What is Gillett Square
Physically, the square is a quiet, off road yet near the town centre, granite open space flanked by jazz bars, cafes, food outlets and a host of other interesting entrepneurs. Culturally, the square is people – people from an antonishing range of ages, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds & beliefs, all sharing the space with each other, to work and to play.
Gillett Square provides a vital piece of public realm where it is needed most. The urban area of Dalston is in the 10% most deprived wards in the UK. It has no public parks, only 4.22 hectares of open space, a traffic dominated environment and a cramped and hostile pedestrian environment. Hackney Co-operative Developments work with many partners to ensure that Gillett Square provides us the opportunity to offer the community a vital refuge and place to congregate in community celebration.
As real public space in London reduces, Gillett Square is a unique proposition of a space where you can do anything. The Gillett Squared team work together to create activites and events to invite all potential users into the square to meet and interact with each other.
A place to walk through; a place to sit; a place to share; a place to meet; a place to see, hear, feel, smell, taste and discover wonderful and incredible things.
Who we are
Gillett Squared is an ongoing partnership committed to proactively creating and enabling cultural events and activity in Gillett Square.
Hackney Co-operative Developments (HCD), leads this partnership and provides ongoing support and core resources; a Creative Producer post, a named holder of the Permanent Entertainments Licence, several years’ experience of planning and carrying out events and activity, stewardship of the Square’s equipment, and links to local organisations and authorities.
To achieve a successful programme, HCD works closely with a number of local businesses (including tenants of HCD), local community groups, cultuarl producers from within Dalston and beyond and London Borough of Hackney.
Our work would not be possible without the close co-operative relationships with our many partners, the support of many funders and a wonderful team of vounteers.
