News and Events

9,400 Londoners die of the consequences of air pollution every year. That is why, Plume labs developed a mobile phone application to help you find out about the quality of the air you are breathing, and gives you advice on how to protect yourself. Currently, they are using race pigeons to fly sensors all over London. If you tweet your area of London to @PigeonAir, they’ll tell you how toxic your air is!

The current data (http://pigeonairpatrol.com/) on Bethnal Green indicates that the air is generally highly polluted. Their next recent project, in collaboration with Imperial College London, will start in June of this year and asks 100 Londoners to wear their own pollution sensors to create the first human-powered air pollution monitoring network. So far, the company has crowdsourced over £10,000.

-By Helen Taupin

// Richard Walters @ Sebright Arms (1)

This week’s ‘what’s on’ features a fair amount of music, but we are certainly not complaining – in fact, we cannot think of a better way to welcome in Spring than with a showcase of refreshing talent you can sway along to. Kicking off the week is Richard Walters, who will be playing at Sebright Arms on Tues 22 March with support from both Cooper and Holiday Oscar. Walters has been described as ‘an unstoppable song-writing force’ whose work is ‘heart-achingly beautiful’ and ‘unashamedly sentimental’; we would like to say thank you to Famous Friends Records for creating this event, an opportunity to listen to Walters’ fourth studio album live. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1185166398177886/

31-35 Coate Street, London, E2 9AG

// New Business @ The Pickle Factory (2)

The Pickle Factory is Oval Space’s new sister venue, the destination for those who want a night curated by some of the most talented DJs around. On Thurs 24 March New Business is heading back to The Pickle Factory, accompanied by guests Massimiliano Pagliara and Luv Jam and with the intent to put a tropical spin on the typical house sound. Pagliara loves 80s disco records – his house music appears as a synthesis of these sounds – whereas Luv Jam prefers to entice his listeners with a ‘throbbing minimalism’; each are worth seeing on their own, but the both in one night? Definitely an exciting prospect. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/765160413614330/

13-14 The Oval, London, E2 9DT

// Young Women’s Evening @ The London Buddhist Centre

‘Meeting Ourselves in the Mirror: An Explanation of Image’ is a workshop taking place at The London Buddhist Centre on Fri 25 March. With a focus on creative writing/ image making, this workshop uses these literary techniques to unlock refreshed and more open ways of thinking, ways that we often don’t have the time to explore in the rush of modern living. A writing workshop that thinks about writing and language from a spiritual perspective. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1045712142141866/

51 Roman Road, London, E2 OHU

// Debi Hall @ The Misty Moon (4)

The Misty Moon is a Bethnal Green staple, a traditional pub that serves good food, plenty of alcohol, and which boasts an inexhaustible line up of live music acts. If you plan on visiting this week then we would suggest doing so on Fri 25 March, when you will hear live music from the versatile Debi Hall. Debi has been singing for over 10 years, touring the Uk, Europe, and Asia with her voice that is ‘a vintage mixture of jazz, swing, and country’. This woman is experienced, and knows how to create an atmosphere with seemingly no effort on her part. More information here:

http://www.themistymoon-bethnalgreen.com/?page_id=2

456 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 06A

// Coven: Spellbound @ The Resistance Gallery (5)

As its name suggests, The Resistance Gallery is a place where the most diverse, weird, and unique elements of culture come together in a stand against the mainstream which often excludes them. Coven: Spellbound is an evening which follows this ethos to a tee, so head down on Sat 26 March for a night of unorthodox entertainment ranging from cabaret to theatre performances with a twist. This night allows you ‘to explore and enjoy the liminal space between reality and unreality’; more information here:

http://heyevent.uk/event/uyjrrovqjtsk2a/c-o-v-e-n-spellbound

265 Poyser Street, London, E2 9RF

-By Hayley Downey

Things to do in Bethnal Green, 14^th March – 20^th March

St. Patrick’s Day @ The Sun Tavern (1)

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at The Sun Tavern. They will be providing free food in the form of pie and mash from G. Kelly’s on Bethnal Green High Street, along with live Irish music, ales brewed in London, and Irish-themed cocktails.

https://www.facebook.com/thesuntavernbg

441 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 0AN

Anna Von Hausswolff @ St. John Bethnal Green (2)

Imagine the peculiar conglomeration of Kate Bush and organ music and you get Anna Von Hausswolff’s ‘funeral pop’. On Friday 18^th March she will be performing at St John Bethnal Green. The Guardian describe her as, “Part banshee-voiced member of a witches’ coven, part Sweden’s highbrow answer to Mogwai, Anna von Hausswolff is a genuine one-off…the boldness of her vision is compelling”.

http://www.stjohnonbethnalgreen.org/?p=1879360

200 Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9PA

Liam Scully, ‘A Digital Suicide’ (3)

Digital Suicide; noun: the elimination of one’s personal information online, particularly from social media; Facebook; Twitter, etc.

For the past year and a half, ‘living’ artist Liam Scully has been creating an installation focussing on his committal to digital suicide. The work Scully’s downloaded data from various social media sites in a merging of private information and public curiosity.

http://www.union-gallery.com/content.php?page_id=3994

Union Gallery, 94 Teesdale St, London, E2 6PU

Meet the Producer: Mast Brother’s Chocolate @ Poco Tapas Bar (4)

Poco Tapas Bar is hosting an evening of chocolate filled fun on Monday 14^th March. The evening sees the collaboration of artisanal produce sourced by Chef Tom Hunt, and Mast Brother’s chocolate whose factory is just down the road in Shoreditch. Menu items include olive oil chocolate cake, cacao beer braised venison, and a cider brandy, hot chocolate shot. Chocoholic heaven.

http://pocotapasbar.com/2015/12/meet-the-producer/

129 Pritchard’s Rd, London, E2 9AP

Jack Brindley and Inma Femenía: One Size Fits All (5)

Jack Brindley and Inma Femenía are two young artist who have collaborated on installation and drawing based artwork: it is a dialogue between two differently focussed artists. The exhibition ‘looks at the ways in which industrial modes of production can be perverted, and brings the hidden ideology of the digital sphere into material reality.’

http://www.theryderprojects.com/one-size-fits-all.html

The Ryder, 19a Herald Street, London, E2 6JT

-By Lydia Anderson

// The Language of Place @ St. John on Bethnal Green (1)

Taking place in the beautiful venue St. John’s Church, Faber Social and Rockfeedback will be hosting their first event of 2016 on Tues 8 March: The Language of Place. Comprising a series of talks and music performances that examine the landscape of both the external world and the mind, expect to gain some food for thought and insight into how others view the world around them. Will Self will be taking part in this event who is a renowned writer and journalist, and published his most recent novel ‘Shark’ in 2014. Writer and film-maker Iain Sinclair, writer Nina Lyon, and musicians The Memory Band will also be making an appearance. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/910853332315087/

200 Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 9PA
// Portfolio People’s Spring Social @ Mother Kelly’s (2)

In their own words, Portfolio People ‘offer you the space to reflect, to establish your personal vision, and to give you the support you need to achieve your goals’. They offer a new approach to working life, and you can experience this in person on Thurs 10 March with their spring social at Mother Kelly’s. If you are interested then you should also note that Mother Kelly’s hold a huge variety of independent beers, and is one of the best tap-rooms in Bethnal Green. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1539174573047872/

251 Paradise Row, London, E2 9LE

// Drama Parlour’s ‘Mad March Hair’ party @ The Dundee Arms (3)

The Drama Parlour is the kind of hair salon that makes you excited to get your hair cut. They are relatively new to Bethnal Green and have taken up residence directly above The Dundee Arms – it must be a blossoming friendship because this is where they are hosting their party. The Drama Parlour will not be cutting at this event, but if you want to let your hair down regardless then turn up on Thurs 10 March – DJ duo Wild Fantasy will be doing their thing and creating pleasant vibes. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1561913520789185/

The Dundee Arms, Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 9LH

// Fragile Things @ Oxford House (4)

Open yourself to an unusual perspective on humanity as two mischievous entities follow the lives of three generations who each have their own issues to face and contend with. Seen from this outsider’s perspective, expect to gain fresh insight into relevant issues whilst you are guided along by GodBerry&Co’s innovative script-writing and staging: ‘Fragile Things’ is a theatrical performance that should not be missed, and will be performed at Oxford House on Fri 11 March. More information here:

http://www.oxfordhouse.org.uk/ai1ec_event/fragile-things/?instance_id=

Oxford House Theatre, Derbyshire Street, London, E2 6HG

// Hustle @ The Star of Bethnal Green

Free entry all night? Such an offer is hard to refuse, especially with the knowledge that you will be in the safe hands of Alex Evans and James Buckley – DJ Hatchback and Saloon Dion – who will be playing some of their favourite music especially for you. Come down on Sat 12 March and expect jazz, soul, disco, funk – basically everything that you could want to dance to. More information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1698433870442499/

359 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6LG

-By Hayley Downey

A two day interactive installation about citizenship and nationality is taking place this weekend (5 & 6 March) in Bethnal Green.

Citizenshop/Citizenship by German artist Nele Vos will engage with place, identity and  interpretation of migration . The experience will lead the visitor through two themes/stages of the migration process and aims to expose and reflect the pressing themes of migration.

The artist was inspired by the area of Bethnal Green for its multicultural community and the high street location of the space that collates with the ‘shop-like’ setting.

Visit Citizenshop/Citizenship in French Riviera, 309 Bethnal Green Road on Saturday from 1pm and on Sunday 11am – 8pm. The installation will be accompanied with live music and drinks after 7pm.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/543352085832602/