Big things are happening at East Bank – Stratford’s new cultural quarter in Queen Elizabeth Park. As part of this major regeneration project (the biggest-ever cultural investment by the Mayor of London), there’s the dance theatre Sadler’s Wells East, campuses from London College of Fashion and UCL, and – most significantly – the recently opened V&A East Museum, the edgier sister site to the South Kensington institution.
This summer, East Bank will host four free weekend-long festivals inspired by the V&A East Museum’s debut temporary exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story. Kicking off on June 13 and 14, the weekends each have a theme relating to the exhibition, with musicians, DJs and performers chosen by guest curators. The action will happen across two stages in the sprawling Queen Elizabeth Olympic park – one with waterfront views of the River Lea – and a third stage inside Sadler’s Wells East hosting family events during the day and choreographer-curated nights.
The Music Is Black: A British Story (which we deemed an “instant classic”) charts more than a century of Black British music. Wearing state-of-the-art headphones which shift the audio in response your location, visitors get up close to instruments, original flyers and archive stage outfits worn by the likes of Sade, The Specials, Little Simz and Stormzy, with the Banksy-designed stab-proof vest he donned for his 2019 Glastonbury headline set.
The exhibition thrums with urgency, creativity and immense talent – which is what the festival’s organisers aim to capture over four weekends. “We are cooking something really special for everyone,” Gillian Jackson, lead curator, said in a statement. “British music wouldn’t be where it is today without Black artists. They are the originators, and it is in such an exciting place right now.”
Jackson’s aim is to “showcase an entire kaleidoscope of Black music … I’d love people to come away feeling like they’ve experienced something bold that has never been presented in this way before.”
The first weekend (June 13 and 14) is called The Music is Ours, and focuses on east London’s sound system legacy in the birthplace of grime. Saturday is curated by musician Footsie – who uses the pioneering sound system King Original created by his father, Farda Waz – and Sunday is curated by saxophonist and composer YolanDa Brown.
A month later (July 11 and 12) comes Power and Respect, a celebration of Black women and non-binary people, curated by leading DJ and presenter Jamz Supernova, musicians Yazmin Lacey and Tyson, and DJ collective Born N Bread.
August 22 and 23 will bring Queer Frequencies, a coming together of queer London collectives and an exploration of Black queer music culture, from the birth of house music through to underground club scenes. Among the curators are DJ, producer and radio host Shy One, and DJs Donnie Sunshine and Joel Mignott.
The series concludes, fittingly, with Black to the Future (September 12 and 13), platforming musicians and creatives pushing the boundaries of contemporary Black music and culture. Genre-defying rap artist Flohio and R&B collective The Blues Project will curate the programme.
“This year, East Bank truly comes alive,” Tamsin Ace, director of East Bank, said in a statement. “In its inaugural year, the festival … [marks] not only a landmark cultural moment but also a powerful statement of East Bank’s commitment to collaboration representation and shared storytelling.”
The Music is Black Festival will run from midday–7pm on Saturdays and midday–5pm on Sundays across four weekends: June 13 & 14; July 11 & 12; August 22 & 23; and September 12 & 13.
