OH What a Circus
On from the pirmary school, I visited Stratford Circus, kind of east London’s Roundhouse. Built with Lottery money, it could have been, and nearly was, a white elephant, after the trust that ran it collapsed. But the local Sixth Form, one of the largest in the country, stepped in, along with partners such as East London Dance, Urban Development, and Theatre Venture. The place is ablaze. I met the next Guy Ritchie, cutting his gangster film; saw a fantastic bunch of 15 and 16 years olds from Barking and Dagenham schools perform an amazing dance routine, and met the next Ms Dynamite, Ms Tor - go to her page on Myspace and turn her into the next big thing. Just like the Roundhouse, its an important resource for young people, showing how the arts play such a crucial role in education and communities.