Create

03/06/2026

We're excited to be part of this year's London Festival of Architecture, joining a city-wide programme exploring the theme of ‘Belonging’ through architecture, creativity and community.

Join us on Saturday 20 June at The White House, Dagenham for two special events as part of LFA 2026:

🥾 Creative Walk led by The Travelling Drawing Club 12-2pm
We’ll be starting in the garden before exploring the neighbourhood through drawing, observation and storytelling. No experience needed! This walk explores the spaces between public and private life, asking how everyday architecture shapes identity, community and our sense of home.

🌿 Summer Garden Party 2-5pm
Stay on for an afternoon of artist-led workshops, food, music and family-friendly activities. As part of LFA, we'll be exploring themes of belonging, connection and domesticity in the heart of the Becontree Estate, with creative activities and tours of The White House. Everyone is welcome.

Free to attend.

Summer Garden Party: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-garden-party-at-the-white-house-dagenham-tickets-1986206355677?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=twh_summer_garden_party_26

Travelling Drawing Club Creative Walk: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-walk-led-by-the-travelling-drawing-club-tickets-1988904599196?aff=oddtdtcreator?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=twh_travellingdrawingclub_walk

12/05/2026

Thanks for joining us on Saturday for a fantastic walk around Shinfield learning about local history, nature and nature-recovery ambitions with Nigel Frankland! ☀️☀️☀️

We started outside the Gateway Building and walked to the site of the new Natural History Museum building currently under construction. We then explored special areas earmarked for habitat restoration and biodiversity enhancement, following the River Loddon and passing through Rushy Mead LWS.

This walk was organised by Create London as part of NHM Unlocked - the creation of the Natural History Museum’s new facility in Shinfield. The site will house around a third of the NHM’s collection alongside laboratories and collaboration space, unlocking the collections for research. There will be opportunities for the public to get involved in the grounds surrounding the research centre.

Photos by Michaela Freeman

12/05/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended our Local nature and history walk with Nigel Frankland around Shinfield at the weekend! Was such a lovely day for it ☀️

Photos by Michaela Freeman

22/04/2026

On Saturday 9th May 1-3pm join us for a local nature and history walk around Shinfield with Nigel Frankland from the University of Reading ✨

We will start outside the Gateway Building and walk to the site of the new Natural History Museum building currently under construction. Joined by Michaela Freeman, Curator, we will make a pitstop here to talk about the new art commission for the area (feel free to bring a picnic blanket and refreshments, biscuits will be provided).

The walk will include special areas earmarked for habitat restoration and biodiversity enhancement, following the River Loddon and passing through areas such as Rushy Mead LWS.
If there’s time and appetite for an additional 2km, the walk could extend to Hall Farm and the site of Old St Bartholomew’s Church (a Scheduled Ancient Monument), and even squeeze in a literary aside - courtesy of A. A. Milne - with a game of Pooh Sticks from Loddon Bridge.

Parking is available nearby.
Please wear sturdy footwear as some of the walk will be on uneven ground.
Dogs on lead are allowed.

Tickets here:

Join us for a walk around Shinfield to find out about local history, nature and nature-recovery ambitions, led by Nigel Frankland.

14/04/2026

Fantastic news for The White House, Dagenham! We are delighted to announce that Create London has received £500,000 from the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) to redevelop and expand The White House on the Becontree Estate, Dagenham: the only independent, contemporary visual arts venue in London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The White House brings together world-class artists and communities to host residencies, develop new artworks and engage residents in creative activities that foster individual wellbeing and social cohesion. Celebrating 10 years as a public cultural space in 2026, the locally listed house urgently requires investment to safeguard its future.

Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of Department for Culture, Media and Sport, this vital investment will ensure a sustainable future for the building, by resolving the insulation, damp and accessibility issues that threaten its viability as a public space. It will also enable the creation of a light-filled, new extension to the house to accommodate growing community demand and facilitate more local schools’ engagement (pictured).

Phase one of The White House renovations was successfully completed in 2016 by RIBA Stirling Prize-nominated architectural studio Apparata. Phase two of its redevelopment will thermally upgrade the historic building, replace failing windows and add a new extension. These improvements will reduce maintenance costs, support high‑quality artist residencies and expand creative participation for local audiences in one of London’s most culturally underserved boroughs.

Read more here: https://createlondon.org/create-london-announces-major-public-investment-to-safeguard-the-white-house/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=ccf_twh_news

Render ©2026 Apparata Studio

14/04/2026

Fantastic news for The White House Dagenham ! We are delighted to announce that Create London has received £500,000 from the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) to redevelop and expand The White House on the Becontree Estate, Dagenham: the only independent, contemporary visual arts venue in the borough. The White House brings together world-class artists and communities to host residencies, develop new artworks and engage residents in creative activities that foster individual wellbeing and social cohesion. Celebrating 10 years as a public cultural space in 2026, the locally listed house urgently requires investment to safeguard its future.

Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of DCMS, this vital investment will ensure a sustainable future for the building, by resolving the insulation, damp and accessibility issues that threaten its viability as a public space. It will also enable the creation of a light-filled, new extension to the house to accommodate growing community demand and facilitate more local schools’ engagement (pictured).

Phase one of The White House renovations was successfully completed in 2016 by RIBA Stirling Prize-nominated architectural studio . Phase two of its redevelopment will thermally upgrade the historic building, replace failing windows and add a new extension. These improvements will reduce maintenance costs, support high‑quality artist residencies and expand creative participation for local audiences in one of London’s most culturally underserved boroughs.

Follow the link in our bio to read the full press release ⬆️

Render by ✨

Arts Council England Barking and Dagenham Council

14/04/2026

Calling all gardeners! Join us for the next few sessions of our regular Garden Club ✨🌱

Saturday 18th April
10am-12noon
In March we started growing vegetables and flowers from seeds and they are now getting ready in our greenhouse to be planted outside. Find out the health benefits of nettle tea and try some from our garden nettles 🌿

Saturday 2nd May
10am-12noon
Help us keep our vegetable patch w**d free and plant a mini wildflower garden. Find out how to grow avocado plants at home (bring an avocado pit if you have one) 🥑

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-white-house-garden-club-tickets-1279204999589?aff=oddtdtcreator?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=twh_garden_club_26

07/04/2026

On Saturday 25th April 12.45pm-3pm join us for Becontree Brilliant Trees, a Creative Walk with artist David Bennett 🌳🌲🌴

We will be exploring Becontree Estate's trees - silent witnesses to the estate’s 100-year history - from generations of residents to social, political and urban change. The walk will start and end at The White House Dagenham and will include a visit to David’s exhibition ‘Brilliant Trees: A Survey of Becontree Estate Street Trees’ at nearby Valence House Museum , as well as several stops on the way with creative prompts to get you drawing, photographing, writing or simply looking around.

You are welcome to bring a flask of tea and cake, and a picnic blanket to enjoy a restful break together en-route!

There will be an opportunity to submit your drawing, photo or text to be included in the Brilliant Trees exhibition during its final two weeks but you are also welcome just to come along and contemplate the prompts during the walk.

⏰ Please arrive at 12:45pm for a cup of tea - we will set off at 1pm and finish at 3pm.
🎟️ Tickets are free, please book your place via our bio!
👤 No skill necessary. Age 12+

Photo Credits:
David Bennett by Michaela Freeman
Woodward Road by David Bennett
Porters Ave by David Bennett
Basedale Road by David Bennett

creativewalk

03/12/2025

We are looking for up to 3 new Trustees to join the Create London board. If you’re passionate about community-led culture, equitable urban development, and bold artistic practice, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re especially looking for expertise in:
🏛 Architecture & heritage capital projects
🏢 Commercial property development
⚖️ Legal & governance
💼 Enterprise & commercial strategy

For 12 years, we’ve worked alongside communities across East London – commissioning art, architecture and infrastructure that spark imagination, support collective action and create lasting change. With new projects on the horizon, this is a powerful moment to join us.

This is a voluntary role open to people ready to contribute their skills, time and insight to an organisation working at the intersection of art, housing, public space and community life. You’ll join a Board with a rotating Chair model designed to strengthen collective leadership and ensure diverse voices shape our future.

📅 Apply by 25 January 2026: https://createlondon.org/join-the-board-of-trustees-at-create-london/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=trustee_callout

25/11/2025

The London Standard: "A stunning new work of public art commission by Create London for Westminster City Council" ✨

Now open: Decades by Louise Giovanelli at , a new public art and architecture commission by Create London and Westminster City Council .

St Mary le Strand Church by architect James Gibbs, has undergone quite a dramatic transformation by artist Louise Giovanelli. During the darker months of the year, this artwork will light up the newly pedestrianised Strand Aldwych. Playing on the duality of religious and performance-based congregation, Giovanelli uses a composite image of a shimmering curtain, typically found across the remaining working men’s clubs in England, to envelope the building. Creating a striking contrast of materialities between soft drapery and hard stonework, the curtain mimics qualities of a pointillist painting, bearing references to Giovanelli’s painting practice and the tradition of painted drapery in Italian Renaissance churches. The monumental curtain has six cutouts, revealing the weather and pollution beating upper columns - a result of the church being the centre of a roundabout for decades. 

This is Giovenalli's first public commission, taking her painting outdoors. Don't miss the opportunity to view this free artwork. The artwork will be on view to the public until 18 January 2026.
Congratulations 🥳

Decades was commissioned by Create London for Westminster City Council , and developed with support from David Chipperfield Architects . The commission was made possible thanks to Westminster City Council’s lead support, and with additional sponsorship support from London Heritage Quarter , Liberty and White Cube . St Mary le Strand church and the Diocese of London have been vital in-kind contributors to the project.   

Liberty’s iconic Ianthe design has been layered on a composite image to form the final artwork. Ianthe design is copyright © Liberty Fabric Limited.