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Gillett Square
A public space animated by the creativity of the surrounding community
Formally opened in November 2006, Gillett Square is a simple, hardwearing and flexible urban space for Dalston. It is bordered by the Dalston Culture House - home of the Vortex Jazz Club, the Bradbury Street Workspace and a number of small retail units. These have been developed and are managed by Hackney Co-operative Developments. On its northern side there is a public car park.
The square has been developed by the Gillett Square Partnership, which currently comprises Hackney Co-operative Developments, Groundwork East London, Hackney Council and Design for London. This partnership operates as an overarching strategic body for all aspects of the square’s function and development. Whilst this space is owned and maintained by London Borough of Hackney, its cultural and enterprise uses are the responsibility of the ‘Gillett Squared’ management group led by Hackney Co-operative Developments as its public entertainment license holder.
Gillett Square is a genuine community asset. It provides an accessible outlet for this area’s abundant creative talents and energy, promotes social cohesion, invites cultural exchange and education, and presents market opportunities. The process behind the building of Gillett Square, its current usage and prospects, are the foundations upon which a remarkable transformation is taking place in Dalston.
"Our ambition to take our programme outside the Centre's walls
to audiences in the east reached new heights this year...with Hackney
Co-operative Development's Gillett Squared project."
Barbican Annual Review 2008/9
Forthcoming Events
Play Days in the Square
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, bank holidays and half terms
Fun and Games for all ages; table tennis, SNUG equipment for kids, giant chess etc
Thanks to our funders of equipment and workers (Groundwork and Cadbury, The Big Lottery, L.B. Hackney and The London Development Agency) Gillett Square has become, most afternoons and evenings, a lively place for all kinds of games, musical and social interaction, attracting people of all ages and from all walks of life.
This crossover between playground and small festival site at the heart of a busy diverse inner city town centre such as Dalston is an exciting innovation in urban life. The atmosphere has been described as frequently “wonderfully mental”.
We are pleased announce that the LDA will continue to fund this work into 2012, and with the use of a magnificent 17 metre diameter star tent provided by Groundwork and Cadbury and HCD’s lighting projectors , such activities can be profiled and sustained throughout the year, whatever the weather.
click here for more images
NTS Radio First Anniversary Party
After more than 130 shows, NTS Radio is celebrating its First Anniversary on Saturday the 28th of April. The party commences at 1pm an will go on until 8 pm in Gillett Square in Dalston – the home of NTS Radio- with an outdoor event and featured on the line up will be a host of NTS DJ’s.
The Gillett Square Line-up, hosted by Charlie Bones, will include:
MAMIKO MOTTO / JON RUST
MERTELO / DARK SKY
TIC-YOUNG TURKS
BAHAMIAN MOOR
RADI DADI
It’s been a year since NTS Radio launched, and they are immensely proud of what they’ve achieved since last April, not least is the station running smoothly with over 130 shows but they’ve been out in Spain to broadcast from Sonar, to the Isle of Wight for Bestival, down the road for Field Day and over to Wales for Freerotation.
On top of that the list of guests they’ve had in their little studio shack is nothing if not impressive: Thundercat, James Pants, Mark Pritchard & Steve Spacek (both as Africa Hi-Tech and individually), Kassem Mosse, Samiyam, Moodymann, Kyle Hall, Joy Orbison, Kan Zulu, Owiny Sigoma Band, Gilles Peterson, Ron Morelli, Bo Ningen, Roots Manuva and many more we can’t remember.
Not forgetting their own programming that exhibits so much breadth and diversity, with shows ranging from arts discussion pieces to the most weird and wonderful music, and hosts from those who are old hands to those who had never done any radio before.
NTS Radio has secured a very special venue for the After Party, a two floored warehouse with funktion 1 sounds in both and a BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) Policy – there’s also a very special line up to match (see below) – this is going to be one to remember.
The After Party Line-up will be:
A GUY CALLED GERALD
MARCELLUS PITTMAN
VERONICA VASICKA
FUNKINEVEN
KUTMAH
THESHINING
NONSENSE DJ’S
LIVIN’ PROOF
MOXIE
CHARLES DRAKEFORD
Crucially, not forgetting it’s also a BRING YOUR OWN BOOZE affair…
Recent Events
Dalston Mid-Winter Fair
Swing, Make, Swap & Sing: Festive Fun For All
On Sunday 18th December from 12pm -6pm, Gillett Square & the Dalston Culture House will be hosting a day in which the community gathers round to warm itself up with swing dancing, singing and creative workshops.
With everyone having to tighten their belts, this is an alternative to the commercial push to “spend spend spend” – find that special gift amongst other people’s unloved treasures and swap it for something you’re happy to pass on.
Joining us under the big tent, Swing Patrol will get your dancing feet moving with free public lessons and performances. Warm your vocal cords with seasonal songs from around the world with performances from Emashi African Dance, local school choirs and many more. Or simply join us in the warmth of The Vortex for some crafty decoration workshops and a cup of tea.
There will also be ping pong, table football and games with Universal Board Games.
Time To Talk
Music, Theatre and Film Festival
Sunday 9th October, 1 – 6pm
Music, Theatre and Film, an event for World Mental Health Day
UPRISE anti-racism festival 2011
presents Community Is Home
Sunday 25th September, 12 – 8pm
This year Gillett Squared was proud to help host London’s long running anti- racism festival that came to Dalston this autumn. It took place in the aftermath of the recent riots and under the apposite and positive strap-line of “Hope not Hate”. Without funding from the Mayor of London, Trade Union support was central to this occasion. There was a full programme of musical performances in the square as well as events at neighbouring venues such as the Eastern Curve Meanwhile Gardens and the Bootstrap Roof Garden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smSZIOOk8_k
Dalston Dance Nation
This year the Barbican's Dalston Dance Nations programme for Gillett Square surpassed all expectations, starting with a capacity crowd ushered into the square by Tropical Isles and Strangeworks parading up through Kingsland High Street . This was followed by over 8 hours of high quality glocal performances on 2 stages, enthusiastic dance class participation, friendly revelry, good food and drink and manifest celebration of Dalston's extraordinary diversity tolerance inclusivity and creativity. The day ended with free entry into the Vortex Jazz Club with the continuation of festivities into the early hours.
No trouble, no police and no complaints, what more could be asked for? Here is to next year!
click here for more images
Bradbury Street celebrations
Saturday 30 April 2011
After a period of roadworks and various improvements, all the eclectic businesses located in Bradbury Street celebrated its offical re-opening with an improbable mix of offerings including ping pong, a mini record fair and an exhibition of Polish posters from the 1960s and 70s.Read what people say about it in the Hackney Citizen article here
Photos: Adam Hart
Academy of Urbanism Nomination
We are very pleased to announce Gillett Square has been shortlisted for the Academy of Urbanism's (http://www.academyofurbanism.org.uk/awards/main_awards_2012.html ) prestigious Great Places 2012 Award. The visiting assessors seemed to be impressed not only by the quality of the square's simple, flexible and elegant design but also by the high degree of community ownership and creativity that is embedded here, its increasing inclusive popularity and many new horizons and opportunities for activities here that are being engaged with by arts organisations and local enterprises.
The current members of the Gillett Square Partnership:
Hackney Co-operative Developments
Groundwork East London
London Borough of Hackney
Design for London
