Heritage
Busy Roads to Wide Water & Big Skies
Salvatore Rubbino is an illustrator and has made Newham his home. ‘I love to look’ he says, ‘and drawing helps me to notice my surroundings more carefully’. In March 2023, he was joined by fellow Newham resident Raffaella Ravaioli on a walk through Canning Town to explore how the present has been shaped by the past and experience the noisy energy of building projects all around as Canning Town races towards a new future. The route follows busy roads of industry and shops, then quieter residential streets and finally to the Royal Victoria Docks with its wide water reflecting a big sky. Salvatore drew the pictures for the project and the words are from the conversation and opinions he shared with Raffaella.
The animation and soundscape for the illustrations was created by filmmaker Emma Crouch.
Commissioned by the Royal Docks Team as part of Our People and Stories.
Watch the video on YouTube.
For your visit
Art & Culture
Making Space: Go the Distance
Installation artwork by Jessie Brennan, created with Peacock Gym by collecting images from the archive of this renowned community boxing hub.
Art & Culture
Lightship 93
A photo shoot location like no other: a meticulously-preserved lighthouse vessel.
Activities
Royal Docks Adventure
Power boats, rowing boats, dragon boats, canoes – everything you need for an afternoon on the water.