Nearly 300 young people attended this year’s EAST Summer School to explore the worlds of fashion, textiles, dance, and digital architecture, to skateboarding, media, and climate change.

EAST Summer School returned for a fifth year to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park delivering an exciting, free, interactive and high-quality programme run by world-leading creative, cultural and education organisations for young people aged between 12 – 17, living or going to school in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.
The programme of short courses included radio producing, dance, design fashion for stage, textile and embroidery, sustainability and green energy solutions. Sessions also included young people recording and producing their own radio show with BBC Asian Network DJ’s and producers and interactive sessions giving an insight to Kathak dance with Sadler’s Wells Young Associate and BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel as well as sessions with Breakin Convention – Moving Rap, combining dance and rap. 
EAST Summer School is managed by London Legacy Development Corporation and supported by our world-leading East Bank partners BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL, V&A, Sadler’s Wells, all soon to be based here in East London along with a wide range of other local partners including Foundation for Future London both on and around the Park. 

EAST Summer School partner sessions included: 

• UCL – Skateboarding and Media with City Mill Skate, Sports Medicine, Sustainability with Manufacturing Future Labs, Green energy solutions with the Advanced Propulsion Lab and history of activism with UCL Special Collections
• UAL’s London College of Fashion – Fashion business, Fashion Textiles, Fashion Styling and Photography, Design Fashion for stage
• V&A – Textile and Embroidery with artist Nicole Chui , Design Making and Sustainability with Good  Waste
• BBC – Make a radio show with BBC Asian Network with DJ’s and producers inc Nadia Ali, Dj Limeline, Kan D Man and content creator Mista Islah 
• Sadler’s Wells – Insight to Kathak dance with Sadler’s Wells Young Associate and BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel and Get Your Groove on with Uchenna Dance
• Breakin Convention – Moving Rap, combining dance and rap

Layla Conway, Head of Education, Careers and Youth Engagement, London Legacy Development Corporation, said: 

“This has been a fantastic way to bring education and careers to life for young people and that is why we are so pleased that the East Bank partners along with wider local partners offered these exciting sessions to students living in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.  It gives young people a chance to develop their skills, learn about different subjects and explore wider career options. It would be great to see the young people coming back to the Park in a few years to study here or take up one of the many exciting jobs.”

Roshaine Shakes, 17, from Newham took courses in Moving Rap (Breakin’ Convention), Picture Perfect (LCF)

“I attended East Summer School since 2018 and I keep coming back due to the different range of activities, to expand my horizons in different aspects for my future. I find Summer School really accessible, you get to meet different people and learn new things and learn from industry professionals and their experience within their career.”

Joan Luis Meran Lagares, 13 from Hackney took courses in Surface Pattern Design (Rosetta Arts), Digital Leap (Pell Ensemble)

“I really enjoyed being at East Summer School. It was so much fun, as you can be creative and you achieve new skills. It is new experience and so different from how and what I learn at school.”

Parent Liz Burns whose son Phoenix Ansah, 12, from Newham took courses in Design Your Own Social Enterprise (Social Ark) and Kathak Dance (Sadler’s Wells), said:

“The closing evening Festival was fantastic, it was great to see some of the projects presented and performed by the kids, and for them to be able to take to the big stage. 
The Kathak dance was incredible! What an honour for the children to be taught and learn from Vidya Patel, having the opportunity to be mentored by Vidya and Sadler’s Wells was truly a lifetime special moment - making these opportunities for the local children to have the chance to take part in this course is what makes East Summer School so phenomenal. Well done on a brilliantly organised fortnight of fun activities.”