A month or so ago, I wandered into a gallery run by Art in The Docks (AiTD) collective in Royal Albert Wharf and was so impressed with the quality of the exhibits that I couldn’t wait to return.

In April I went back to see Layers, an evocative week-long exhibition exploring dreams, by sculptor Vincenzo Muratore and painter Annamaria Antonazzo, and took the opportunity to have a conversation with some of the artists.

Christopher Mike, a painter, tells me that the collective, formed during the pandemic, comprises local artists engaged in the full spectrum of visual arts. They work from both individual studios and a central workspace/gallery, and their primary objective is to make art and culture accessible and approachable to ordinary people in East London, combining inclusiveness with cultural diversity.

He said: “This is an area where meaningful engagement with the arts is often at a relatively low level. To combat this, we make art and culture accessible through a combination of exhibitions and community workshops targeted at cross-generational audiences, and also events aimed primarily at school children.”

The collective is planning to work with schools and colleges in the Royal Docks to create pathways for young people into the creative economies. “We have already forged good connections with the University of East London, likewise at primary school level, and are now opening discussions at secondary level. None of what we do challenges or replaces any aspect of the existing educational system, we instead intend to support it.”

Inevitably, discussions turn to funding as exhibitions are generally free. I learn that the artists are studio tenants of Bow Arts, a registered arts charity that provides affordable workspaces across East London, and while the gallery’s physical space is made available through the support of Bow Arts and Notting Hill Genesis, the artists have almost zero funding for the programme of activities that they deliver.

Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz, Councillor Anthony McAlmont, Stephen Timms MP, and textile designer Hafza Yusuf

In a plea to sponsors, the artists said: “Almost everything that we do has so far been at the artists’ own expense. We are seeking funding partners who share our values, who believe in what we do, and who can see the doorway to a bright future that we open to young people in this part of East London.”

Art in The Docks collective’s future and past events are listed on their website artinthedocks.com and on Instagram.

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