Welcome to Colvestone Co-Lab

We are a group of local residents, creative organisations and businesses who have come together to propose a vibrant, creative community hub in the former Colvestone Primary School buildings in Dalston.

About us
Colvestone school hall ceiling

Sign up as a supporter — Here

A new community space in the heart of Dalston – celebrating culture, art + belonging.

Our vision

The Dalston Trust has brought together a diverse consortium of established cultural enterprises, including a theatre and performing arts company, two charitable museums, two providers of artist studios and exhibition spaces, several craft enterprises, a music hub, a community cafe/bar and gardens.

Our partners are integral to realising our ambitious vision to ensure that the future use of the Colvestone Primary School buildings and land continues to serve the social interest and wellbeing of the local community as it has done in the past.

Our bid video sets out a vision for a renewed Colvestone – as a dynamic hub for creativity, learning and social togetherness in the heart of Dalston.

Our partners

  • A man with dreadlocks wearing a red and white striped shirt, holding a microphone to his mouth, singing or speaking.

    The Greenlight Project

    The Greenlight Project, an initiative of the Lightbulb Trust, is a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting entities that deliver high-impact, arts-based interventions for some of the most deprived and marginalised communities.

    Find out more

  • The Music Hub

    Julian Joseph OBE, the renowned jazz musician, composer, broadcaster and educator, has offered his support and advice in promoting a young people’s music hub within the Colvestone Co-Lab.

    Find out more

  • A hand holding a vintage toy soldier dressed as a historical figure with a black tricorn hat, red coat, and white crossbody sash, with a background of wooden figurines and red heart-patterned paper.

    Pollock’s Toy Museum

    Pollock’s Toy Museum engages children, families, older people, and disadvantaged groups through toys and games as tools for wellbeing.

    Find out more

  • Two women, one with a blue headscarf and the other with blonde hair, assist a puppet with a mask and a handmade sign with a red heart, in an indoor setting.

    Curious School of Puppetry

    The Curious School of Puppetry is an artist-led UK organisation dedicated to advancing puppetry through professional training, collaboration, and advocacy.

    Find out more

  • A garden display with potted flowers including yellow daffodils, white and pink tulips, and green foliage. A pink sign with white words reads 'Keep cities WILD'. There are tables with checkered tablecloths and red chairs in the background.

    Eastern Curve Garden

    Eastern Curve Garden is a lush, eco-friendly oasis that offers a peaceful retreat from urban life, promoting wellbeing and biodiversity. It is a beloved community cornerstone nurturing creativity, connection, and environmental stewardship in Dalston – expertise it will bring to the Colvestone site.

    Find out more

  • A woman shaping a clay bowl on a pottery wheel in a studio.

    Dalston Clay

    Dalston Clay is a creative wellbeing studio offering pottery alongside meditation and yoga to nurture creativity and wellbeing.

    Find out more

  • A vintage red typewriter, a retro orange lava lamp, a rotary telephone with a floral pattern, a clock, and a small white cup on a green wall background.

    Bakelite Design Trust

    The Bakelite Design Trust aims to re-establish the museum to educate the public on plastics’ history and impact through a permanent exhibition and activities.

    Find out more

  • A person sitting on the floor working on a sewing project with fabric pieces and patterns laid out in front of them.

    That’s Not Fair

    That’s Not Fair is an independent, black, female-owned children’s clothing brand offering children free Conception to Creation sewing workshops – giving opportunities for creative expression, skill development and confidence building.

    Find out more

  • Interior view of a woodworking workshop with a wooden workbench, tools, and a sign reading 'East London School of Furniture Making.'

    New School of Furniture Making

    The New School of Furniture Making offers short courses in craft and joinery, accessible woodworking education, especially for young people, plus hands-on craft skills promoting mental wellbeing and empowerment.

    Find out more

  • Children and a teacher painting on a large transparent sheet attached to a brick wall outdoors.

    Bomb Factory Art Foundation

    Bomb Factory is a charitable arts organisation dedicated to fostering the creation and development of art spaces that support artists and provide audiences with a more inclusive experience.

    Find out more

  • People shopping at an outdoor market with boxes and fabric hanging overhead, in front of an old brick building.

    V22

    V22 provides affordable workspaces to artists, makers, creative businesses, social enterprises, and freelancers.

    Find out more

  • Ministry of Stories

    Ministry of Stories champions the writer in every child. Co-founded by author Nick Hornby in 2010, it has supported over 20,000 young people in Hackney to discover their confidence, imagination and potential through the power of their writing.

    Find out more

  • Voyage Youth

    Voyage Youth is a social justice charity tacking racial imbalance in London. It seeks to empower and enrich the lives of young people of colour in London and transform disadvantaged communities. 

    Find out more

  • Colorful modern building with orange, yellow, and red vertical stripes, blue windows, and a clear sky with some tree branches in the foreground.

    dRMM Architects

    RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architects dRMM Studio London have supported the preparation of this ambitious project for the Colvestone Primary School site, providing expertise in shaping a place-led vision and strategic approach to adapting spaces that will help re-energise this cherished community asset for creative use. dRMM are radical makers of sustainable, socially useful architecture.

"This sounds exciting and has my full and enthusiastic support!" Mike S., teacher and theatre director

–

"A much needed space for arts and the community." Heather L.

–

"Fantastic community idea... let’s keep pushing!" Linda S.

–

"This sounds exciting and has my full and enthusiastic support!" Mike S., teacher and theatre director – "A much needed space for arts and the community." Heather L. – "Fantastic community idea... let’s keep pushing!" Linda S. –