The Last Supper – 1981 is a participatory public art project exploring transformation through food culture in the Royal Docks during their final year of operation. Proposed for Newham’s 60th anniversary, it honours the borough’s industrial past while engaging present-day communities in remembering and reimagining life through food, memory, and shared traditions.

The year 1981 marked the closure of the Royal Docks and a profound shift for local communities—economically, socially, and culturally. This project focuses on food as a medium of resilience: what people ate, where they ate it, and who they shared it with during that time. Meals became ways to hold onto identity, connection, and routine in the face of loss and change.

Now a resident of the Royal Docks, I am especially interested in how this history can inform current transformations in the area. This first stage will lay the groundwork for a future public artwork by gathering personal stories, food memories, and recipes connected to dockside life.

An immersive and inclusive workshop where participants are invited to delve into their personal relationship with food. This 2-hour session is a contemplative and creative space designed to explore the deep connections between food, memory, family traditions, and body image. The workshop aims to deepen understanding, spark meaningful conversations, and encourage the exchange of diverse experiences. Join us for a journey into the heart of what food means to you and your community, and walk away with new insights, connections, and a richer appreciation for the stories we eat.

Pepa Duarte is an experienced, versatile Latinx actor across stage and screen. She is a RADA graduate as well as a trained physical performer and improviser. Her training encompasses acting, devising, comedy, physical theatre (Melodrama, Commedia Del’ Arte, Buffon, Clown, Corporal Mime, Neutral Mask and Expressive Mask), yoga, contemporary dance, and singing. Pepa began teaching improvisation in 2019. Throughout her career she has developed workshops for a wide range of people from children to young people, adults and professional actors. Pepa also uses techniques at the heart of improvisation for workshops in the workplace.

B’s Feast reimagines Babette’s Feast in London’s Royal Docks. This intimate, immersive music-theatre piece centres on “B,” a migrant woman who expresses memory and resilience through cooking. Played by a rotating cast of diverse performers, “B” offers a meal that becomes a quiet act of cultural redemption. The piece explores themes of migration, labour, and community healing. Developed in collaboration with Newham residents, it ends with a shared feast where the audience breaks bread together—recipes contributed by local women.

Edible Archives:

Edible Archives create memorable multisensory experiences that boldly explore heritage by bringing together food, art and poetry. They’ve previously created pop-up ice cream parlours full of sound and set celebrating the murals of William Mitchell and The Bradford Selection, a multisensory artwork held within a biscuit tin featuring unique recipes co-created with local communities in Bradford.

Website: https://www.ediblearchives.co.uk/

Floating Concrete presents Anim Jam – a fun, hands-on animation workshop for kids and families at Art in the Docks. This creative session invites young artists and their parents to explore simple animation techniques, bringing drawings to life in a playful, collaborative environment. Set in the inspiring industrial arts space of the docks, it’s the perfect weekend activity for budding filmmakers and imaginative families.

Join puppeteer Helen Ainsworth for Play with Food – a wonderfully messy, creative workshop where families transform everyday kitchen items into playful characters! Using fruit, vegetables, dough, and utensils, you’ll invent short puppet shows together.

Join us for an unforgettable cultural experience at FeastFest, where we bring together family and friends to enjoy two stunning stage works from China—one from the vibrant metropolis of Shanghai, and the other from the dynamic cultural hub of Hong Kong—brought to life through HD screenings. You’ll see how the combination of stage and screen is a global language that will help improve dialogue via a mutual passion for performing arts. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a heartwarming, artistic evening with loved ones. Don’t miss out on the special selection of traditional snacks, adding flavour to this unforgettable night!