A grand opening of an old East End Victorian school room for corporate entertainment and community gatherings was packed with 20 exhibiting artists.
The Old School Room, a creative hub for entrepreneurs, opened in Merchant Street behind Bow Methodist Church, with an exhibition of paintings, photographs, installations, short films and live performances.
The new facility is run by the Applecart charity, which grew out of monthly Bible storytelling performances started in 2008 at Whitechapel’s White Hart pub.
The charity received funding in 2012 and is now established at Bow to involve the public in stories through performance, song-writing, art, film-making and workshops.
The Old School Room events company is an extension of Applecart, providing low-cost studios for artists and a space for events, including corporate entertainment, helping it involve the public in its work.
Last month’s grand opening was the first exhibition, with more to come.
The venue is the first floor of the Methodist School Rooms dating from the 19th century, its Victorian frontage being the only surviving structure after the original church was destroyed in the Blitz.
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