As 2019 draws to a close and we look forward to celebrating the start of a new decade, we caught up with a few familiar local businesses that had been featured in our print mags! They told us about their highlights of 2019 and what they are planning for 2020.
Prestige Pattiserie – Geanina and George Ursache
Independent award-winning artisan patisserie. (See featured image above)
What was your highlight of 2019?
This year we won another two Great Taste Awards for our products which we’re so proud of. We work incredibly hard developing our recipes, so to have them recognised by such a prestigious award is an honor!
What are your plans for 2020?
Growth! We’d really like to expand our business. Last year we opened our first bakery space which has allowed us to fulfill more orders. In 2020 we’d like to look at using the space for classes, and who knows… maybe look into opening the first Prestige Patisserie cafe. We’re very excited about the future.
Any other news DT readers should know about?
Every Christmas we open our online store so that customers can place orders for our festive hampers filled to the brim with delicious treats. You can order our hampers and handmade gingerbread houses on prestigepatisserie.com
Read more: discoveringtottenham.com/2018/10/30/prestige-patisserie-made-with-love
Shiso Delicious – Sara Kiyo Popowa
Sara Kiyo Popowa is the artist and photographer behind the colourful, plant based Instagram account @shisodelicious.
What was your highlight of 2019?
Researching and writing my latest book, An opinionated guide to Vegan London, published by Hoxton Mini Press. Closing my year by attending two retreats in Bali – plant-based food and healing with Bettina’s Kitchen and permaculture skills at Kul Kul Farm!
What are your plans for 2020?
To develop and teach new Shiso Delicious workshops and courses (cooking, food photography, food styling and social media). Implement more permaculture principles into my life and work. Reach and connect with more people!
Read more: discoveringtottenham.com/2018/10/30/shiso-delicious-dt-chats-to-sara-kiyo-popowa
The RecordShop – Mary Otumahana (Wondr Womn)
A free recording studio programme for 16-25 year olds.
What was your highlight of 2019?
We’ve had a number of organisations, brands and publications support our work. It was amazing kicking off the year with funding from Culture Seeds, Mayor Of London and winning the People Powered Culture award! Working with brands such as Red Bull, Nike & Tottenham Hotspur has been brilliant. From a personal standpoint, I have had a vast amount of coverage about my entrepreneurial endeavours, which has helped with both my personal and professional development.
What are your plans for 2020?
I’m planning to deliver at least three youth projects through The RecordShop, which are typically 10 weeks long, where we offer free studio time, workshops, events and work placements. This will allow us to engage and offer more services to our network. I would also like to work with more brands and possibly do more work overseas, raising our overall profile internationally.
Any other news DT readers should know about?
We’ll have a new website up and running, which will include our youth programme and other services we offer, including our talent agency, consultations, workshops, mentoring programme and corporate events.
More info: discoveringtottenham.com/2017/06/28/the-recordshop-free-recording-sessions-for-young-people
- Haringey Shed’s Our Side of Town production at Bernie Grant Arts Centre
Haringey Shed
Inclusive theatre for children and young people aged seven to 25.
What was your highlight of 2019?
We’ve had a lovely year, so it is really hard to pick, but we have two highlights in particular. In the summer, our youth theatre created a new piece of music theatre that they performed as a part of the Great Fete at Alexandra Palace. During our October Half Term Project we visited the show Inala at the Royal Albert Hall and then devised a music and performance piece over three days that we performed at the Haringey Youth Festival.
What are your plans for 2020?
It is our 20th year, so we have two major productions in the pipeline for both our Children’s and Youth Theatre, to be performed at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, in March and July respectively. We will also be giving each of our other groups substantial performance opportunities and they include our bands, dancers, the 1-4-1-9 older acting group and Big Noise choir. We’ll be doing another big Summer Theatre project, our annual fundraising quiz will take place in the spring, our young people are planning a summer party and we will have a big celebratory gala event in October.
Any other news DT readers should know about?
We are always looking for new young people, so if you know someone who might like to get involved in a place ‘Where Everyone Has a Part to Play,’ then we’d love to welcome them for a visit next term.
Further reading: discoveringtottenham.com/2019/12/13/haringey-shed-catch-up-inclusive-theatre-for-young-people
Ten87
Professional soundproof recording studios for producers, engineers and artists.
What was your highlight of 2019?
We’ve honesty had so many highlights, but we think our involvement with the NTS WIP project stands out the most. There were 9000 entries across 84 countries whittled down to just eight participants. Having them work in our studios has been an absolute pleasure and hearing some of the music they have created has been incredible. Of particular note was seeing LOFT / AYA play to a sold out show at the Barbican.
NTS WIP is ‘an ongoing artist development programme that offers a focused programme of support for artists and bands including mentoring, access to free audio equipment, paid live performances, recording and practice studio time, an NTS guest radio show, an NTS produced music video and press photos.’
What are your plans for 2020?
We can’t say exactly, but more of the same really. We have some exciting collaborative projects coming in the spring and we will hopefully be opening a new site.
Any other news DT readers should know about?
All will be revealed soon enough, but we would tell any songwriters, producers, or engineers to keep their ears to the ground as we will soon be reaching out to our extended community to start organising some writing camps at the studios next year.
Read more: discoveringtottenham.com/2019/05/31/ten-87-music-production-and-artist-studios-in-tottenham
José Hendo
Eco-sustainable fashion design.
What was your highlight of 2019?
The many exhibitions where my work, using the wonderfully sustainable material of Ugandan barkcloth, has been presented. Also of utmost importance was the message portrayed through the garments and installations #R3campaign and Climatechange action plan.
The exhibitions included: Tree Of Life at The National Trust Killerton House in Exeter (UK), my collection Signs Of The Now was shown at Connecting Afro Futures in Berlin (Germany), my first ever Eco-Fashion showcase in Uganda at the annual Bark To The Roots (B2TR) event at Kampala Serena Hotel (Uganda) where Signs Of The Now was shown on the runway – special guests included Her Royal Highness Queen Mother of Toro and H. E. Ugandan Ambassador Mirjam Blaak Sow, and Fabric Of Being at the UNFPA Summit in Nairobi.
What are your plans for 2020?
2020 will bring fresh surprises. Our new sustainably sourced and printed #R3 silk print products will go on sale. We’ll be continuing with our #B2TR mission, which started in 2016, to plant one million Mutuba trees in an effort to rebalance the ecosystem and increase the harvest of barkcloth, along with running educational workshops. As part of our #R3campaign we’ll be running workshops in upcycling denim with Creative Dimension Trust. There’ll be a showcase of the latest collection which focuses on issues to do with our impact on the environment and #climatechange.
Read more: discoveringtottenham.com/2019/01/22/sustainable-fashion-design-with-jose-hendo
Living Under One Sun (LUOS) – Leyla Laksari
Local charity, community cafe and hub in Tottenham Hale.
What was your highlight of 2019?
It’s too difficult to pick just one! Sadiq Khan visited our community hub and cafe in Tottenham Hale back in February, when he launched his 2019 London Crowd Funding programme. He said LUOS is ‘a good example of how a little bit of money goes a long way…’ We successfully secured a second round of funding for our hub and cafe which enabled us to create outdoor facilities and infrastructure.
People from all walks of life including residents, community groups, developers, local businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, migrant and refugee groups and the Council generously volunteered more than 2000 hours of their time. After more than a year and a half of site clearing and development, we have a fantastic, unique indoor and outdoor hub to share skills, stories, food, fun and friendships.
We’ve been able to offer opportunities for social entrepreneurs and enterprises, have delivered free ESOL courses, provided childcare support for mothers – in particular for Syrian refugees and migrants helping their integration with the community, we launched monthly events called Music Under One Sun, we’ve hosted the Haringey spring Seed Swap and Green festival, hosted a Celebration of Tottenham’s Windrush Heritage Festival and saw a successful harvest of Tottenham Honey.
We are really dependent on volunteers so pop in for a chat if you think you might be able to help.
Living Under One Sun Community Cafe and Hub, Bowling Green and Pavillion Down Lane Park, Park View Rd, London N17 9EX
Further reading: discoveringtottenham.com/2018/10/30/living-under-one-sun-we-are-all-equal
Box of Prints – Zara Afflick
Box of Prints specialises in creating uniquely printed fabrics helping people bring their stories to life through print design.
What was your highlight of 2019?
That would have to be the delivery of a live print session at TEDx SquareMile. Something that has never been done during a TEDx Seminar before and we are happy to have been the first to perform it!
What are your plans for 2020?
We look forward to growing our print workshops and being seen more in the corporate world as well as in the community sector. The introduction of Print & Prosecco Nights was a great hit and we’d love to see more people attend our fun evenings with friends and family.
Anything else DT readers should know about?
Yes! Next year, we will be setting up Box Of Prints Foundation which will provide free support for those wanting to get creative and learn new skills.
Read more: discoveringtottenham.com/2019/02/27/box-of-prints
Forgotten Circus School
Circus school specialising in 4-week courses and drop-ins for circus, aerial and floor based activities.
What was your highlight of 2019?
Our highlights for 2019 have been introducing one week intensive courses and workshops with some of London’s best aerial teachers, taking over and running all production in Area 404 at Boomtown Festival this summer, installing new rigs with counter weighting points at the school and having many more students come through our doors!!
What are your plans for 2020?
Increase our schedule to a full week of classes, introducing one month intensive courses, scratch nights, the innovation of Forgotten Self – our new holistic sister self to help the community with stress management and a healthy mind to go with your healthy body – and lots more to come!
Read more: discoveringtottenham.com/2018/11/26/forgotten-circus-school-bringing-circus-skills-to-tottenham
LIFT
Not-for-profit supporting international theatre arts.
What was your highlight of 2019?
Witnessing our Tottenham Original Commission SESSION undertake a national UK tour. Still House joined forces with Tottenham’s Hip Hop Street dance Steppaz Performing Arts Academy and North London’s Afrobeats powerhouse, Empire Sounds to create an exhilarating night of dance and live music where everyone is welcome. Produced by MAYK in association with LIFT, SESSION premiered at Bernie Grant Arts Centre before this year heading to Bristol, Brighton, Gloucester, the National Theatre’s River Stage Festival in London and the Freedom Festival in Hull – gathering a whole bunch of fans along the way.
What are your plans for 2020?
We will be announcing our full festival programme early next year as we head to our 19th Festival in June 2020. Every two years, we present a festival that connects London audiences with leading international artists, brave ideas and unforgettable cultural experiences. We bring audiences to the city’s most iconic venues, landmarks and unusual corners, celebrating the character of London and calling Londoners to gather.
We have already announced an exciting partnership with Young Vic, The Second Woman, but there are lots of exciting plans for Tottenham with our Tottenham engagement programme and a few large scale commissions involving Tottenham residents and artists. Look out for more news soon!
Any other news DT readers should know about?
We’re running a free event for over 14s, Game Jam, at the Bruce Castle Museum on Saturday 25th January 2020. Participants will test and develop prototype participatory games. You’ll explore games that investigate recipes, chocolate and hidden histories. This Game Jam is linked to our mixed reality game Balthazar’s Treasure set to take place across Tottenham in 2020. No experience is necessary. Tottenham residents especially welcome. Registration is required and opens on 6th Jan via liftfestival.com/?p=8421
Read more in: DT Music & Performance (June 2018)
Discovering Tottenham 