Creative Newham was born out of a shared ambition—to place creativity at the heart of Newham’s future.

We began in 2018, in response to Arts Council England’s Creative People & Places programme. The opportunity galvanised cultural leaders across the borough. Spearheaded by Sanaz Amidi, then CEO of Rosetta Arts, a dynamic steering group of over 15 exceptional leaders a coalition of over 80 individuals and 60+ organisations came together to dream bigger for Newham. Their aim? To create a united cultural voice for the borough—one that reflected its vibrancy, diversity, and deep-rooted creative energy.

By September 2019, Creative Newham was formalised with Sanaz Amidi as Chair. Since then, we’ve grown into a thriving, cross-sector alliance of 120+ members, committed to making creativity more visible, valued, and accessible in Newham.

We’re proud to represent a borough where: 

• Cultural activity thrives at grassroots level, often ‘under the radar’—in artist studios, community centres, mosques, churches and high streets. 

• Innovative entrepreneurship is deeply embedded, with independent businesses reflecting the rich identities of our communities. 

• Diversity is championed, over 200 languages and dialects are spoken within the borough, making Newham one of the most diverse boroughs in the UK.