Celebrating 10 Years of Friendship and Community at The Boathouse

On the evening of November 28th, The Boathouse Studios once again came alive with music, performance, laughter and great food as we celebrated our 10th Anniversary in style. What a fabulous evening it was! We were surrounded by the warmth of friends, supporters, and our vibrant community and we marked a decade of creativity, hard work, connection, and memories.

We were delighted that the atmosphere encapsulated everything The Boathouse stands for—celebration of rites of passage, artistic expression, and a deep sense of belonging. 

A highlight of the evening was the evocative piano performance by Iqra Zamen played on the Boathouse’s new addition, our baby grand piano, donated to us by the generous Steward family. She played the piece she composed, commissioned by Carl Blackburn for Barking and Dagenham's 50th Anniversary in 2015 when she was just 15 years old. Iqra’s story with The Boathouse is one of growth and inspiration, and it was truly special to have her with us to celebrate this milestone. 

From flash mob spoken word performed by the Boathouse team and board, to live music from Paul Constable and Kemi Oyenede, kind words from Cllr Dominic Twomey, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, and Mark Horn and Steve Drury from Rooff Ltd every moment of the evening embodied the spirit of our community. It was wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces and welcome new friends into The Boathouse family.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to all those who have supported us over the years. Whether you've attended our events, celebrated your own, contributed your talent, or shared your time, you’ve helped make The Boathouse a beacon of creativity and friendship.

A big thank you as always to our committed Boathouse Core team, Julie, Shadene, Carl, Dina, Brian and to our Board, Anne, Farrah, Ria and Steve.  

Here’s to the next 10 years of dreaming, creating, and celebrating together! Stay tuned for more events, and don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list so you don’t miss a moment of what’s to come. 

Warm wishes,

Carole Pluckrose (CEO/Artistic Director) 

We Are All Passers By  by Carole Pluckrose, An original piece written to celebrate  ten years 

Ten Years of the Boathouse Studios  by local writer Mary Walsh