Creative Newham is an independent alliance of arts, cultural, educational, social and voluntary organisations committed to growing and strengthening cultural mobility in all its forms in Newham.
Creative Newham came out of the Creative People and Places opportunity in 2018 – an Arts Council England fund – that Newham partners seized with enthusiasm across the borough. In creating this application, the lead organisation Rosetta Arts (which has a 26-year history of delivering community arts in the borough) had brought together over 80 individuals representing over 70 organisations. All sharing a commitment to empowering borough residents to realise their full cultural and creative potential.
Why Creative Newham?
Despite a dramatic and positive growth in prosperity as Newham moved from the 2nd to the 25th most deprived borough in Britain between 2010 and 2015, Newham residents are still amongst some of the most disadvantaged in the UK.
Cultural investment in the borough is amongst the lowest in London and as a consequence Newham has the second lowest level of cultural engagement of all the London boroughs at 36.6% (the lowest, Barking & Dagenham, is already an established CPP place).
The much heralded ‘Olympic legacy’ (Newham was one of the four host boroughs of the 2012 London Olympics) has failed to materialise for the majority of Newham residents. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) is culturally and physically disconnected from the rest of Newham, and the scale of investment in the ‘big players’ who are arriving in the park is in stark contrast to the resources available for grassroots and community-based cultural activity in the rest of the borough.
There is, however:
- a rich and diverse network of ‘under the radar’ cultural activity organised by artist groups, faith-based organisations and community groups
- a successful history of small-scale entrepreneurship with a large number of independent shops and services catering for the local community
- a positive view of the borough’s ethnic and cultural diversity amongst residents; 9 in 10 agree that ‘people from different backgrounds get on well in my local area’ and the proportion of residents with friends entirely from their own ethnic background is just 9% (Understanding Newham 2019)
- a new Mayor of Newham – Rokhsana Fiaz – who has an ambitious vision for the borough and recognises the power of arts and culture in building resilient communities
Our vision for Creative Newham is a borough where everyone can benefit from creative opportunities – as makers, producers, leaders, audiences and participants – whatever their background or circumstances.
In 10 years we hope to create a Newham where homegrown creative talent is recognised and rewarded both within and beyond the borough; where residents respect and value different cultures and are proud of their neighbourhood; and where people have the confidence and the opportunity to lead and enjoy a wide range of creative activities.
Make-up of Creative Newham
Creative Newham is comprised of a consortium (or steering group) led by Rosetta Arts, which meets quarterly and consists of 9 local community and creative sector organisations, including the LBN Cultural Commissioner. Its wider alliance is a more informal network of 80+ organisations that are interested in or share the Creative Newham vision.
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