Last week, the Mayor of Newham and the Mayor of London announce the new vision for Royal Docks to be a major new cultural quarter, where creative work is made, new ideas are formed and cultural participation is open to all, making it an irresistible destination and an inspiring home for cultural industries, businesses, visitors and locals alike.
The announcement takes place during the launch of a new live performance, art, and events programme Royal Docks Originals which is taking place over the month of October. The events programme is inspired by its diverse communities, rich heritage, and exceptional water and landscape, and will host internationally renowned and local world-class artists.
The festival marks the start of big plans to nurture and support the existing creative communities and provide new employment opportunities in the cultural sector. The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, a joint partnership between the Mayor of London, London Borough of Newham, led by Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz, and the London Economic Action Partnership, leads the charge and promises a commitment to make Royal Docks a world-leading location for imaginative and dynamic arts and events made in the Royal Docks.
Mayor of Newham and Co-chair of the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Board, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said: “Today we are delighted to announce the plans to transform Royal Docks into London’s most exciting place for cultural and artistic production and the home for innovation and ideas across the Capital. With a vibrant and growing community in a borough that has the youngest population anywhere in the country and is the most diverse; we have a very rich creative culture with huge business potential. We’re very excited that Royal Docks Originals festival is the beginning of this new vision and will be host to both local and international artists, showcasing exceptional talent in the area. I hope you enjoy the programme of events we have put on this October – it’s a taste of more exciting things to come!”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This major new cultural quarter has the potential to deliver 35,000 jobs, 4,000 new homes and more than £5 billion of inward investment within the next 20 years.
“It is the latest example of London roaring back to life with culture leading the way in our city’s economic recovery. As London’s only Enterprise Zone, business rates are reinvested into the Royal Docks local area and £314 million has already been approved to transform this part of the capital as a distinctive location for business and culture – which will be of huge benefit to local people, our city’s huge pool of creative talent and London as a whole.”
The Royal Docks has already begun its work and is set to open a wide range of creative workspaces and cultural infrastructure including the Factory Project, which will transform Tate & Lyle Sugar warehouses and yards into community workspace from next year, and has secured planning permission for Soldier of Orange a 360 degree rotating theatre show, which is due to open in 2023.
The area, which is already in close proximity to many staple cultural landmarks such as the East Bank in Stratford, is situated in the Thames Estuary Production Corridor (TEPC), which was launched in 2017 by the Mayor of London and South East Local Economic Partnership. TEPC recently announced its vision to be the world’s largest cultural production corridor, already marking itself culturally on the map.
The Royal Docks Originals Festival line-up includes a community-led immersive promenade performance ARRIVAL produced by imPOSSIBLE and co-directed by West End Director Matthew Dunster and 2012 Paralympic set designer Jon Bausor. ARRIVAL will be accompanied by more than 20 music, dance, art, theatre, film and photography commissions, handpicked from the London Borough of Newham to champion and celebrate talent locally. For the full programme for Royal Docks Originals you can visit royaldocks.london/whats-on/royal-docks-original-festival.
