Features

Applecart Arts could not be saved

Neandra Etienne on the closure of important Newham arts charity

The Passmore Edwards building in Plashet Park
Passmore Edwards building (Credit – Neandra Etienne)

Towards the end of 2024 Applecart Arts, a major player in the Newham community arts scene, announced they faced closure due to cash-flow issues. 

Despite a high-profile public campaign and a last-minute plea to the Council for a life-saving grant, the East Ham-based centre finally closed in December. 

In an attempt to save Applecart Arts, the performers union Equity, who represent many freelancers who worked with the group, joined community activists for a rally outside East Ham Town Hall and later spoke and made a vain appeal for support at a full council meeting at Stratford Town Hall.

Artistic Director of Applecart Arts Peter Moreton told Newham Voices: “The Applecart team were devastated to be forced to close our doors after a long fight to raise funding which would help reach profitable contracts with substantial partners in 2025.”

The charity had invested heavily in refurbishing the Passmore Edwards building in Plashet Park and within two years they built a thriving hub for the community. They provided high quality visual and performing arts and real opportunities for residents in Newham to explore their creativity and tell their diverse stories.

Just as the charity was beginning to return to profit after the period of investment, they had to register for VAT at a time when their reserves were at their lowest.

This, combined with other financial commitments and a national drop in funding for the arts, left them in need of immediate financial help.

“We had hoped the local authority would see the benefit in investing in Applecart’s future,” said Peter. “Particularly, seeing as it will cost a considerable amount more for them to take the building back into its own possession. Unfortunately, we struggled to engage them in any kind of informed or considered conversation, and we were forced to close.

“Our great sadness is that Applecart’s impact on the growth of Newham’s cultural sector was in its infancy,” he said. “ With investment, we have no doubt that, with local partners, the charity would have continued to draw substantial funding into the Borough and significantly improve the Borough’s cultural delivery at grassroots level.”

The closure of Applecart Arts has also affected studio leaseholders who are based in the Passmore Edwards building. They still have access to the building, but their future is uncertain and they have not heard anything from the Council.

Bryony Bushe, an embroidery designer with an MA from the Royal College of Art and a textiles teacher at Plashet School, said: “Beyond its professional value, Applecart Arts was a lifeline for families like mine. There is truly no other space like it in Newham. Its productions were accessible through a pay-what-you-can ticketing model, giving local school children vital cultural experiences. The loss of this space is yet another blow to community arts. I urge the Council to help us remain in our studios and re-establish the building as a public space for community events and gatherings.”

In response, a Newham Council spokesperson said: “Newham Council is saddened to hear the news that Applecart Arts has gone into administration.

“Newham has supported Applecart over the years via a subsidy to the rent they paid for their premises in Plashet Park. In 2024 alone this subsidy was worth £65,000. Newham also supported Applecart by renting out its premises to host Council events, including November’s Islamophobia Awareness Month.”

The spokesperson noted that the Council’s budget is under unprecedented pressure this year. “Regrettably it was not possible for the Council to make a new financial commitment to Applecart from the existing culture budget. Moreover, it is not appropriate for the Council to make arbitrary decisions about where its investment is directed.

“Future budgets, including for culture will be determined through the Council’s budget-setting process and in accordance with the Building a Fairer Newham corporate plan and Building Newham’s Creative Future strategy.”

https://applecartarts.com


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