Feeling festive? It’s finally December! Read on for this month’s #FriendsAtSTH – a full low-down of the wonderful people swinging by our building with shows, rehearsals, sharings and more. 

Festive fun in the Assembly Hall

A Cocoa Butter Club Christmas Show

9 December

From the multi-talented, award-winning Black and POC cabaret collective, it’s the return of A Cocoa Butter Club Christmas Show! A winter wonderland, where the melanated are celebrated, filled with festive song, dance, drag and burlesque, plus a sprinkle of circus and sideshow. This generous serving of The Cocoa Butter Club is a joyful celebration in the perfect package, adding decadence to your December. You can find out more, see the line-up and book by clicking here.

Town Hall Tea Dance: Festive Special

11 December

The Shoreditch Town Hall classic is here to get you feeling festive with a cuppa, mince pie and a chance to relive those Tea Dance memories in our magnificent Assembly Hall. New dancers, group parties and all ages are welcome, and a Beginners’ Dance Class led by former world champion, Raymond Root takes place before every dance. Presented by Shoreditch Town Hall, don’t miss your chance to come down and dance to festive tunes. You can book on our website by clicking here.

Welcoming young people

British Youth Music Theatre: Let It Snow

3 December

British Youth Music Theatre‘s annual festive concert Let It Snow returns to Shoreditch Town Hall! Join them for an evening full of seasonal cheer, filled with the favourite songs from BYMT shows this year, as voted by their performers and musicians. All the incredible participants from 2023 will be invited back to perform a segment from their show or camp, showcasing the people who made the 2023 season so special. Find out more by clicking here.

Ministry of Stories: Speak Up

Speak Up is Ministry of Stories‘ long running speech writing project. Over 9 weeks, local Hackney Year 9 students work with Ministry of Stories facilitators to craft speeches to deliver in front of change makers, and they will hold the final event of this term at Shoreditch Town Hall. Each student gets to speak up on the subjects that matter to them to the people who can make real change. You can read more about the last Speak Up event they hosted at STH by clicking here, or find out more about Ministry of Stories by clicking here.

Supporting the wider artistic community

Artist Workspace

Ongoing

Our Made in Shoreditch: Artist Workspace initiative continues this month as we support artist development and the creation of new live performance. You can book a desk space for a day or week at a time, benefiting from a dedicated and safe communal working environment, interaction with other artists, and advice sessions with Town Hall staff. Find out more and book a desk here.

Creating New Theatre

Coney: Meeting for 1884

14 December

1884 is a new, interactive game-theatre show inspired by the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference and the lack of memorialisation of anti-colonial resistance movements. In January 2023, a group of artists, historians and activists came together to learn about the conference and co-create an interactive experience in response to it. 1884 is the result. Taking place in a fictionalised modern scenario, the show takes audience members through the dynamics of the conference. The piece explores the consequences and memories of the people who were left outside of the room, and the ways in which anti-colonial resistance movements are excluded from public history. To find out more about Coney click here.

Workshops

Theatre Re: Monthly Training Class

10 December

Occurring monthly since September 2021 in partnership with Shoreditch Town Hall, Theatre Re‘s Sunday professional classes aim to support professional, semi-professional, recent graduates and performers-in-training in their regular practice with monthly day-long training sessions with a community of like-minded creatives. Led by Theatre Re Director Guillaume Pigé and other members of the company. Find out more and book on our website here.

Marawa’s Majorettes

Weekly

Marawa’s Majorettes make everyone fall in love with hooping! They’ve become a leading fitness team and international performance troupe, teaching the world to hoop as they go. Every week we support the Majorettes in giving them space to rehearse at Shoreditch Town Hall. Find out more about them by clicking here.

What a way to close out the year! Speaking of which, we’ll be closing the building from the end of the day on 22 December 2023 and reopening on 3 January 2024 to allow our team members to have a proper break. We hope you have a restful festival holiday too!