Christopher Mike
Art in The Docks
Christopher Mike is Founder and CEO of Art in the Docks, a community arts charity working at the intersection of culture, urban regeneration, education and social justice in East London’s Royal Docks, one of the capital’s most significant regeneration areas.
Since establishing Art in the Docks in 2022, Christopher has pioneered a practical approach to place-based creative community stewardship, demonstrating how sustained cultural engagement can become an integral part of the social infrastructure of developing neighbourhoods. The organisation has established a proven track record, engaging more than 6,500 residents and 1,800 schoolchildren annually through programmes spanning creative education, health and wellbeing, cultural participation and community development.
Christopher’s work connects grassroots cultural practice with the wider disciplines of urban planning, architecture and regeneration. He develops relationships with regional government, placemaking agencies, planners, architects, housing providers and cultural institutions, advocating for the recognition of community knowledge, cultural participation and long-term local relationships as essential considerations in shaping successful places.
His particular interest is in how the built environment and social infrastructure work together to create healthier, more connected and resilient neighbourhoods. He champions a shift away from short-term cultural interventions towards sustained, community-led stewardship, and the recognition of grassroots cultural organisations as strategic partners in urban development rather than simply providers of activities.
Through Art in the Docks, he is developing a practical and potentially replicable model of creative placemaking that connects community participation, preventative health, social value and the long-term success of urban regeneration.
