Ed Vaizey visits Stratford Circus

Ed Vaizey, the Shadow Minister of the Arts made a visit to Stratford Circus on Tuesday 27th March 2007.  The visit was arranged by the Arts Council London, the venue was recommended as it is seen as a ‘new kind of arts centre,’ is exciting and new.

After a brief welcoming and introduction with each of the resident organizations, Ed was given a guided tour of the building.  Highlights include a visit to the media suite, where a film was being edited, using  state-of-the-art equipment.

Ed was particularly interested in speaking with one of our newest talents, who had been receiving artist development support, and is about to release her debut album.

The brief visit ended with a sit-in at Circus 1, were a dance rehearsal was taking place, performed by student of Barking and Dagenham schools.

Through performance arts, this visit highlighted the benefits of Stratford Circus to individuals and the community.

"Stratford Circus is ablaze.  I met the next Guy Ritchie, cutting his gangster film; saw a fantastic bunch of fifteen and sixteen year olds from Barking and Dagenham schools perform an amazing dance routine, and the next Ms Dynamite.  It’s an important resource for young people, showing how the arts play such a crucial role in education and communities." – Ed Vaizey.