Way Out East Gallery wins community award

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Published

07 December 2023

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Way Out East, the University of East London (UEL) art gallery, has won the title of Outstanding Initiative in Community Cohesion at the East London Community Heroes awards. The group behind the awards, Stratford Rotary, said the commendation recognised community organisations that bring people from different ages and backgrounds together to tackle issues in the local area.

Dr David Tann, Dean of the University’s School of Architecture, Engineering and Computing welcomed the recognition, saying it was a testament to the dedication of the gallery team and the impact of Way Out East in east London. He said,

Every year we host the Art Matters exhibition, where over 4000 pieces of artwork created by students from 50 local schools are showcased. It provides not only a platform for artistic expression but also serves as a catalyst for building bridges across our community, bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together to address pressing issues through the lens of art.

The East London Community Heroes Awards have been running for five years, with the aim of celebrating the hard work and dedication of those who make a positive impact on life in east London, but whose efforts might otherwise go unrecognised. 

Poster with stars on a blue background celebrating UEL's Way Out East - East London Community Heroes Awards 2023

The manager of Way Out East, Rod Reed, explained the gallery also serves as a community space for students and a location for local artists to exhibit their work. He said, “One of the primary focuses of this space is to showcase a variety of exhibitions to our local community in Newham, to our students and to local schoolchildren. We host a diverse range of shows throughout our academic year highlighting specific calendar dates such as Black History Month, Earth Day and International Women's Week. We firmly believe in the inclusion of works created by individuals from different cultural backgrounds, organisations and communities and this is at the core of our programming.”

Way Out East, located in the AVA building in the University’s Docklands Campus, is open on weekdays from 9am to 10pm, and on weekends from 10am to 5pm. A wide variety of exhibitions and performances are held there, including displays of painting and sculpture, installation art, dance and theatre events. The gallery is currently exhibiting an installation presented at Shanghai Fashion Week 2023. 

The gallery was opened in 2019 and expanded in 2022, as part of a one-million-pound renovation project at the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering. It showcases work from UEL students and staff practitioners but also displays regular exhibitions by external artists, describing its mission as being “to explore creativity to its fullest: without limitation.” 

To keep updated about upcoming events, people can connect with Way Out East’s Instagram account @way.out.east or the gallery’s website.

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