Summer cultural events: May – September
Poetry Drop In at The Roundhouse
Monday 11 May, Monday 8 June and Monday 6 July, 6.30pm
The Roundhouse Creative Studios, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Looking for a regular creative spark without the long-term commitment?
Join us for our monthly poetry workshops – a dedicated space for writers to develop their craft, experiment with new styles, and connect with a creative community.
£2 per session, for young people aged 18-25.
Find out more.
Bursary Support Available
Instagram: @roundhouseldn
Contact: performingarts.projects@roundhouse.org.uk
Poetry and Creative Writing Course with The Stuart Low Trust
Tuesday 12, Tuesday 19, Tuesday 26 May
Tuesday 2, Tuesday 9, Tuesday 16, Tuesday 23, Tuesday 30 June
Tuesday 7 July
2.00 – 2.30pm
Islington Mind Centre in Archway, Unit 4, Archway Business Centre, Wedmore St, Archway, London N19 4RU
We have our fantastic host and performing poet Bill, who was referred by his GP to the Stuart Low Trust to rebuild his life by volunteering. He now runs our Creative Writing class and has become a valued member of the Stuart Low Trust team and community.
Come along and self-express in a safe, friendly space. Each week we explore a different theme and experiment with different techniques and writing styles. All levels and experience are welcome, no poetry experience needed.
To book your space, email info@slt.org.uk or call 020 7713 9304
Circus Drop-In at The Roundhouse
Wednesday 13, Wednesday 20 May
Wednesday 3, Wednesday 10, Wednesday 17, Wednesday 24 June
Wednesday 1, Wednesday 8, Wednesday 15 July
All dates 4.30pm
The Roundhouse Creative Studios, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
From mastering gravity-defying aerial skills to ground-based acrobatics, you’ll get to try it all in a professional studio. Build physical confidence, coordination and teamwork under the supportive guidance of industry professionals.
What you’ll get:
Aerial skills: take to the air and learn how to use hoop, rope, static trapeze, and silks.
Ground skills: develop your balance and agility with acrobatics, parkour, juggling, tightwire and unicycling.
Physical confidence: build core strength and coordination through high-energy creative exercises.
Creative teamwork: work as part of a crew, building communication skills while learning new tricks.
Industry access: train directly with professional circus tutors who work in the arts industry.
£2 per session for young people aged 11-14.
Find out more. Bursary Support Available
Instagram: @roundhouseldn
Contact: performingarts.projects@roundhouse.org.uk
Theatre Drop In at The Roundhouse
Wednesday 13, Wednesday 20 May
Wednesday 3, Wednesday 10, Wednesday 17, Wednesday 24 June
Wednesday 1, Wednesday 8, Wednesday 15 July
All dates 6:45pm
The Roundhouse Creative Studios, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Whether you’re interested in acting, dancing, or just performing on stage, this weekly Theatre Drop-In gives you space to stay creative, build confidence, and explore new approaches to performance.
Each session offers a fresh focus – from improv and ensemble work to devising and cabaret – led by experienced facilitators who’ll help you experiment, play, and develop your craft in a supportive, relaxed environment. You can join every week or drop in whenever you can – each session stands alone.
£2 per session, for young people aged 18-25.
Find out more.
Bursary support available
Instagram: @roundhouseldn
Contact: performingarts.projects@roundhouse.org.uk
Circus Experience Week at The Roundhouse
Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 May
The Roundhouse Creative Studios, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Whether you’re a regular at our weekly circus drop in workshops or looking to try circus for the very first time, this is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of circus arts.
With more time in the air and on the floor, we’ll cover the basics and move beyond, build your confidence on the aerial silks, hoop, and trapeze, and sharpen your skills in acrobatics and parkour.
Ticketed £10-£25, for young people aged 11-14.
Find out more. Bursary Support Available
Instagram: @roundhouseldn
Contact: performingarts.projects@roundhouse.org.uk
Exquisite People – community display
Wednesday 17, Sunday 21, Wednesday 24, Sunday 28 June
Wednesday 1, Sunday 5 July
10am – 5pm each day
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 1 Myddelton Passage, London, EC1R 1AG
A community display of work produced by Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in partnership with Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants. The work was created by people who have come to the borough of Islington from all over the world. A playful invitation to explore illustration in the newly open Quentin Blake Centre.
No need to book, just come to our welcome desk and ask for information on our community display and our staff will direct you.
Free for everyone
Instagram: @qbcentre
Contact: community@qbcentre.org.uk
Islington Creatives: Making it in Theatre and the Screen Industries
Friday 19 June, 10am – 5pm
The Dance Hall, 1 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3TD
Join us for a full‑day creative conference bringing together local creatives, freelancers, cultural organisations and funders for a practical behind the scenes look at how creative careers really work., especially behind the scenes.
Whether you’re just starting out, changing direction, freelancing, or looking to grow your creative practice, this is a space to learn, connect and be inspired.
Taking place across The Dance Hall and nearby spaces around Navigator Square, this full‑day conference offers a mix of talks, panels, hands‑on workshops and networking designed to support people working in – or curious about – theatre, film and screen industries.
Free for everyone.
Find out more and register your place.
Devising and Performance with Gecko at The Roundhouse
Saturday 4 July, 10.30am
The Roundhouse Creative Studios, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Join us for a masterclass led by practitioners from Gecko, an award-winning and internationally acclaimed physical theatre company.
This is a rare opportunity to experience first-hand the tools Gecko uses to create their visceral, poetic, and provocative productions. Through a process of “serious play” and dynamic physical tasks, you’ll explore unique methods for creating movement for performance. You’ll delve into the use of breath and language to express yourself and discover how to access emotional states safely within a professional creative environment.
Ticketed £10 and under, for young people aged 15-17.
Find out more.
Bursary support available
Instagram: @roundhouseldn
Contact: performingarts.projects@roundhouse.org.uk
De Beauvoir Jazz Festival
Friday 10, Saturday 11 and 12th July
Leading UK and international musicians come together for three special days of music making, in the heart of Hackney and Islington in London.
A festival by local residents, for those in the neighbourhood and beyond. United by our passion for music and community, we are delighted to have found supporters, cheerleaders and a community who are helping us build the De Beauvoir Jazz Festival.
Find out more and book tickets
Script in a Day: Writing for Stage and Screen at The Roundhouse
Saturday 11 July, 10.30am
The Roundhouse Creative Studios, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Got a story to tell but don’t know how to start the first page? ‘Script in a Day’ is a workshop designed to take you from a blank page to a finished short script in just one session!
Led by an industry professional who works across both stage and screen, you’ll dive into a practical toolkit of storytelling, character building, and structural techniques.
Through dynamic creative exercises, you’ll learn how to find your characters’ voices and build scenes with confidence. Whether you’re dreaming of writing for the stage or the big screen, this is your chance to learn the fundamental rules of the craft and walk away with a completed piece of work.
Ticketed £10 and under, for young people aged 15-17.
Find out more.
Bursary support available
Instagram: @roundhouseldn
Contact: Claudia.davison@roundhouse.org.uk
Brass on the Grass at Kings Place
Saturday 18 July, 11am
Kings Place, Caledonia Park, Islington (at the Clocktower)
Kings Place are offering a public and free family-friendly interactive workshop as part of developing our Community Strategy and this will be our very first live community project. An experienced brass quintet called Connaught Brass will be leading an outdoor interactive workshop/performance for families. This will be at Caledonia Park at the Clock Tower at 11.00 for 50 minutes.
Free for everyone
Instagram: @kingsplacelondon
Mimi and Friends’ Big Earth Adventure
Wednesday 22 July – Friday 28 August
Institute of Physics, 37 Caledonian Road, N1 9BU
What’s the difference between a volcano and a mountain? What kind of weather comes from space? Why do earthquakes happen?
Join the Institute of Physics this summer for an amazing planet Earth adventure with interactive experiments, arts and crafts activities, games and challenges and much more! Drop into our free family exhibition and find out incredible things about the planet we share and meet real-life physicists who are doing work that helps to shape our world and solve the problems we all care about. Pick up a free storybook and continue the adventure at home!
Instagram: institute_of_physics
Contact: Engagement@iop.org
Tiny Planet at Little Angel Theatre
Tuesday 28 July and Wednesday 29 July
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street Community Centre, Sebbon Street London, N1 2EH
Imagine a planet no bigger than a house that can be explored in a matter of minutes, yet is the centre of a galaxy. With breathtaking puppetry and live folk songs merged with big 90s synth, uncover the planet’s mysteries. Live camera projection brings this Tiny Planet to life as an intergalactic space baker crash lands and learns the smallest things hold the biggest stories.
With 9 Fringe Theatre Award nominations, Tiny Planet carries the echoes of The Little Prince and is a unique piece of puppet theatre exploring how we can all sometimes feel impossibly small and infinitely gigantic.
Ticketed £10-£25. Aimed at ages 5-11.
Find out more and book.
Instagram: @littleangeltheatre
Jack and the beanstalk (SORT OF) at Little Angel Theatre
Tuesday 28 July and Wednesday 29 July
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street Community Centre, Sebbon Street London, N1 2EH
Family theatre and rock star legend Kid Carpet is back with a totally brand new show!
Kid Carpet hates panto. The Noisy Animals absolutely love it. So guess what they’re doing? Yep. A panto. Now there’s a beanstalk in the middle of everything and nobody’s quite sure what’s going on.
Featuring Bear, Gorilla, Badger and Hedgehog, this is Jack & the Beanstalk like it’s been thrown in a blender with a drum machine and dodgy celebrity lookalikes. Part air guitar workshop, part magical mess, this lo-fi, hi-tech, big-beat bonkers panto is stuffed with songs, silliness and surprise grannies.
It’s loud, proud and completely off its bean(stalk)!
Ticketed £10-£25. Aimed at ages 5-11.
Find out more and book.
Instagram: @littleangeltheatre
The Clock Tower Festival 2026
Sunday 2nd August 2026. 12 – 6pm
Caledonian Park, N7 9PL
Expect an afternoon of fun engaging activities, workshops, entertainment and live music. The festival remains free and accessible, with exciting activities like face painting, climbing walls and creative workshops.
Free for everyone
Instagram: @TheClocktowerFestival
Contact: callypark@islington.gov.uk
At Sea at Little Angel Theatre
Friday 31 July and Sunday 2 August
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street Community Centre, Sebbon Street London, N1 2EH
A Fantastical Puppet Adventure for all! At Sea is an uplifting tale of a sailor’s triumph over darkness; Non verbal, with stunning projections and original music. A life affirming family show for anyone aged 6+
Our Sailor loses their way after having their heart compass stolen. Their quest to get it back takes them through a coral reef, a sirens lair and to the very bottom of the ocean. Will they ever find their way back to the surface? Or will they end up trapped in the belly of the beast who steals sailors hearts?
‘At Sea’ is suitable for children and adults and deals with themes of friendship, purpose, the challenges of the modern world and internal belief as antidote to despair all told via the metaphor of a grand ocean adventure.
Ticketed £10-£25. Aimed at ages 6-11.
Find out more and book.
Instagram: @littleangeltheatre
Puffling Percy at Little Angel Theatre
Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street Community Centre, Sebbon Street London, N1 2EH
Percy is a puffling with a fear of flying. When his flock migrates south, Percy is left behind and his life is in mortal danger!
Along comes a fearless field-mouse called Shrimp, whose confidence makes Percy feel braver. Together, they take off on a perilous adventure, but how will Percy find his way back to his Map & Pap?
An uplifting children’s show about true friendship and trusting your instincts. With music by Harriette Ashcroft (Mrs H and the Singalong Band), magical puppetry and a heartwarming story, Puffling Percy is bound to lift you up, up and away!
Ticketed £10-£25. Aimed at ages 3-8.
Find out more and book.
Instagram: @littleangeltheatre
Club Origami at Little Angel Theatre
Friday 7 August and Sunday 9 August
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street Community Centre, Sebbon Street London, N1 2EH
Rip, fold and scrumple! Shall we see what we can make with a single square of paper?
As you scrunch the paper, see how your imagination begins to dance…
Dive into the magical world of Club Origami, an immersive and interactive dance show inviting family audiences to create, imagine and explore whole new ways of thinking, playing and moving. Dance, fashion and live music meet the magic of origami to sweep us up on a spirited and inspiring adventure in a land made purely of paper and play.
Ticketed £10-£25. Aimed at ages 2-5.
Find out more and book.
Instagram: @littleangeltheatre
More Things to do
- Islington Assembly Hall
- Volunteering in Islington
- Playground equipment for disabled children
- Four accessible activities in Islington parks
- Community gardening in Cally Park
- Five things to do in parks
- Islington Borough Ladies FC football sessions
- Islington walking and running routes
- Five ways to explore Islington on foot
- Tufnell Park Market
- Whitecross Street Market
- Camden Passage
- Stroud Green Market
- Exmouth Market
- Archway Market
- Islington Farmers’ Market
- Chapel Market
- Nag’s Head indoor market
- Nag’s Head open-air weekend market
- Free accessible sports
- Over-55s men’s club
- Free fitness classes with Healthy Generations
- Park cuppa
- Best parks for… water fun
- Islington Square Market
- Free health and history walks
- Three ways to… keep kids active
- Finsbury Park Singers and Finsbury A Capella
- Free Friday lunchtime recitals
- Junior parkrun
- Family narrowboat trips
- Ladies’ football training
- Museum of Homelessness
- Summer Reading Challenge
- Free cycling lessons
- Age UK Islington get-togethers
- Olden Community Garden volunteering sessions
- Celebrating ten years of Islington Bereavement Service
- Black History Month 2025
- Volunteer gardening with The Garden Classroom
- Festive events
- Free repair and reuse events this winter
- Wellbeing walks with The Garden Classroom
- Islington menorah-lighting
- Community Gardening at Whittington Park
- Kick Off with a Verse
- Save energy this winter
- Stress management for father’s workshop
- Youth safety events: November
- Fast friends
- Glow in the Angel
- Free play session for under 5’s
- Protecting women and girls together
- Museum of Homelessness festive dog show
- Winter Reading Challenge at Islington Libraries
- Festive fun at libraries
- Autumn cultural things to do: November / December
- Cycling lessons for kids and teens
- Black Cultural Centre’s new art exhibition opens: ‘She Speaks’
- Learn green skills
- Winter cultural things to do: Jan – March
- Finsbury winter warmers
- Mildmay library reopening celebration
- Community gardening: Jan – April
- Gadget support
- Toy donation
- Adult swimming lessons
- Mencap Me Time programme: Jan – April
- Storytelling week: 2-9 February
- Free art workshops
- LGBTQ+ History Month: February
- Cycling lessons for kids and teens during half term
- National year of reading: February half term activities
- Free London Repair Week events
- Help shape the future of family support in Islington!
- The Minds Together Café: Feb – Dec
- Make the most of half-term in Islington: 16- 20 Feb
- Sports coaching opportunity
- Bookstart Storytime at your local Islington Library!
- Black owned business markets: 7-8 March
- Barnsbury’s first ever Book Festival
- The Alternative Bookfair
- London Canal Museum community open day
- Family Easter trail
- Youth safety events: Easter
- Autism and learning disabilities information event
- Spring cultural events: April – May
- The Big Day Out
- Whittington Park Community Centre Makers Market
- Spring into nature at Islington Ecology Centre
- Islington Mind’s action for mental health community event
- National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge: free workshops
- Amwell 200
- Islington Grow Show 2026
- The Mix
- May half term crafts
- Summer workshops for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants
- Summer cultural events: May – September
- Free writing workshops