DALSTON THEATRE COMMMEMORATION

RESIDENTS commemorated Dalston Theatre last weekend with three days of events under the name ‘Goodbye Cruel World’, writes Tom Calverley

The programme had a suitable radical and alternative tone, kicking off on Friday with a vegan café and a talk on political prisoners. On Saturday, alternative grassroots news outlet Indymedia ran workshops and exhibitions along the theme of the future of Indymedia London.
That evening, anti-racist campaign group No Borders showed documentaries about struggles around the world, including Woomera Breakout, Nolager Nowhere and Latitude 36. The night was rounded off with Ska from Radio Revolucion, hip-hop MCs and DJs playing reggae, jungle, drum and bass and dub step. Sunday’s proceedings closed with more vegan food and a cinema.
The former theatre, nightclub and community centre on Dalston Lane was demolished by Hackney Council in February, despite attempts to save the building through political campaigning, court injunctions and squatting.
The structure, dating back to 1896, plus two adjacent houses built in the 1820s, was knocked down to make way for the new East London Line Dalston tube station, a bus station and residential tower blocks.
The Organisation for Promotion of Environmental Needs Dalston (OPEN Dalston) campaigned to save the buildings. Bill Parry Davis, OPEN’s chair, said of the demolition: “I think the council are philistines and they will regret it. I think people will be shocked when they see what’s being built to replace the buildings.
“These developments aren’t meeting the needs of the local community, particularly the need for family accommodation.”
Hackney Council's Planning Brief for the site prescribed 50 per cent affordable housing, but according to OPEN, the new developments will have only 24 per cent affordable housing of which only half will be social accommodation.
There are also environmental concerns. Parry Davis said: “They’re putting 30,000 cubic metres of concrete over the station site, which will cost £39m. Not only will the carbon footprint be phenomenal, there’s no need as it’s only there to support the bus station. So it will cost £2.5m per bus stand, which seems very expensive.”