EartH is the London events space leading the way in the city’s cultural programming

EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney), which is now an iconic venue in East London, was once a forgotten gem that the team restored and reopened to the public in 2018. It’s a miracle they did, as EartH has been nothing short of a beacon of unbridled creativity and art ever since. The venue, in all its humble glory, consists of three distinct parts, each with its own unique personality. It features a stunning art deco theatre, an atmospheric hall for live music and club nights, and a vibrant DIY-feel bar that exudes energy and excitement – the exact kind you’d expect to find from London.

Despite being relatively new to the London cultural arts scene, the venue has already made a significant and sizable impact. Life before EartH for many Londoners is hard to recall. Renowned music acts such as Self Esteem, Foals, Little Simz, Beastie Boys, Peggy Gou, Kelsey Lu and many Boiler Room DJ sets have graced its stage. Additionally, the venue is consistently smashing it out of the park with top-tier comedians, talks, live podcasts and immersive events. For some time now, there’s been no telling what EartH will do next with its space.

At the forefront of EartH’s ethos is its commitment to diverse programming and inclusive environments. “Because of how different each space is, EartH really lends itself to a diverse programme,” Amelie Syners MD explains. “We work really closely with each promoter to understand their audience and to ensure that we can provide a safe and fun night out for everyone who comes to EartH.” EartH is a signatory of the Women’s Night Safety Charter and the Good Night Out campaign, both of which look to ensure the safety of women and marginalised groups on their nights out.

“We also actively look at our programme to ensure that we are curating events which welcome a diverse group of people into the venue, reflective of London’s wide mix of identities and cultures,” Amelie adds. “We want EartH to be a place where everyone can find something they’re interested in.”For Amelie, one of the best nights in EartH’s history, and representative of its commitment to diverse programming was its XL Records Everything is Recorded project. “It set the bar high for the rest of our programming,” Amelie adds. “The stage was set in the middle of the venue and artists we love like Sampha, Ibeyi and Obongjayar all came to play.”

There is truly no limit on what EartH can do. EartH’s theatre alone can host the widest range of events, whether it be moody techno sets or seated comedy gigs, creative talks in the theatre or rowdy club nights downstairs in the dark Hall, there’s a bit of everything. “We’d love to have more of those events that showcase the whole space, such as combining both spaces with EartH Kitchen and turning them into one big venue and host all-dayers like we did with Dialled in last year,” Amelie adds.

While EartH has steadily maintained its Art Deco aesthetics and historical, quirky charm, its set up is modern and forward-thinking. It bypasses any pretentious allure in order to prioritise straightforward and good, sonic experiences. “We were one of the first venues in the country to house L-Acoustics L-ISA soundsystem,” says Ian Crawford, music and culture programmer. This soundsystem is essentially a groundbreaking piece of sound technology which creates 3D sound effects in the venue space. “3D immersive sound is a notoriously hard thing to describe, it really needs to be experienced first-hand,” Ian says. It’s this kind of set-up that attracts both artists and the viewing public in equal measure. Artists want to play at EartH, and the people want to attend.

So, just how does the L-Acoustics L-ISA soundsystem benefit EartH and its roster of artists? “The L-Acoustics team provides L-ISA software access and support, so artists can create their live show exclusive to EartH ahead of their performance,” Ian explains. “At EartH, we are very lucky to work with a fantastic range of promoters, some of which have a passion for experimental and leftfield music, and who promote innovative, forward thinking artists who are excited about the opportunity to perform in 360.”

As for what’s in the pipeline at EartH, the team is particularly excited for Futuresound in August. “Their events are dedicated to immersive sound, and changing the global mainstream conversation about the true potential of music and sound,” Ian tells us. The event will bring Guatemalan artist Mose to EartH, performing a rare extended live downtempo meditative sound journey. In September, UK cult dub producer Adrian Sherwood will present a 3D live dub experience. Expect all of these events to be part of EartH’s new venture EartH 360, a programme in partnership with L-Acoustics which will dedicate itself to bringing spatial sound to audiences in new and invigorating ways. We’ll be getting our tickets!