Save Applecart Arts

Aim

Help rescue an invaluable creative hub that celebrates the community it serves.

Applecart Arts has a bright future, but we need urgent help to get over the financial hurdles we are currently facing. We're not just a building, we're a vibrant community arts charity that creates substantial impact for some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country. We're excited about the medium and long term plans for the charity, with new contracts and funding coming online in the new year to deliver extensive wellbeing, educational and creative programmes across London, but we need immediate support to survive the short term.

What we do
Applecart is a community space, arts centre and cafe in the heart of East Ham, Newham. We provide a welcoming, non-judgemental space where people feel confident telling their stories and hearing the stories of others. Listening to the voices of our community, we nurture creative talent to develop high-quality arts and theatre which can be celebrated by the whole community.

Emerging from the pandemic, Applecart took over the Passmore Edwards Building, a former Victorian Library and Registry Office, and has invested heavily in transforming a vacant and much loved heritage building into an important community resource.  We've managed to achieve this with without any regular public funding or support towards our operational costs.  Last year our local community came to support us through Christmas and now we're asking for support that will secure our future for the longer term.

What's at risk
We provide:

• A much loved public heritage building, providing a welcoming space where local people can gather to celebrate their lives.
• Local economic support through job creation, freelance opportunities, and £1.2 million injected into the economy in the last two years alone
• A vibrant, inclusive hub for artistic expression, where since opening our new venue over 700 emerging artists and 105 theatre companies have already showcased their work, reaching over 18,000 people.
• Essential wellbeing and educational programmes, benefitting over 2,500 students and local residents, offering career pathways, and creating over 44 work experience opportunities since 2022.
• Bespoke community projects and events, like outdoor festivals and cultural initiatives, which engage local families, youth, and underserved groups.

Donate now to save this precious community space from closure.

Who we've supported
Applecart is more than just a building and continues to support partners across London, including:

The Greater London Authority
Newham Local Authority
Newham NHS Trust
Manor Park and Green Street Neighbourhood Offices
National Youth Theatre
Sadlers Wells
Chicken Shed Theatre
Culture Within
Colours of Redbridge
Newham Word Festival
Newham Unlocked
Newham Festival of Stories
Newham Libraries
Young Playwrights
Flying Seagull Project
East Lond Shakespeare Festival
DaDa Fest
FeastFest
Papergang
Social Convention
University of East London
University College London
School 21
Kensington Primary School
Plashet School
St Anthony’s School
Lister School
Stratford School Academy
Ashar Academy
New Directions
Newham Probation Services
HMP Feltham 

This project successfully funded on 3rd January 2025