Trapped in Zone One

📢 Our 'Thank You Tower Hamlets' project allowed us to work combine culture with creativity, to which we created a new public mural in Shadwell to celebrate Bangladesh heritage in the borough honouring the 50th independence anniversary and thank communities in @towerhamletsnow for coming together during the pandemic helping the most vulnerable in our society. This project wouldn't be possible without the support of all the young creatives who took part in our workshops to come up with this concept design of a Bangladeshi female offering a gesture of thank you in the form of South Asian sweet box accompanied by the Bangladesh flag in the background with Joy Tower Hamlets written across. Thank you @towerhamletshomes , @artgeckosketch , @posca_uk , @greatart_uk , @wappingyouthfc , @thchousing , @gateway_housing , @idea_stores , @leylandsdm , @woskerski , @alex.altona and the Shadwell Tenants and Residents Association for your support 🇧🇩 #Bangladesh #Bangladesh50 #Community #Mural #StreetArt #StreetArtLondon #Shadwell #TowerHamlets #London

📢 We've created a new public artwork celebrating the heritage of #BrickLane. The inspiration for this mural was from Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point, an exhibition displaying 75 of Paul Trevor’s photographs for the first time celebrating East London's Bengali activists of 1978. This project's focus was to provide disadvantaged communities, specifically focusing on Tower Hamlets, with free to access creative activities within community spaces and events. Tower Hamlets contains a large number of South Asian residents from Bangladesh, it was important to platform and listen to long existing community experience of racism dating from 1978 after the tragic death of Altab Ali to the present day, spanning over 40 years and permit them input onto the ultimate creative co-design decisions. The mural is inspired by the colours of the Bangladesh flag with a collage outlook, the central image features Syed Mizan, Jamal Miah and Abdul Manik, all members of the Bangladesh Youth Front. It was taken by Paul Trevor on Curtain Road in London on 20 August 1978 at the Day of Action protest organised by Hackney & Tower Hamlets Defence Committee and Anti-Nazi League. The other images on the design include a reference to the Sari Squad, a group of activist women, who helped to defend multicultural clubs and gatherings from racist attacks in the early 1980s. The Shaheed Minar behind the central image is an interpretation of the national monument in Bangladesh, commemorating the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952, and is now a place where London's Bengali community gathers to mark International Mother Language Day. On the right-side there is the Brick Lane arch, designed by Meena Thakor and marking the entrance to "Banglatown," erected in 1997 and below this is the unified message ‘We Are Stronger Together’ in Bengali text form to promote solidarity amongst all. Thank you @alex__cullen , Nacho Welles, @towerhamletsnow , @thcommunitypartnerships , @fourcornerse2 , @swadhinata_trust , @paul.trevor.fotos , @whitechapelgallery , @towerhamletsarchives , Mulberry School for Girls, @london_youth , @ncs , @jackpetcheyfoundation and @brewerspaints for your support. #TrappedinZoneOne

📢 We recently produced a new public mural funded by @foundationforfuturelondon with @alex__cullen and @woskerski in Shadwell which depicts the diverse ethnic communities who call Tower Hamlets their home, designed by our young co-producers @nxdee and @s_tomzida capturing cultural elements through engagement with residents across @towerhamletsnow 🙌 #TrappedinZoneOne #LoveLondon #TowerHamlets #Culture #Community #Mural #StreetArtLondon #Shadwell #CableStreet #CableStreetMural #WestfieldEastBankCreativeFuturesFund

📢 Alongside side our creative work in the community, thanks to an opportunity offered by @streetgameslondon throughout Spring to Summer we'll be taking part in a Test and Learn project working with @middlesexinthecommunity to learn how physical activity can be better used in Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) in @towerhamletsnow . The weekly after-school sessions are open to young people aged 7-14 and the activities will take place in Poplar, every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30PM. #TrappedinZoneOne 🔗 To learn more and register:

📢 Join us tomorrow to learn how to paint in watercolour using @pebeo_uk paint on @artgeckosketch paper themed around the winter season at our community hub on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets. We're hosting a series of watercolour workshops this month facilitated by mixed media artist @husnaparvin .   The sessions are designed to teach the basics of watercolours with each workshop focusing on a theme around the festive season. All materials are provided by #TrappedinZoneOne but feel free to bring your own should you may want to practice with. You will be able to relax, paint, and enjoy the creative process in good company — with plenty of encouragement, guidance, and time table explore your own unique style. ⏰ 17:00-19:00 📍 Island Point Community Centre, 51 Sark Mews, E14 3PW 🔗

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of hosting a room full of talented artists of all ages and skill levels. They brought kindness to life through art, all part of Tower Hamlet’s Season of Bangla drama. Big thanks to @trappedinzoneone for sponsoring and Zahra (@zedz_design ) for capturing this content. If this is your vibe - join us on 30th November for our next art workshop. Link in bio 🔗 #artworkshop #london

📢 We’re hosting a series of workshops inspired by this year's theme of ‘Kindness’ for @seasonofbangladrama 2025 festival. Join us over the coming weeks at our community space on the Isle of Dogs and on 16th November at Brady Arts Centre as we connect with communities through creativity to create a group based ‘Alpona’ artwork using acrylic paint on fabric. Alpona is a traditional Bengali art form, originating from the Sanskrit word Alimpana meaning 'to plaster' or 'to coat with,' and has been practiced for over a thousand years. Initially used by Hindu women in religious rituals, Alpona has evolved into a secular cultural expression in modern Bangladesh.  Today, you can find Alpona adorning floors, roads, and entryways during various occasions like weddings, Pahela Baishakh, and International Mother Language Day.  With pre-designed patterns to guide you, and space to create your own. The workshops are open to adults with all abilities to come along with family or friends, get creative together, and contribute to a collaborative artwork leaving with happy memories, colourful designs, and a new appreciation for this cultural art form from Bangladesh. 🔗 To learn more and register: /workshops

Proud to announce, I will be participating in The Season of Bangla Drama 2025 with @trappedinzoneone 🇧🇩 I will be hosting a FREE painting workshop focussed on the theme of kindness through art. It uses the Bengali language to deepen the emotional connection to kindness. Enjoy an afternoon of painting and conversation. Suitable for all levels. 📅: 9th November 2025 🕰️: 2-4pm 📍: The Brady Art Centre, E1 5HU Book tickets via the Eventbrite link in bio. Limited Spaces available. Art supplies provided 🎨 #theseasonofbangladrama #bangladesh #artworkshop #london

We LOVED supporting this project 👇 We were approached by @trappedinzoneone to see if we could provide varnish for this community project, and of course we said YES! After all, there's only one varnish for the job - our Decorators Varnish. In their words... "Thank you for supporting our community mural project, we were asked by Basingstoke and Deane Council to enhance a public foot tunnel with a public mural which celebrates the ward of Winklebury and the heritage of Basingstoke featuring several landmarks from the town featured in the design. The mural was co-designed by local young people from Futures Academy and painted by artists Alex Cullen and Nick Blaney using Albany masonry paint supported by Brewers Basingstoke East and Polyvine providing us with varnish to add that extra protection to the mural." #polyvine #polyvineuk #decoratorsvarnish #muralvarnish #trappedinzoneone #communityproject

🧶 New knitters in the house! 🧶 This week we paid a visit to @trappedinzoneone coffee morning at Island Point on the Isle of Dogs. We shared some of our knitted air quality data and our new project, making bright, colourful covers for spacers. To find out more about our latest collective project, click the link in our bio ☝️ Then we got stuck into some knitting, here are some snaps of newbie knitters casting on and getting started with their first few rows. With a bit more practice they’ll be helping us make more spacer covers for children to use with their inhalers 🤗💪. If you are a knitting or crochet group in Tower Hamlets or east London and want to get involved in our latest collective project, drop us a DM and we’d love to come visit you! #knitting #crochet #knittingtheair #towerhamlets #london #asthma #airpollution #airquality #e14 #eastlondon

📢 This week we've been busy working with the arts and culture team from @lovebasingstoke creating a new community inspired heritage mural celebrating the ward of #Winklebury and depicting landmarks of #Basingstoke. The mural designed by @alex__cullen and @good_night_vienna with support from @brewerspaints , @polyvine_uk , @willow_the_wispa , @milliedoylesphotography and young people from Futures Academy can be seen under the railway bridge on Houndmills Road (RG21 6XL). #TrappedinZoneOne

The first of a 2-part workshop hosted by me in partnership with @trappedinzoneone , inspired by this year’s theme of ‘Hope’ for Season of Bangla Drama 2024 festival. We created our own ‘Alpona’ artwork using mixed-media at our centre in the Isle of Dogs. Alpona is a traditional Bengali art form, originating from the Sanskrit word Alimpana meaning ‘to plaster’ or ‘to coat with,’ and has been practiced for over a thousand years. Initially used by Hindu women in religious rituals, Alpona has evolved into a secular cultural expression in modern Bangladesh. Come along to our next workshop. No prior experience required. Please register as there are limited spaces. 📅 19 November 2024 🕰️ 18:00-20:00 📍 Island Point Community Centre, 51 Sark Mews, E14 3PW 🔗 Link in Bio #artworkshop #painting #art #alpona