Launch Event:
Loved & Wanted at Rosetta Arts
Posted on 21st May 2026 by Rosetta Arts
Rosetta Arts, 1 Hamilton Road E15 3AE
What an Evening
On 21st May, we officially launched our two-year journey as part of the Mayor of London's Loved & Wantedprogramme — and what a night it was.
Our hall was packed with community members, Rosetta family, trustees, funders and very special guests, all coming together to celebrate what this space means to Newham. The evening was full of music, art, creativity and — most importantly — people.
What Was On
Live music from Flotsam Orchestra
Glass painting workshop with Bza's Artistic Emporium
Pottery tours with Earth and Fire.
Delicious food from Tiffin Walli.
Arts activities and community consultation at the Fun Palaces stand.
Stands from Time for Young People (mental health support for 8–13 year olds) and ESOL Exchange.
Art exhibition in the entrance corridor — stunning work from young people at Gainsborough and Kaizen Primary Schools, alongside pieces by Yemeni/Czech artist Asma Hamdi.
Speeches
An Arts-Based Living Room for Newham
Speech by Jan De Schynkel, CEO of Rosetta Arts
Tonight, my greatest hope is that every single person in this room is feeling two things: Loved and Wanted.
You know, I really love the title of this program: Loved & Wanted. There is a beautiful hint in those words - both active and passive.I understand that dynamic intimately because I am an immigrant. My journey started in the Flemish part of Belgium, from a working class background and going to Catholic school. Along the way, I met my English wife in the Netherlands, lived in Holland, Germany, and Finland, before finally landing here in the UK back in the 90s. Because of that background, I come to this work with a specific world view, a unique set of cultural references, and, for better or worse, my own sense of humor!Just like every other new arrival in this country, I brought my whole history with me. And what Loved & Wanted says to people like us is profound. It doesn't just say, "We will passively tolerate or accept you." It says, actively and proactively: "We need this. We want this. We are actively seeking you out because your presence makes our entire society richer."
For an organisation like Rosetta Arts, that philosophy isn’t just a slogan. It is baked into everything we do. It’s in our programs for SEND youth, refugees, schools, and the over-50s. It’s in the vibrant diversity of our participants, including those from lower-income backgrounds. But more than that, it is our way of working. We practice co-curation. We give genuine voice through advisory groups. We embed this into our very systems, ensuring a diverse staff and Board mean that a wide range of voices actually informs our decision-making.
Loved & Wanted seems a pretty perfect fit for Rosetta Arts.
Historically, communities relied on what we call "safe third spaces"; places outside of home and work where people could exchange knowledge and just be. Today, those spaces are disappearing. We want this very building, the Gainsborough Learning Centre, to be that safe third space for people from every culture and every religion. I love how the Newham Recorder described our L&W program: they called it “an arts-based living room for Newham.”
And Newham desperately needs that living room!
Newham is one of the UK’s most transient boroughs. Around 10% of residents in the borough have moved to Newham in the past 12 months, often with no connection, no firm footing, and no warm welcome. We want Rosetta Arts to be that welcome. We want this space to be that connection.
For 33 years, Rosetta Arts has served as a cornerstone of Newham’s cultural infrastructure. We are the borough’s only Arts Council England Visual Arts National Portfolio Organisation. We operate right at the intersection of creative health, education, and social inclusion. Operating from this council-owned building, we fill a critical gap in the borough’s most underserved ward, acting as a vital cultural bridge between historic Newham and the emerging Creative Industries Superclusters over at East Bank and the Royal Docks.
We build belonging. We remove barriers with practical tools like free activities and travel bursaries. Through initiatives like our Artist Accelerator, THRIVE, Compass, Urban Gardening, and affordable studio spaces for resident artists, we empower underrepresented voices. We address deep-seated issues like racism through representation and joyfully creative cross-community gatherings.
In other words, Rosetta Arts delivers a super service to Newham, and frankly, for Newham Council. We strongly contribute to several key council strategies and the March report from the Independent Commission on Inclusion and Belonging in Multi-ethnic Newham that explicitly recommended that the council support community organisations and community spaces like ours.
It is hard to believe, then, that our stay in this building is no longer secure. We have been under threat due to the actions of the council’s property team.
But tonight, we look forward. We hope that now, after the elections and with a new regime in place, we will see normality and stability in the borough’s governance. We hope this will manifest as strong leadership for culture, and a genuine, cross-departmental vision.
So, we feel optimistic. We are curious to see what the new Mayor and his manifesto will bring. We hope the council will finally provide the security that a small charity like ours needs to survive. We ask them to grant us a long lease, and to re-consider our bold vision for this building to become a permanent creative campus for Newham.
So for now, thank you for being here, thank you for supporting us, and please, enjoy your evening in Newham's living room!”
What Goes On At Rosetta?
Want to know more about the important work we do here at Rosetta Arts? Head over to our Projects page!
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Rosetta Arts, 1 Hamilton Rd London E15 3AE, UK
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