Bow Arts Trust

Bow Arts is a vibrant and essential part of East London’s creative scene. Their commitment to supporting emerging artists through affordable studio spaces and residencies is commendable. The Nunnery Gallery, housed in a former convent, offers thought-provoking exhibitions that often highlight local history and contemporary issues . Their educational programs, including artist-led workshops in schools, demonstrate a strong dedication to community engagement. The atmosphere during events like the Open Studios is welcoming and fosters meaningful conversations between artists and visitors . Overall, Bow Arts is a cornerstone for creatives in London, offering valuable opportunities and fostering a sense of community. With slight improvements in accessibility and capacity, it could enhance its support for the artistic community even further.​

Went to a free origami workshop here, a historic building with an extension by Nikolai Delvendahl Martin architects, they have done really well to make a practical and delightful space on what was probably a super tight budget for the arts charity. The trust is engaging with the community and encouraging local artists.

Really good gallery, small but friendly. Good cafe

Visited the cafe - really calm and stylish environment, with some nice coffee. Staff member who served us was really kind and patient. Would certainly come back!

I visited on the open day and engaged with a broad and eclectic mix of artists and crafts person's. Lovely atmosphere, it would have been nice to find out more of the history of the building and its uses over the years. Large courtyard providing entertainment, rest, food and drink. A lovely visit😊

Great creative development programme for artists at low prices. Lots of opportunities and gallery events in the Nunnery.

Saw a fabulous exhibition on the history of plastics here. Very well curated with lots of supporting information too. Lovely little cafe and gift shop and upstairs are lots of artist studios which often have open days. Wish we lived closer to visit more frequently

Dear Artists of 181 - 183 Bow Road, I am writing to you to express my delight at spending time admiring your works of art last weekend. It was such an honour to speak with most the artists to find common ground about how great art can be made as well as cherished. My first encounter with @Michael Chance surely won't be my last because his work articulates an extension of thought by evoking a sense of Pablo Picasso's blue period in post contemporary times. Chance as a celebrated artist took a chance on envisaging what Picasso lives on in his approach and the abstract vision transport all attendees to think of shapes producing Avant Garde meanings to life. En route to finding the schedule listing I waved at the artists whose sell patters were second to none because they continued to sell each item without much persuasion. After that discussion, I made a nearby visit in the space of @JamesChuter whose work focused on environmental responsibilities, preservations and aestheticism. It was an experimental exploration on what the geological weather meant on canvas. Something that seems open ended in its own textualism. I tossed my visit with a glass of prosecco from the opening ceremony held on the Friday evening before I went in search to be amazed many more times. The company of both @Felicity McCabe and @Martina Lang deserved a medal on its own. Each female artist oozed confidence about their work and made each attendee feel welcome to watch a film previewing their works. McCabe and Lang live to present art at its finest hues because their energy can be visually communicated in technicolour. Never forget the name @Hana Vojackova as a modernist artist whose videos were reminscent of a bygone era of the Czech Republic (formerly known as Czechoslovakia). Her offered a historical account of life in unison as Communism meant that everything had to be ordered. For instance the stadium in Prague was place for individuals to exercise in unison and the rythymic movements created symmetrical patterns. The symbolism of time kept everything and everyone moving in the same direction as one entity. Vojackova herself was in her teenage years when the Soviet Union had fallen and recollected on times under the Iron Curtain. "It was a way of life but I don't think many people now would want to live like that. Those days seems like another reality - even another world" Vojackova recalled. Lastly, the work of @Yasmin Falahat has an erotic, enchanting and eletic vibe to celebrate her blended Middle Eastern and Mediterranean heritage using her ceramic pieces to articulate her identity as an example of modern art. The sophistication of the work produced by Falahat commanded much respect because the intricate details translated from visual communication into artistic belief means her status as an established artist lived on in her works. Falahat speak with jubilance in her exploring the passion of cultural aesthetics making objects that were built to last. The table of fruits remain relevant to labour of love and respecting the process of making things that appear to look edible when they are not. A knack for keeping art as metaphorisis to life being celebrated and consistently challenged to present ideas can exist in any place you look. My enthusiasm and amazement made Falahat laugh a lot. Her name is not anyone should forget or take as a novelty act. My letter is a thorough and tantalising summary of all that I loved about the second day of the Art Open Day at 181-183 Bow Road. A part of me feel as though this correspondence does not do each artist enough justice. Their toil and brush strokes could have been celebrated with something bolder or stronger. It may be suggestion for me to work on for the forthcoming years. I enjoyed each artist's company and hopefully that thread of appreciation remains reciprocal. May I thank you for reading my letter. Yours sincerely, J x

Any charity funded arts project in London should be commended and Bow Arts Trust is no different. With a strong community of artists the place itself provides a secure workspace for creative types. The trust itself is known for bringing arts to those from poorer, disadvantaged background that are severely neglected as well as supporting local artists that don't necessarily have the time or money to be schmoozing gallery owners round Brick Lane.