News

Anti-Valentine Horror Extravaganza

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

 

 

Open Mic at Kafe 1788

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

Open for Business: Poplar Union

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

Popular Poplar

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

Hidden ‘Jem’ to Internet Sensation

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

Open Poplar named ‘Innovation of the Year’

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

An Animated All Souls

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

Carnival in Chrisp Street

05 September 2016

Over 2000 people headed to the Chrisp Street Festival to celebrate Carnival, Olympic sports and all things Rio

Cafe culture

10 June 2016

London's first Haitian coffee bar has just opened in Chrisp Street. Look out for yoga, massage, film & open mic nights

Pop-up Business School pops back

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

Marvellous Makers Markets

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

We’re in Fashion

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

Read more

It’s Chrispmas!

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

RIBA launches market stall competition

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

Pop-up Poplar

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

The circus comes to town

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

Party season

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'.

On your bike

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

Dust off your dancing shoes

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

We Got Game

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

Spring Chickens

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

DO talk about Film Club

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

We Mean Business

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

Poplar went LOCO

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

Chrispmas Season

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

History of art

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

Ken Loach in Conversation

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

Let’s move to Poplar

18 November 2014

The Guardian’s Money section weighed up the pros and cons of moving to Poplar.

Read the full article here

Chrisp Street Festival

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

National Trust

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

Charity begins at homeware

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

Pedaling caffeine

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

Street Art that’s a cut Above

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

Bite Street Food Market

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

Swing East

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

Immersive Macbeth in Balfron Tower

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

Dog Days on Chrisp Street

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

London Festival of Architecture celebrates Balfron Tower

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

Boxing Bronze

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

Dame Angela Lansbury comes home

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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