East Village is a thriving neighbourhood for residents and visitors alike, now firmly established in its 10th year and home to over 6,500 residents. East Village is also home to 36 majority independent retailers from cafés and restaurants to a delicatessen and a community hall, as well Harris Chobham Academy, an Ofsted “Outstanding” education campus for pupils from aged 4 to 18 years old. The neighbourhood has the Sir Ludwig Guttmann Health and Wellbeing Centre, one of the NHS’s largest non-hospital buildings and is next to all the world class facilities of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Conveniently located in Stratford, transport connections to the neighbourhood are extremely well-served by the Jubilee and Central lines, the DLR, Overground and High Speed Rail. Connections are further approved with the arrival of the Elizabeth line in 2022.

Launched in 2021, the Lab E20 in East Village, Get Living’s new flagship for sustainable retail, cultural exhibition and creative workspace. Designed and produced by Christopher Raeburn, founder of RÆBURN, the Lab launched in July 2021 and the 3,500sq ft and double-heighted space in East Village plays host to events and experiences with various cultural partners for residents and wider community.

2021 saw the launch of the Lab E20 in East Village, Get Living’s flagship for sustainable retail, cultural exhibition and creative workspace. Designed and produced by Christopher Raeburn, founder of RÆBURN, the 3,500sq ft and double-heighted space in East Village engages with residents and the wider community with events, workshops and experiences in partnership with various cultural partners.

The Lab E20 has been designed to engage with a wide range of local stakeholders, placing an innovation space at the heart of East Village that brings together creatives, collaborators, residents and the local community to work towards a more sustainable neighbourhood. By positioning East Village as the gateway to East London’s emerging Fashion District, we have been able to combine the creative activities that support East Village’s placemaking strategy with East Village’s ambition to be a sustainable place to live.

Since the launch of the Lab E20 on 29th July 2021, there have been over 2,500 visitors taking part in a programme of nearly 200 events, including 20 activities aimed at local children, and 12 educational panel discussions. As part of our partnership with RÆBURN, The Lab E20 hosted PREVIEW: a six-month programme of events and experiences with various cultural partners. These include D-Lab Studios, an existing East Village commercial tenant who works within communities to encourage creativity and innovation, for the benefit of people, places and the planet; LOANHOOD, a fashion rental app founded in response to the climate crisis; and the Fashion District Festival, a five-day celebration of sustainability and innovation launches in and around Stratford. Other examples of events that took place included a custom t-shirt workshop with a local school and an architectural summer school.

After a successful first 15 months, we are looking to further explore the opportunities that the space has to offer, both strengthening existing relationships and widening our partnerships to bring in further brands that share our sustainable goals. We will work closely with local schools, social enterprises, and organisations to connect well-being with sustainability, hosting workshops and events that facilitate community action towards more sustainable living.