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Step into the Hackney Peace Carnival Mural

Free children’s Easter holiday activities

The Hackney Peace Carnival Mural is right outside the Garden. Over the holidays artist Nicola Plant will be leading three days of free workshops for children, inspired by this wonderful Dalston Landmark.

Did you know that the mural is nearly 30 years old and that the people in it are real? Have you ever wondered what they are all doing? Do you have a favourite character?

Tuesday 3 April, 2-4pm
Come along to learn how the mural came to Dalston and more about the people it shows. Then join Nicola back inside the Garden drawing your own portraits of yourself, your friends or your family, using pencil and charcoals.

Wednesday 4 April, 2-4pm
We are creating a new mural showing ‘Dalston 2012’, made of your own giant portraits painted on to pieces of wood, which will be joined together like a jigsaw and displayed on a wall in the Garden.

Thursday 5 April, 2-4pm
On the last day before Easter, Nicola will help you design and make your own carnival masks, using lots of different materials.

We will be taking a break from children’s workshops on Friday 6, Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 April but will be back with three more afternoons of activities on Wednesday 11 – Friday 13 April.

All the workshops are free, thanks this time to funding from Off Centre and OPEN Dalston, although donations on the day towards future workshops are very welcome. There’s no need to book but please do turn up on time, so you don’t miss out on anything. Workshops are suitable for ages 5 – 13 . Children should be accompanied by an adult.

Hackney Food Growers Fair and a Celebration of the ‘Art of Slow Living’

Sunday 1 April 1-5pm

The Italian ‘Art of Slow Living’ is coming to Hackney this week. Every year as part of the “Global Day of Slow Living’, Bruno Contigiani the founder of this organisation travels to a ‘fast’ city to give an award for success in promoting the values of ‘slow living’. The concept is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace – it’s about living well in a hectic world, and embracing activities that help you slow down, reflect and connect with other people and the environment.

Following in the footsteps of New York, Shanghai and Milan not only is this year’s award going to London, but it is going to the “People of Hackney”. This is in recognition of Hackney as one of the greenest boroughs in London and for specific initiatives such as local food growing and the promotion of cycling. It’s also about the work of community organisations, including the Hackney Community Tree Nursery and the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden. You can read more about the award.

There will be a ‘Hackney Food Growers Fair’ organised by Sustainable Hackney and a celebration of the ‘Slow Living Award’ this Sunday 1 April, 1- 5pm at the Garden. Local food growing social enterprise Growing Communities will be here with information about their ‘patchwork farm’ scheme and selling their lovely Hackney grown salads.* The clay oven will be lit all afternoon, so if you haven’t experimented with using it before, you can bring along a dish to cook and share.

The Eastern Curve Gardeners will be organising a seed swap for any spare seeds you would like to exchange and a Master Gardener from the Garden Organic scheme which provides local food growing advice and support will be on hand to demonstrate seed sowing and chat about growing.

Bruno, Ella and Muna from the ‘Art of Slow Living’ will be on hand to discuss their campaign. The ‘Dalston Yarn Fox’ will be visiting with needles and yarn, knitting in the Garden and ready and waiting to get you started on your first knitted stitches, or to chat to you about your own lovely woolly projects. Children and adults can join Kate Hodgson from the Hackney Children’s Art School to create drawings inspired by the Garden.

The ‘Slow Living Award’ will be accepted on behalf of the people of Hackney by Councillor Jonathan McShane this Wednesday 28 March at 5.30pm at the Dalston C L R James Library and all are welcome to attend. To mark the award, the Library is also hosting an exhibition commissioned by ‘The Art of Slow Living’ with images of well-being in Hackney by photographer Barbara Cucinotta. Photos will be on display there until the 31st of March.

* Growing Communities will also be at the Garden on Thursday 29 March, 4-7pm with a free ‘Box Scheme Seasonal Taster’ event when you will be able to sample some dishes made with the produce from their veg box scheme, find out more about their projects and take away recipes.