The Print House Gallery presented 'Hackney: This Place Then' by Charlie Peel of Urban Good & Map.Editions. The limited edition collection of maps aligning present-day Hackney with its historic landscape from a 100 years ago.

The maps of Lower Clapton, Stoke Newington, Dalston, Shoreditch, and Homerton are seen in parallel time — where lost buildings, vanished fields, and shifting streets come back into view.

Andrea Simon, the Victim's Commissioner for London, visited Sistah Space. She reached out to them to discuss how services for victims of domestic violence can be improved for women of African and Caribbean heritage. Referencing their research they spoke about the gaps in specialist support and the need for a refuge for their community.

Sistah Space are also proud to announce they have been invited to join the Victims' Reference Group, the body that helps shape how victims' services work across London.

Our local MP - Meg Hillier MP- called in to meet some of the Bootstrap tenants including Mediorite, African Community School, Urban Good & Silverfish. She hosted a short Q&A, and expressed her interest in holding a consultation on the creative industries at Bootstrap.

Our collaboration project with Caritas of Westminster, Seeds Hub, supported 20 local entrepreneurs with advice and guidance on starting a business with a social purpose. The consort took part in weekly workshops covering essential business skills such as sales, finance and marketing. These key tools were offered alongside use of our training room, and a desks to work from in CoLab Space to feel part of something bigger. 

As part of Hackney Refugee Week 2025, EfA's ESOL class at Latin American Women’s Aid (LAWA) based in the Bootstrap building, hosted an inspiring Open House celebrating this year’s theme: Community as a Superpower.

The event brought together storytelling, cultural exchange, and delicious home-cooked food from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Chile, Bangladesh, and beyond, shared with pride, connection, and generosity.

As part of their internship with the food education charity Eat Club, the Young Leaders hosted a cook-along feast celebrating lesser-known South Asian dishes inspired by their heritage and a desire to counter social disconnection. Participants learned how to prepare traditional recipes such as Baingan Bharta, a smoky mashed eggplant stew, and Aam Panna, a refreshing green mango drink, and then sat down to enjoy the feast altogether. 
The Young Leaders took lead in every part of the evening, from curating the menu to running the event, gaining hands-on experience in planning, hospitality, and project management.

Throughout October Sistah Space celebrated ‘Black Herstory Month’ with events filled with connection, vital conversations, and generous support.

The month started with a speaking event at SAGE’s publishing offices where they highlighted the importance of intersection approaches when addressing Domestic Abuse. Ngozi and Rose held more discussions throughout the month which focused on their work within the community, at Refuge and Brixton Prison.

Black Herstory ended with Mango Morning, where people got togethe for good food, culture and vibes. This event also featured an Imagining the Black British Future panel discussion - featuring Kelechi Okafor, Tianna Johnson, Nikki Fagbemi and Demetrius.

Our local MP - Dame Meg Hillier - hosted the local policing team and over 60 members of the local community at Print House to discuss public safety, and share their opinions on Hackney Councils planned actions to tackle crime.

Key points included the creation of two dedicated council enforcement officers to provide visible patrols, closer monitoring of Dalston by Hackney Council’s CCTV team, and Support When it Matters (SWIM) to support vulnerable people with harm reduction.

Following this the audience asked questions on the issues they were facing, with topics such as refuse collection and pest control being discussed.

Idias Community Kitchen gathered their network and volunteers together for a special day of gift giving and bread breaking. Aina, who is the founder, wanted to share thanks to everyone at Bootstrap who make the sharing of these spaces available for them, and for donations and time that you contribute. 

Intermission Youth - a theatre and therapy charity that supports young people - welcomed Letitia Wright for an inspiring Q&A session hosted by 2024 graduate Maria.

Letitia opened up about her early journey into acting, reflecting on how joining a youth theatre in her local area played a pivotal role in shaping her career. 

 ‘A pocket of their own shape’ took form when Olivia Arthur was invited for a residency at Librarie 7L in Paris, the former studio of Karl Lagerfeld. The artist & photographer alongside her partner Philip Ebeling presented the work in the former Hangar Space. The images Olivia created were printed on to semi-transparent fabric to create ghost like flags which were interspersed with hanging frames containing the original artworks. The exhibition allowed visitors to move around the work which created an immersive feeling.