Dalston 4 Culture
dalston's cultural quarter
Dalston residents and visitors are fortunate to have world-class cultural venues right on their doorstep. Lovers of cinema will surely know of the Rio Cinema, the famous art-deco theatre building that sits proudly on Kingsland Road. From its first incarnation as the Kingsland Empire in 1915, the premises have been an 'electric picture house' for almost all of its life, and today provides Dalstoners with an eclectic mix of first run films interspersed with various festivals, parent and baby shows, late night and all night showings and more.
First on the right past the Kingsland Road/Shacklewell Lane junction is Arcola Street, home to the Arcola Theatre. Founded and directed by the renowned playwright and director Mehmet Ergun, the Arcola has gone from strength to strength since its founding in 2000, winning many theatrical awards. It now has an active youth theatre group, a writer's group and an over 60's drama group as well as providing a space for both upcoming and established actors, producers and directors to display their talent.
One of the latest additions to London's landscape is Gillett Square. The first of ex-Mayor Livingstone's new London squares to be completed, it sits just off Kingsland Road between Bradbury Street and Gillett Street. Gillett Square is community asset promoting Dalston as a cultural epicentre in East London, providing outlets and opportunities for the area's abundant creative talents and energy, as well as promoting social cohesion and cultural exchange. As well as providing a place for small everyday events, the Square will be the focal point for carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations and the driver for a Dalston Festival. It is also a platform for local producers to market their wares.
On the western side of Gillett Square is the Dalston Culture House, home to the world famous Vortex Jazz Club. The Vortex, which counts Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts amongst its patrons, has enjoyed a new lease of life since moving to its new home and is now an essential part of the British jazz landscape. The club runs virtually every night, promoting both new and established talent, and has recently branched out into world music and singer/songwriter events. Dalston's music scene is further enhanced by Cafe Oto's blend of adventurous new music and the clubby ambience of Barden's Boudoir.
Dalston is well provided with museums too. Probably the best known furniture museum in the country, and certainly one of the most beautiful, the Geffrye Museum sits on the Kingsland Road on the border between Dalston and Shoreditch. Its collections of furniture, textiles, paintings and decorative arts are displayed in a series of period rooms from 1600 to the present day. On the eastern edge of Dalston, on Mare Street adjacent to Hackney Town Hall, you'll find the Hackney Museum. The museum contains artifacts pertaining to the history of Hackney over the past 1000 years.
Dalston's proximity to the City and West End also ensures that local residents and business have easy access to all that the capital has to offer. Dalston is where TfL's East London Line and North London Line meet, and it is served by many bus routes including the number 38, which runs through the heart of the West End of London, right along the length of Oxford Street and on to Victoria.