage Month

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From fashion shows, Grime productions and graffiti workshops, to live poetry, model-making with a modern twist, creative collage, and interactive performances, Newham Heritage Month in June will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, shining a spotlight on the borough’s unique place in recent history.  This year’s festival, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is themed around ‘What London 2012 Means To Us’ and presents 57 free activities taking place in 27 venues across the borough, created by local community members.

Bringing previously untold stories from the borough to light, the vibrant events and activities selected for this year’s programme explore the exciting build-up to the Games and the dazzling moment the borough was front and centre in the world’s media. The line-up will also examine the legacy of the Games and reveal insights into the fascinating history of sports in Newham. 

Showcasing the rich and diverse heritage of Newham, the month-long celebration will take place both live and online, with free events and activities every week throughout June. The dynamic offering has been created by local arts, heritage and community groups.

Arts activities span from model-making and Grime music, to photography workshops, banner-making, and graffiti sessions exploring the Games’ impact on the LGBTQ+ community. Local young people will work with Rights & Equalities in Newham to present a ‘Youth Olympic Fashion Show’. 

The V&A will create a special project for Newham Heritage Month titled ‘Making East London Porcelain’, focussing on the celebrated Bow Porcelain Factory, and revealing how historic local manufacturing processes inspire and influence ceramic artists in Newham today. The project, which is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Capability for Collections Fund, will shine light on the extraordinary and little-known collection of Bow Porcelain held by London Borough of Newham and showcase new scientific discoveries about Newham as a centre of artistic experimentation and heritage.  

Taking a critical lens to the impact of the Games on the local area, The Call Outs presents ‘The Shadows of the Olympics’ addressing the Games’ impact on the housing situation in Newham, while Groundbreakers ‘Hidden architectures of change in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’ project investigates the deepening spatial injustices resulting from the accelerated gentrification in east London triggered by the 2012 Olympics, and the potential impact of the climate and public health emergencies on communities in East London.

Embracing Newham’s heritage of sporting excellence, there will be projects celebrating the history of Newham’s women in sport produced by the East End Women’s Museum, while the Newham Folk Archive deep dive into the story of cycling in in the borough, from the early 20th century boom, past Olympic gold medals, to the present. Intriguingly the Royal Docks History Club will look at the history of the lost and current stadiums of the local area, with a focus on the West Ham Speedway.

The live and interactive performance line-up includes playback theatre sessions from True Heart Theatre examining the role sports has played in the lives of South Asian and Caribbean communities in Newham, as well as Pākiki Theatre’s family show ‘Who Wants To Be An Olympian?’.

The month will offer opportunities for sporting activity, including the chance to take part in a sports day for children living with special educational needs and disabilities.

Newham Heritage Month 2022 will also delve into the borough’s long history, with Groundbreakers’ archaeology walking tour exploring the natural history of the Park site from the Neolithic to the present-day.
 

The projects selected for Newham Heritage Month 2022 are:

-       Making East London Porcelain - V&A Museum

-       Before & After 2012 - Hajia Dahiru & Trisha McCauley 

-       We Played Our Part - Shpresa 

-       Let Us Play Our Part - Healtogether CIC 

-       New Curators - UCL Special Collections

-       Tubular Bells & Copper Flowers - Eastside Community Heritage 

-       Our Olympic Dream Lives On - Tom Lam

-       London 2012 Memories: Editor’s Choice - Colin Grainger & Marieta Evans 

-       Newham Women in Sport - East End Women’s Museum

-       REIN’S Youth Olympic Offer - Rights & Equalities in Newham

-       Who Wants To Be An Olympian? - Pākiki Theatre 

-       Guided tours of Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks - St. William 

-       Run Ranelagh Run! - Ranelagh Primary School 

-       Groundbreakers – Livingmaps Network

-       Ten years & more than 2012 activities later… - Together! 2012 CIC 

-       Let’s Roam - Newham Folk Archive

-       The Shadows of the Olympics - The Call Outs 

-       Art In The Park - Sylvia Morgado & Sylvie Belbouab

-       Lost Stadiums: The West Ham Speedway - Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre 

-       Volunteer Community Photographers programme

-       ‘A Change 4 All’ - Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation  

-       Your Legacy Build - Atomik Architecture 

-       Integrated Special Sports - Newham Community Project 

-       Reminiscing London 2012 - True Heart Theatre 

-       Sporting Solutions: Breaking Down Barriers in Newham - SubCo Trust

-       Olympics & Muslims in Newham - UKIM Masjid Ibrahim 

-       We Kept The Surprise - ­Parrabbola 
 

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s generous grant will support the development of a heritage offer that embraces and celebrates the diversity of Newham, London’s youngest borough. 

Stuart McLeod, Director, England, London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Newham Heritage Month again this year. Newham is an area of focus for The National Lottery Heritage Fund and events such as these really celebrate the diverse heritage within Newham. It is truly an event that is led by the community for the community.

“The London 2012 Olympics had a huge impact on Newham, as well as across London. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can explore these stories, whether through music, oral history or theatre and make sure they can be told for many generations to come. It will be the perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary.”

BSL interpreters are available for all events when requested at booking.