What is East Bank?

The East Bank partners have been  working with the community in east London since project planning began in 2015. To find out more about what we have achieved together, you can read our latest Impact Report here.

• Sadler's Wells will open a new 550-seat theatre presenting the best UK and international dance work; and establish a new centre for choreographic practice and a hip hop academy, both of which will be the first of their kind in the country.
• London College of Fashion, UAL has integrated its six sites onto one state-of-the-art campus, accommodating 6,500 students with their world-leading research community, business incubation and social enterprise centre, alongside public open spaces, galleries, libraries and archives.
• The V&A will display its world-famous collections at two sites. There will be a new museum to explore the V&A’s renowned collection, which will include a curated space with pioneering exhibitions, gallery displays and spaces for community-led projects. In the north of the Park, the V&A will open a new Storehouse at Here East which will revolutionise access to the museum’s vast collection of art, design and performance.
• The BBC Music studios will provide a hub from which to celebrate music of all genres. It will be a new home for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus and rock and pop recording facilities with access to the public for performances.
• UCL has created a new campus, UCL East, providing multi-disciplinary research, teaching and innovation, in areas as diverse as robotics, smart cities, culture and conservation, for around 4,000 students.

A world-class cultural and education district requires world-class partners. East Bank has brought together renowned institutions that are at the forefront of artistic excellence, learning, research, creativity, curatorship and public engagement.

BBC

A core purpose of the BBC is the performing, recording and broadcasting of live music across a full range of genres to the widest possible audience. The relocation of the BBC Music Studios to East Bank is driven by this purpose and builds on the BBC’s role as Olympic Broadcaster. The new site will include state of the art recording facilities and will be the home of the world-renowned BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, with a substantial presence from the BBC Concert Orchestra. It will host recording sessions and live performances across all genres from global stars to emerging talent. These facilities, alongside an extensive programme of learning and outreach projects and collaborations with partners in the cultural district, will contribute to establishing east London as a world destination for music.

Sadler's Wells

Sadler’s Wells is a world-leading creative organisation dedicated to dance in all its forms. With over three centuries of theatrical heritage and a year-round programme of performances and learning activities, its goal is to motivate everyone to experience dance – to take part, learn, experiment and be inspired. Audiences of over half a million come to Sadler’s Wells’ London theatres each year, with many more enjoying its touring productions globally and online. Sadler’s Wells East will present the best UK and international work created for the mid-scale and offer life-changing training, development and learning opportunities through its choreographic centre, hip hop academy and participatory activities. This new space for dance will help to further develop the art form, reach wider audiences and establish London as the dance capital of the world.

London College of Fashion, UAL

Founded in 1906, London College of Fashion is a leader in fashion design, media and business education. Part of the University of the Arts London, it has been nurturing creative talent for over a century, offering courses in all things fashion. It encourages students to examine the past and challenge the present, to form their own ideas. 

It gives them the skills, opportunities – and above all, the freedom – to put those ideas into practice. Digital developers will work alongside designers; psychologists will collaborate with image creators; and marketing theorists will join forces with curators. London College of Fashion, UAL will redefine what fashion is by connecting its range of disciplines for the first time and under one roof, and show London and the world what these possibilities look like.

University College London

UCL is recognised as one of the world’s top 10 universities and first in the UK for the strength of its research. Now, in the single biggest development since the university was founded nearly 200 years ago, UCL has created their new UCL East campus. Home to the new and pioneering, around 4,000 students and 260 academic staff have immersed themselves in issues of manufacturing, making, transport, artificial intelligence, sustainability, urbanisation, social inclusivity, and more. UCL’s two buildings include cutting-edge laboratories and research space, state-of-the-art teaching facilities, student accommodation and accessible public spaces. The campus continues to break down conventional barriers across research, education, innovation and public engagement, and enable local collaborations with schools, charities and community organisations. As part of East Bank, UCL East helps to unlock the potential for Stratford and east London to become a world-class centre of achievement in science, technology, creativity and innovation.

V&A

V&A East will create two ambitious and complementary new sites at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The brand-new museum will stage exhibitions, events and collaborations and promote diverse ideas, voices and new work. 10-minutes’ walk away at Here East, the world-class V&A East Storehouse will open up the V&A’s extensive collections with unprecedented access to thousands of objects not currently on display. This major new resource will be a creative sourcebook for all, from school pupils and students, to makers, creatives and researchers, as well as local communities and businesses, and visitors from across the country and around the world.

The Mayor of London

East Bank represents the biggest ever cultural investment by The Mayor of London with more than £600 million of funding. This new creative cluster will bring together world-leading cultural and educational institutions to give young Londoners the chance to explore career opportunities, create jobs for local people and provide an economic boost for the capital.

Foundation for Future London

Foundation for Future London is an independent charity created to connect communities, the new East Bank and its globally renowned arts, innovation and cultural partners to ensure East Bank is London’s must-visit destination and becomes a resilient, thriving, world-class neighbourhood of local and global significance. They're fundraising to expand grant-making opportunities for East Bank communities and partners and facilitating creative placemaking, to support local places, learning, training and employment through arts, education, culture and innovation. Their vision is for a vibrant and inclusive creative East Bank, creating authentic engagement with local people of East London in the boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

London Legacy Development Corporation

The London Legacy Development Corporation is the Mayor of London’s development corporation for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding area. Working with the LLDC and with support for central government, the Mayor is working with local authorities, cultural businesses and venues, artists, creative entrepreneurs and civil society to make sure the full potential is realised for London and for Londoners.