The idea
Funds will be used to improve the infrastructure and expand the our reach of or events program. We need to purchase equipment, redesign of the space to kick-start the roll out a music program prioritising populations living in Waltham Forest. Cultural events provide opportunity, occasion and infrastructure, in which to celebrate our diversity. Our venue will provide the space in which to live this our musically.
Young people 5-15 will explore various cultural musical themes in workshops within their schools and perform at showcasing events and 16-21’s studying arts courses, will be offered work placements.
Small music venues attracted a total audience of 5.6 million during 2015. Walthamstow is one of the fastest-growing, up-and-coming places in the capital. Partnering with the local council and local businesses, the venue will significantly grow arts attendance figures in the borough, and develop audiences around high quality music events.
What we'll deliver
- Engage the local community to run workshops and outreach programs
- Provide subsidy so we can run free and events with concessions
- Bring more performance art into the borough
- Build citizenship and community identity through music
- Raise the audience attendance numbers for live music in the borough
- Scale up and invest in the infrastructure of the Venue
Why it's a great idea
As an art's organisation we believe that participating in each other's cultures grows respect and understanding and benefits people's lives in ways which model tolerance within deeper experiences of intercultural cohabitation. To this end, our project intentionally seeks to address the systemic root causes of inequality, which block these ideals and help limit the chances of people in these communities from becoming polarised.
Waltham Forest is home to 8,200 Poland and 4,300 Romanian peoples. However, there are far too few events or cultural experiences, which celebrate this diversity in the same way we celebrate more, established migrated cultures. Furthermore, appropriate venues in which to host such don't exist in the borough.
Through growing attendance numbers for arts audiences in the borough, we want to ensure a wider and more diverse range of people have access to quality culturally diverse artistic practices and a public space in which to do this.
Steps to get it done
- Become a key venue on the live music circuit in London
- Invite musicians and performers from key communities to represent each culture living in the borough
- Open the space up to external programming
- Up grade sound and lighting system and acoustics to scale up our events program
- Roll out scaled program of music events
- Run outreach and engagement programs to expand the venue spread across the borough
Waltham Forest is home to an estimated 271,200 residents and 104,000 households. The median age of residents is 34 years compared to the UK average of 40 years. Our research suggests whilst local residence live close enough to get to central London, as Walthamstow has a village eel and many have young children, the majority tend to look locally for their entertainment and relaxation activities. This is especially true at the weekend where we’ll capitalise on these trends by offering a Saturday afternoon free music event where our profits will be made at the bar.
Walthamstow is on the end of the Victoria Line the fastest underground tube into London, which is also now running 24 hours at weekends. The venue is a mere 5min walk away from the station. Because the venue is easy to get to and close proximity to travel routes, having people attend our events from around London will be straightforward.
