East is a six-day festival that celebrates the uniquely rich creative mix of east London, featuring more than 300 events covering performance, art, history, fashion and design, film and food.
This year for the first time, East is promoting 'Cycle East' -- an afternoon of three performances in three venues within easy cycling distance. Whether you choose your own itinerary, or join our leisurely marshalled ride, for just a tenner Cycle East provides you with the opportunity to...
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| ...hear Mercury Music Award nominees Portico Quartet perform at Toynbee Studios' historic theatre... | ...enjoy the beautiful surroundings of St-John-at-Hackney church with a special vocal performance by Helen Chadwick Group... | ...and watch new and rarely seen shorts by a selection of East End playwrights including Steven Berkoff and David Eldridge at one of the most sustainable theatres in the world, the Arcola Theatre in Dalston. |
Each venue has been selected for its atmosphere which provides a space for quality art and relaxation in an interesting setting. Each venue provides a selection of refreshments to help you refuel before continuing on your journey!
There will be three shows at each venue on Sunday 8th March at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm. Each show will last approx one hour.
Cycle East Special: Just £10 for all three performances!
(1pm Toynbee Studios, 3pm St John at Hackney, 5pm Arcola).
This special offer can only be booked by telephone or in person at the Arcola box office. Call 020 7503 1646 before 3 March.
Alternatively you can book to see the shows separately at £5 advance per performance (tickets available from We Got Tickets, Arcola Theatre, or Artsadmin ) or just turn up and pay £6 on the door.
Hackney Cyclists and Southwark Cyclists will be leading a leisurely marshalled ride between the three venues.
Southwark Cyclists will be meeting at 11am at the Southwark Needle (south side of London Bridge).
Hackney cyclists will be meeting at 12 noon at Lock 7 cafe, 129 Pritchards Road London E2 9AP, by the canal bridge south of Broadway Market. There, whilst waiting for Southwark Cyclists to join us, we will be greeted by the songs of the Hackney Wingit Singers who will accompany us along the route.
After being joined by Southwark Cyclists, we will meander to Toynbee Hall - the first venue - accompanied by the Wingit Singers. After Toynbee Hall we will ride to St-John-at-Hackney and later to the Arcola Theatre from where the Southwark contingent will depart off to London Bridge.
The ride will depart from each venue 15 minutes after the end of the performance. Total distance around 10 miles.
Approximate meeting/departure times from the venues
Below you should see a map of the anti-clockwise route which the led ride will be taking between the three venues, starting down south at Toynbee Studios in Commercial Street, heading through Bethnal Green and Hackney to St-John-at-Hackney church, followed by a short hop over to the Arcola Theatre in Dalston.
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Portico Quartet
Toynbee Studios (1pm, 3pm, 5pm)
Portico Quartet are four young musicians based in London and causing quite a stir. Forging contemporary jazz with modern classical tendencies (think Steve Reich and Philip Glass) along with many other genres, they have created an inimitable sound that has been compared to the Penguin Café Orchestra, EST and The Cinematic Orchestra amongst many others. For EAST 09 they'll be performing music from Mercury nominated debut Knee Deep In The North Sea as well as new tracks from their hotly anticipated second album, to be released later this year.
"As traditionally hook based as anything from rock, to hip hop" The Guardian
"Haunting, beautifully austere sound" Metro
Helen Chadwick Group
St John-at-Hackney Church (1pm, 3pm, 5pm)
Taking inspiration from South America's poets and rhythmic patterns, this concert is a feast of Chadwick's rich harmonic songs, sometimes accompanied by stepping and body percussion. Helen Chadwick Group are joined by Catalan singer Mariona Sagarra who opens the concert singing from the balcony using the glorious acoustics of St John's to full effect.
"Chadwick...an exquisite find" The Guardian
Play East
Arcola Theatre (1pm, 3pm, 5pm)
Inspired by the eclectic characters of the East End three multi award winning writers investigate the streets where these characters roam and uncover their secrets. In an hour of theatre especially curated for EAST, Arcola presents three new and rarely seen short plays by London writers Steven Berkoff, David Eldridge and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. An original one off theatrical treat that is not to be missed.
