People Powered Places- The Big Vote is OPEN
Your Vote, Your Community, Funding to Improve It
People Powered Places is Newham Council’s flagship participatory budgeting programme, where you get to decide how funding is spent locally, this is your chance to make a real difference in your community.
The Big Vote is taking place between 1-30 November. This is open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Newham There are four ways you can vote:
Attending a Big Vote event
Voting online
Dropping into your library or community centre
Finding us at an outreach voting event
You can vote for more than one project!
Art in the Docks has created several Royal Albert Wharf based community orientated projects- you can vote on them to help make them a reality!
CULTURE MATTERS
Culture Matters harnesses the power of art and culture to create lasting impact in the Royal Docks. The project addresses cultural inequity, recognising that access to cultural knowledge, confidence, and participation - often inherited in wealthier families - is less available in disadvantaged communities.
By embedding cultural experiences into schools and community life, Culture Matters helps residents build the cultural capital that fosters aspiration, confidence, and opportunity. Rooted in the Royal Docks, the initiative is shaped by and for local people, with a strong focus on youth empowerment, health and wellbeing, and community participation.
Through partnerships with grassroots cultural organisations, including youth-led groups, Culture Matters expands its reach and deepens its impact. The goal is simple yet ambitious: equitable access to culture, helping to close the social mobility gap.
Ultimately, the project seeks to create meaningful, long-term change - transforming lives by nurturing confidence, ambition, and achievement through cultural engagement.
HEAR OUR VOICE
Hear Our Voice is a free programme for 14–22-year-olds, using drama and theatre to build confidence, communication, and resilience. Participants gain skills for interviews, public speaking, teamwork, and emotional wellbeing, while finding positive outlets for stress and self-doubt. Newham is one of London’s most diverse yet disadvantaged boroughs, where youth unemployment nears 30% - this programme meets an urgent local need. Its unique strength is peer-to-peer delivery, with young facilitators offering relatable role models and authentic support.
By funding Hear Our Voice, PPP will enable young people to turn potential into opportunity, and self-belief into action.
FINGERPRINT
Fingerprint is a high impact social value project designed for looked-after children.
Being in care often complicates how young people see themselves. They are frequently told what their futures will look like, and constantly reminded by systems, circumstances, and perceptions of how different their lives are.
Through a process of mindfully delivered workshop engagements, we will explore the theme of identity beyond short term lived experience, challenging the alternative narrative. We will remind young people that they are shaping their own lives, full of moments and connections that extend beyond the label of “looked-after child.”
At its core, the project seeks to open a wider conversation about young people in care. By providing space for reflection and expression, it offers emotional respite to a group too often overlooked. Using the outcomes of this project as ‘proof of concept’ data , Fingerprint can be scaled to reach more communities, amplifying voices that deserve to be heard.
CITIZEN OF NOWHERE
Many young people of Asian, African, and diasporic heritage in Britain experience cultural tension, feeling caught between identities and never fully accepted. This project, led by young filmmakers of Black, Asian and eastern European heritage, explores these themes through films created by and about young people.
In partnership with Art in the Docks, this youth led project will launch East London Shorts—bi-monthly screenings of 4–6 short films by independent London-based filmmakers. These events will provide invaluable exposure, networking, and dialogue, while engaging audiences across the community.
Alongside screenings, filmmaking workshops will open the process to locals, showing its accessibility and inspiring new voices. The project celebrates young talent, amplifies underrepresented stories, and strengthens East London’s creative landscape.
GREETING CARD WORKSHOP
10 Sessions of Creativity at Art in the Docks
Discover the joy of handmade cards in this relaxing workshop series!
Each week, explore a new way to design and decorate your own greeting cards using a variety of materials and techniques — from watercolor and collage to stamping and mixed media. A safe, welcoming space to unwind, create, and connect. Suitable for a range of ages — beginners welcome! All materials provided
