22 February 2017
Poplar Film screens fab flicks in fun locations. This month they held an Anti-Valentine Extravaganza (hosted by Merlyn Roberts from World Wide Weird) at Poplar Union. The night's offerings included live music and a screening of the 1981 (uncut) version of My Bloody Valentine.
Stay updated with Poplar Film events on their Twitter and Facebook
01 February 2017
Chrisp Street’s much loved Kafe 1788, which also doubles up as a gallery and event space, hosted its monthly Open Mic night this month – arguably its busiest yet!
Read more about Kafe 1788 here and keep up to date with the programme at Kafe 1788 by following them on on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
23 January 2017
Poplar’s newest community and arts centre had its soft launch this month. Situated between the Limehouse Cut and Bartlett Park, Poplar Union is a communal, social and creative venue.
Stay updated with Poplar Union’s programme here
11 January 2017
The Evening Standard published a feature naming Poplar one of east London’s best-value property spots, championing the area’s great transport links and schools.
Read more here
12 December 2016
Hidden gems identified through Open Poplar feature in a music video by Bonobo starring Jemma Arterton that has so far reached 2.7m views on YouTube (and counting!). Facilitating filming outside some disused shops created an income as well as putting Poplar on the ‘cool’ map.
Watch the music video here
02 December 2016
Open Poplar was awarded a 24 Housing Award for ‘Innovation of the Year’ for the regeneration that the scheme encourages and has introduced across Poplar. Since its fruition, Open Poplar has introduced new business and enterprise into unexpected areas; Kafe 1788 in Chrisp Street went from ex ‘Pound Shop’ to thriving coffee hub.
Read more here
02 November 2016
Corpse Bride animator Tim Allen came to Kafe 1788 in Chrisp Street Market on 1st November to share his stories from the set. Followed by a screening of the film
05 September 2016
Over 2000 people headed to the Chrisp Street Festival to celebrate Carnival, Olympic sports and all things Rio
10 June 2016
London's first Haitian coffee bar has just opened in Chrisp Street. Look out for yoga, massage, film & open mic nights
29 April 2016
Two years after their first visit to Poplar, Pop-Up Business School returned to inspire local entrepreneurs and existing traders to start and grow their businesses.
Read more here
30 March 2016
49 traders, including 9 community groups took part in a series of markets during December 2015 and March 2016. The events focussed on giving local, first time traders a taste of selling their handmade goods.
Read more here
21 January 2016
A set of 81 under-used garages, identified through Open Poplar, will be turned into a fashion hub with the London College of Fashion and Poplar HARCA
13 December 2015
Chrisp Street Market once again played host to a trio of 'Chrispmas' events including a light switch on, Santa's Grotto and the first ever Makers Exchange - a pop-up market selling stuff made by locals with love.
The Makers Exchange ran in a temporary space through Open Poplar. The market will return in March 2016. Find out more here
18 November 2015
Royal Institute of British Architects challenges architects to 'fundamentally rethink the market stall for the modern age' with innovative designs in a project supported by the Mayors High Street Fund.
Read more here
30 October 2015
Post-grad course providers Year Here challenged their Fellows to pull together a community dining experience in just 24 hours. They approached Open Poplar for a venue.
Check out the short film here
08 September 2015
Chrisp Street Market was transformed into a Big Top for the circus themed Chrisp Street Festival on 6th September. Thousands of local residents and visitors from further afield came to ooh, ahh and learn skills for themselves.
Read more here
05 August 2015
Poplar has been awash with face paint, full of cake and generally in the party mood with a host of summer events across the area, all gearing up for the massive Chrisp Street Festival on Sunday 6th Sept. The free Festival is expected to attract over 3,000 visitors as the 'circus comes to town'.
01 July 2015
Poplar Peddlers launched this month. A unique, multi-discipline cycling club, bringing together Lycra-clad road users with weekend tourers; and those brand new to cycling with young BMXers
Find out more here
28 June 2015
1950s Chrisp Street Market was transported back to its roots on Sunday 28th June for Swing East. Over 2,000 visitors enjoyed live bands, dancing, vintage cars, vintage stalls and great food and drink.
Read more here
01 May 2015
Live gamers A Door in a Wall ran their latest adventure, The Life and Death of Paul Murrane, in and around Chrisp Street, attracting 90 players a night throughout May.
Hear the Londonist podcast here
18 April 2015
Chickens, bees, a petting zoo, and a vegetable orchestra came to Chrisp Street for the inaugural Spring Festival, along with workshops, cooking demos and green technology.
Read more here
25 March 2015
A new monthly film club, screening fab flicks in fun locations opened with Little Shop of Horrors in a charity shop.
Sign up here to find out what’s coming next
17 February 2015
The launch of the Poplar and Bow Enterprise Network attracted over 100 small businesses, corporates, charities and sole traders.
Join the network here
25 January 2015
Poplar Film teamed up with the BFI on the LOCO London Comedy Film Festival.
The short films programme, filmmaker Q&A and screening of East is East had comedy fans from across the Capital rolling in the aisles.
Read more here
18 December 2014
The ‘Chrispmas’ season included a lights switch on with X-Factor’s Misha B, school choirs and characters from Frozen. There was a Santa’s Grotto on 6th December, community fete on 13th and extended Bite with Christmas films on 19th.
Find out more here
10 December 2014
The fabulous Poplar Rates Rebellion mural, created in 1990 and capturing the area’s radical history, was number three in The Guardian’s list of favourite murals.
Find out more here
25 November 2014
Legendary director and staunch socialist Ken Loach came to Poplar to deliver the George Lansbury Memorial Lecture and pay tribute to this ‘giant of the Labour movement’. He took part in an interview and film screening.
Find out more here
18 November 2014
The Guardian’s Money section weighed up the pros and cons of moving to Poplar.
Read the full article here
28 September 2014
The local area became Poplar-on-Sea in September with the arrival of a swimming pool, ‘beach’ donkey rides, a fair and lots of food and entertainment. Over 3,500 came along to join in the fun.
Read more here
15 September 2014
The National Trust, in conjunction with designer Wayne Hemingway, transformed a flat in Balfron Tower into its first ever pop-up. The story hit every national newspaper and got Poplar profiled on both BBC and ITV news.
Read more here
12 September 2014
New social enterprise Emmaus opened in a former Nisa shop that had stood empty for several months. The shop made £500 in its first two hours of trading and has a basement full of homeware ready for up-cycling.
Read more here
05 September 2014
Pedal-powered coffee, served by social enterprise We Walk The Line came to Poplar in September. Our favourite barista, Tom, was originally stationed outside the Chrisp Street Idea Store, but can now be found in Emmaus.
Read more here
29 August 2014
American Street artist Above blitzed the shutters in Chrisp Street Market, painting 46 in 48 hours. This is the most shutters to be painted by a single artist in one place anywhere, ever.
Read more here
22 July 2014
Street food came to Poplar in July and has been back on the last Friday of the month ever since. Complementing the traditional pie and mash and other established food traders, the events include live music and outdoor games.
Read more here
29 June 2014
Chrisp Street Market was twirled back to its roots when the 1951 Festival of Britain architecture became the backdrop to East London’s grooviest Swing Festival. Aficionados travelled from far and wide to join locals in the swing.
Read more here
26 June 2014
Theatre company Rift took over one floor of Balfron Tower and transformed it into the stronghold of the Macbeths for an overnight, immersive performance that left audiences and critics shaken and stirred.
Read more here
19 June 2014
An 80 foot Chihuahua arrived in Poplar this summer. Famous for adorning London’s walls with animals, street artists Boe & Irony’s creation certainly got tongues wagging.
Read more here
01 June 2014
Architectural residencies, walking tours and performance took place in and around Balfron Tower during The London Festival of Architecture and London Open House weekends.
Read more here
25 May 2014
Boxing world champion – and local boy – Teddy Baldock still holds the record as Britain’s youngest boxing champion, 87 years after lifting the belt. His grandson raised tens of thousands of pounds for a statue in Langdon Park.
Read more here
22 April 2014
Star of stage and screen, Dame Angela Lansbury came home to a film festival in her honour. She opened a free screening in Chrisp Street Market before heading to Spotlight for an interview with Sir Christopher Frayling.
Read more here
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