We’ve got lots to look forward to this month, from our very first Fun Palaces day to thrilling live performance art and visits from our amazing artistic community. Scroll down for October’s #FriendsAtSTH.

Fun for all the family

Shoreditch Town Hall is a Fun Palace!

5 October

This year, we’re taking part in the annual Fun Palaces weekend. Come and be part of what happens in our building as we open our doors to the community for a FREE family-friendly day of creativity and chat. Meet the local groups who visit us regularly, take part in crafty workshops, and celebrate the history and the arts that make up Shoreditch Town Hall. Exhibiting organisations include: Carers First, Cut Out Club, Finance Therapy, Healthwatch Hackney, Queertopia Consortium, Salmo Visa, Sip & Sew, Unboxed Imagination, and Xenia. During the day we will be hosting a History Tour, where visitors can explore spaces that are never usually open to the public, learn more about the architecture and design of our Grade II listed building and find out how the space has developed over the years from a municipal building that opened in 1866 to the leading cultural venue that it is today. You can find all the details by clicking here.

Big events in the Assembly Hall

Town Hall Tea Dance

7 October

Once a month we invite you to join us for a cuppa, a slice of cake and 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. You can book on our website by clicking here.

Trans Performance Now: Producing Trans Performance Symposium 2024

12 – 13 October

Following a 2-year research project by Northumbria University’s Dr Rachel Hann focussing on transness and nonbinariness in performance, the Producing Trans Performance Symposium 2024 brings together leading artists, producers, and academics to discuss the opportunities and challenges for producing trans-led creative work in the UK today. Presented across two days, the artists and companies featured include: Travis Alabanza, Krishna Istha, Charlie Josephine, Tabby Lamb, CN Lester, Ocean Chillingworth, An0maly, Midgitte Bardot, Subira Joy, Prince of Persia, The Hale, piss/CARNATION, Milk Presents, Curious Arts, and many more. Plus, Saturday night will see award-winning theatre maker Emma Frankland host Extraordinary Acts!: A Trans Cabaret – bringing together performers of drag, song, poetry, chaos, rage and the unexpected. Find out more and book your free ticket by clicking here.

Home Live Arts presents i’ve been looking for things that last

25 October

An evening of performance commissioned by Home Live Art for their 25th Anniversary, curated by the acclaimed artist and choreographer SERAFINE1369, showcasing a cyclical programme of works from invited artists. Set amidst a pile of dirt, this three-hour programme invites the audience to view the works from various angles and perspectives, encouraging you to look again, readjust, to feel and engage with the experience at your own pace. The programme features an exciting line-up of UK and international queer artists. Find out more and book your tickets by clicking here.

Supporting our local and artistic community

Pecs Drag Kings Rehearsals

14 – 18 October

We’re looking forward to having Pecs Drag Kings back in the building as they rehearse for exciting upcoming performances. They’ll be back again next month for their 10 year anniversary extravaganza, Pecs: A Drag King Festival. Find out more and book your tickets by clicking here.

STAMPIN’ IN THE GRAVEYARD R&D

21 – 25 October

Elisabeth Gunawan & Saksi Bisou will be joining us this month to devise and rehearse their headphone theatre piece which will premiere at VOILA! Festival 2024. STAMPIN’ IN THE GRAVEYARD experiments with new interactive technologies to create a truly visceral theatrical experience. Artistic collective Saksi Bisou aims to decolonise the imagination and empower people, using performance as a space for forum, discussion, and exploration. STAMPIN’ IN THE GRAVEYARD will be playing at the Cockpit Theatre in November, find out more by clicking here.

Local Lounge 

Throughout October our Local Lounge is open, offering Hackney-based grassroots organisations, charities, non-for-profits and creative individuals the opportunity to utilise our Front Room space for FREE for events that benefit the local community. The space can be used for meetings, social events, creative workshops, training sessions and more. This month we’re looking forward to welcoming returning groups such as Xenia, an organisation dedicated to bringing women from diverse backgrounds together to connect, share, and learn and Cut Out Club, who are hosting a coffee & crafts drop-in session, creating a space dedicated to quietude and creative self expression. Find out more about our Local Lounge by clicking here.

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 by clicking here.

Upcoming Workshops 

Theatre Re: Monthly Training Classes

20 October

Occurring monthly since September 2021, 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 by clicking 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 by giving them space to rehearse at Shoreditch Town Hall. Find out more about them by clicking here.