Around Town

Thanks to its burgeoning creative community, east London is where the capital’s pulse beats fastest, and this week’s East festival (March 5-10) – supported by the Mayor and now in its third year – offers myriad inducements to get to know the area better. Upwards of 300 organisations are involved in more than 100 events. We’ve picked a selection to whet your appetite. For the full programme visit the website www.findeast.co.uk.

Cycle East
Hackney Cyclists and Southwark Cyclists provide routes and cycle leaders for an event that embodies the spirit of this year’s festival by mixing culture and pedal power and offers the chance to catch three performances at three venues in a single day. At Toynbee Studios, listen to the jazz/modern classical group Portico Quartet performing music from their Mercury-nominated debut album ‘Knee Deep in the North Sea’. After that, get on your bike to St John-at-Hackney Church for a concert of South American-inspired songs from the Helen Chadwick Group. Then make tracks for Dalston’s Arcola Theatre for ‘Play East’ – three short plays inspired by the eclectic characters of the East End, by Steven Berkoff, David Eldridge and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. The shows can also be seen separately.
Arcola Theatre, 27 Arcola St, E8 2DJ (7503 1646/www.arcolatheatre.com). Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial St, E1 6AB (www.artsadmin.co.uk). St John-at-Hackney Church, Lower Clapton Rd, E5 0PD (www.stjohn-at-hackneychurch.org.uk). 1pm, 3pm, 5pm Sun Mar 8 at all venues. Tickets £6 per show (£5 adv) or £10 for all three (1pm Toynbee, 3pm St John, 5pm Arcola).
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The Big Write
East London’s children’s venue devoted to story-based play, Discover, is hosting a children’s literature festival which will include a session on Thursday evening for adults contemplating writing for this demanding audience. Over the following three days there’s a programme of workshops and book launches, featuring Jill Lewis, Jan Fearnley, Chris Redmond and others.
Discover, 1 Bridge Terrace, E15 4BG (8536 5555/www.discover.org.uk). Thur Mar 5-Sun Mar 8, various times and prices. Sat Mar 7, Sun Mar 8 £5 per day, family (four tickets) £17. Booking advised.

The Paper Cinema
An unusual performance combining live film of Nic Rawling’s hand-drawn puppetry with live music by Roger Eno. This show, from a company that got its first theatre break as part of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ at Battersea Arts Company, tells fantastical tales of the East End.
Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial St, E1 6AB (7650 2350/
www.artsadmin.co.uk). 6.30pm, 8pm daily. Thur Mar 5-Tue Mar 10 (excl Sun). Tickets £6 (£5 adv).

Mauricio Kagel’s ‘Eine Brise’ (‘A Breeze’)
Emphasising one of the themes of this year’s festival, which is encouraging people to explore east London by bike, this is a performance of a 90-second symphony for bicycle bells which very rarely gets an outing. The composer, who died last year, frequently included specific theatrical instructions in his score. He described ‘Eine Brise’ as a ‘fleeting action for 111 cyclists: a musically enriched sport event in the open’. It’s a participatory event: some as yet unspecified familiar London faces may be among those taking part and there are still a few places for volunteers who’d like to get involved. The London Chamber Orchestra are acting as musical advisors to the project, supervising the rehearsals, which will take place early in the morning of the performance.
Lamb St, E1 6EA. 10amThur Mar 5 (rehearsals start around 7.30am). To register email brise@london.gov.uk.

East First Thursday
Neatly coinciding this week with the start of the East festival, East First Thursday is a monthly occurrence, organised by the Whitechapel Gallery in association with Time Out. There will be more than 100 east London galleries open late, offering private views, special exhibitions and events and sometimes free booze (it’s not a given but follow the buzz and you’ll often be rewarded with a beer).
East First, 6-9pm, first Thur of each month (www.findeast.co.uk).

Word Up @ Late: Iain Sinclar and Patrick Wright
Both the Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands take part in First Thursday. At the latter, this month’s activities highlight two writers with strong east London links. Iain Sinclair will launch his new book, ‘Hackney: That Rose-Red Empire’, and Patrick Wright will talk about his expanded and re-published ‘A Journey Through Ruins’. Afterwards Tring Park School for the Performing Arts will present a cabaret of contemporary and classic musical theatre. Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay, Hertsmere Rd, E14 4AL (0870 444 3857/www.museumindocklands.org.uk). 6-9pm Thur Mar 5. Adm free after 4.30pm.

Knockout: Lee Jones
Jones’s paintings of boxing stars and his Beyond Human series of hyperreal paintings depict elite athletes, including triple gold Olympic medal winning cyclist Chris Hoy and Olympic 400-metre champion Christine Ohuruogu, as superhuman beings. The Jago Gallery, 77 Redchurch St, E2 7DJ (07501 469 474/ www.thejago.com). Exhibition noon-7pm Sat Mar 7- Wed Mar 11.

People’s Question Time
Boris Johnson will host People’s Question Time at the York Hall Leisure Centre on Thursday. The meeting is a twice-yearly opportunity for Londoners to quiz the Mayor and the London Assembly about their plans and policies. Registration for advance tickets has closed but if you’re prepared to queue you can go along on the night and take your chance .
York Hall Leisure Centre, 5-15 Old Ford Rd, E2 9PJ (www.london.gov.uk/gla/pqt). 7-9pm Thur Mar 5 (doors open 6pm; entry not guaranteed).