As this part of London undergoes its relentless transformation, from post-industrial backwater to busy ‘des res’ hub, efforts are simultaneously underway to rewild pockets of the neighbourhood’s all-prevailing concrete.

Despite - in fact because of - its waterways, which once transported the chemicals, confectionary and plastics made here; and the public green spaces of the QEOP and Victoria Park; the middle of Hackney Wick isn’t exactly a lush oasis of greenery (even with the likes of Repot and Growing Concerns sprouting up in recent years.

However, green shoots are about to break through the paving stones on Prince Edward Road, as Hackney Council’s ongoing relandscaping of this important strip continues.

As you’ll see from the main photo above, in the shadow of a fine row of Sweet Toof’s translucent gnashers, new rain gardens and planting areas are being carved out of the paving. And there’s a chance to get fully involved in the planting process, too.

First up, there’s the opportunity to join a Community Design & Planting Workshop on Sat 2nd May, which will be one of the very final events to be held in The Loop before the redevelopment of its current warehouse home. There’ll be group work to decide upon the best and most suitable plants for the various spaces, then further dates over the next couple of months where locals can join in the actual planting of the beds, too.

So, if you love your shrubs and succulents, or want to learn more about planting your perennials, this is a great way to get active in improving the landscape while bringing the community together in a very wholesome and productive way🪴

Ahead of the exciting relaunch of The Wick print edition in a new format in May (more on that to follow next week), our very own Tom and Will dropped in to the studios of BBC Radio London to chat with daytime host, Shay Kaur Grewal. They discussed the evolution of the title since the London 2012 Olympics and the corresponding dramatic changes seen in Hackney Wick, plus all the work that continues to be done in support of a permanent sustainable creative economy here.

📸 Photography and video-art exhibition Remember What You Forgot by Aleksandra Karpowicz opens this Fri 24th Apr with a private view (rsvp) at Felstead Art on Fish Island. An exploration of the human psyche and the layers of memory, Karpowicz investigates the tension between what we hold onto and what we suppress, reconnecting with forgotten parts of identity.

🧥 This week is Earth Week, so Arbeit Studios are hosting multiple events across their twin local hubs. Today is The Loop: End of Cycle - a farewell festival for the Wallis Road space featuring plastic recycling, gardening, and flax processing workshops. While over at Trowbridge Gardens, collaborative exhibition Mustard & Ketchup hosts its closing event on Fri 24th Apr, as well as the next Renée Materials Kilo Sale & Swap Fri 24th - Sun 26th Apr.

🪁The Play Fair Festival is taking place this Sat 25th Apr at Hackney Bridge, featuring 40+ local stalls, alongside interactive activities such as social yoga, dodgeball, zine-making and embroidery - all topped off with a live DJ lineup curated by CITIZEN WERK Records. Read our preview of the festival from a couple of weeks ago for more info.

🌍It’s the battle of the wits at Hackney Empire on Sat 25th Apr as they host the 10th anniversary of World Comedy Clash (main pic above). The night features 12 comedians representing 11 different countries - including Jamaica, Grenada, Nigeria - all competing for the global comedy crown.

💃 Ready to shake off the week? Head to Ample Space for a Beginner Brazilian Funk dance workshop this Sat 25th Apr. It’s a high-energy, 90-minute pop-up that should be good fun - with no pressure, no judgement (we hope) - just pure movement and questionable rhythms.

🎬Dive into the Yellow Magic Cinema at The Bath House, screening the 1984 Japanese revenge cult thriller Mermaid Legend on Mon 27th Apr. The genre-bending, neon-lit folk-horror follows a diver’s quest for vengeance against the backdrop of a nuclear power plant development. Sharing the building with the Community Sauna Baths, why not head down early to sweat out your weekend sins before grabbing some popcorn…

🎤 Prepare for a lyrical showdown as Spitnights: Poets v Singers is looking to crown its next champion. The collaborative, competitive event lands at Number 90 on Thu 23rd Apr - sign up on the website to be entered in the open mic, with names picked from a hat on the night (roughly 1 in 4 chance of getting picked).picked

⚡️Colour Factory is hosting an all-night-long session on Fri 24th Apr with Tangent: John Gómez & Nick The Record All Night Long. Celebrating a decade of musical curveballs, John Gómez and Nick The Record will be throwing out some global oddities, soulful house, and rare disco gems.

☀️ Colour Codes: Day Into Night is returning at Crate Brewery on Sat 25th Apr for their first extended day and night party of the year, kicking things off with a free open-air event on the terrace. Lineup includes Junki Inoue and Loa Szala playing a journey through minimal house and groovy techno. For the carry-on, Starlane in Canning Town is hosting the 8 hour-long afterparty, with additional guest selectors.

🏮 Saturday night at the canal promises a genre-blurring takeover as Grow hosts Franz Von, Michael Sebastian & Last Nubian on Sat 25th Apr - bringing together the hip-hop lyricism of Franz Von (pictured above), the live-looped, multi-instrumental wizardry of Michael Sebastian, and the soulful house grooves of Last Nubian.

⚫ All My Friends’ new series, linking up with some of their favourite record stores from around the world returns this Sat 25th Apr for a serious all-dayer with Off The Grid from Berlin. The laidback daytime digging at AMF runs from lunch until 10pm, when the action moves across to Fish Island, where a selection of their DJs will be keeping Vittoria Wharf Studio lively through until 4am.

🥦Local veg box scheme Growing Communities have opened a new collection point at Hackney Wick’s sustainable supermarket, Refill Therapy. New joiners can use the code Refill25 for 25% off your first 4 orders of weekly organic veg if you join at Refill Therapy or Grow.

🌿Spruce up your windowsill at the community-led Plant Swap on Wallis Road Sat 25th Apr. Bring your seedlings and cuttings to Hearth Bakery to exchange and to meet other growers.

🌍 It’s time to get into the spirit of radical sustainability at FibreLab this Thurs 23rd Apr during Earth Week and Fashion Revolution Week. They host their Sustainable Young Makers Showcase, championing the next generation of creators proving that fast fashion is increasingly a relic of the past, and bringing together educators, institutions, local authorities, and industry leaders to connect directly with the emerging creatives shaping more circular approaches to fashion, textiles and material innovation.

🏗️ Take a behind-the-scenes look at Dalston’s newest architectural landmark with a tour of Bradbury Works at Gillett Square Fri 24th Apr. Having just wrapped up a major transformation, the site blends Victorian masonry with a striking modern polycarbonate skin.

⚜️Apply now for the William Morris Art Futures Bursary. Inspired by William Morris’s values of art for all and the power of creativity, the bursary will provide £10,000 in funding for 16–25-year-olds with creative potential who face barriers to accessing education, training, materials or mentorship. Apply by Mon 4th May.

🎨 Queen Mary University of London is seeking an East London-based artist to design an original, permanent artwork for its Mile End Campus. The selected design will be realized as a perforated metal screen located in a new meadow between the School of Business and Management and the Arts One building. The winning £6k commission will be a thought-provoking design that acts as a campus landmark. Apply by this Thurs 23rd Apr.

👩🏼‍💼 Bring fresh talent into your local business with significant financial support by securing one of the final 10 slots in the University of Staffordshire’s Graduate Accelerator Internship Programme. It provides funding for a 160-hour internship, requiring your company to cover only 30% of the cost (£950+VAT) while the University handles the recruitment, payment, and support of the graduates. You can recruit a funded intern from any course including specialists in marketing, digital, finance, engineering and admin. Contact [email protected].

📕 The Wick Book is a stunning limited edition 160-page hardback historic record, looking at 15 years of culture, community and change in the neighbourhood through the pages of The Wick. We’re now down to the last 200+ copies, and they won’t last long…

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