Art in the Docks is an artist-led social enterprise (CIC). We are privileged to be embedded within our local community in the London Borough of Newham, surrounded one of the youngest and most ethnically diverse population in the UK. The opportunity to engage with our local, and wider, community is exciting, and we strive to embrace it in all that we do in our unique space.

Events are of high artistic quality and value, but at their centre they connect with, and involve, local communities who may find themselves excluded from the traditional art world.

Opportunities to engage in creative activities such as painting and drawing, dance and performance, textile design and making, all provide a safe outlet for expressing emotions, They help to process difficult feelings, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. The creation of objects, whether utilitarian or artistic, is an inherently healing and restorative process. The same applies to dance, performance, music and writing.

Creative activities enhance cognitive functions: problem-solving, memory, and focus. Some tasks, especially those involving hand-eye coordination, improve brain plasticity, aiding manual dexterity and reducing the risk of cognitive decline. Our work with Newham Stroke Survivors has been hugely beneficial to the people involved. 

Importantly, we do not claim to be Arts Therapists – this form of psychotherapy has a very specific clinical and legal definition and is often conducted 1-2-1 in a clinical setting. We instead offer the therapeutic benefits of creative activity in a free and open environment.  

Through creativity, we have seen how people come together to work in ways that are progressive, enjoyable and unifying. 

Whether painting a masterpiece, finishing an amazing garment, or modelling a piece of ceramic wonderment, sometimes it is enough to just be in the room.