Introducing BASSTONE PLAYGROUND by Linett Kamala
Photos by Crispian Blaize
Written by Lalah-Simone Springer
Primary school aged-children from Newham have commissioned renowned artist and DJ Linett Kamala to design an immersive play installation for The Music is Black Festival by East Bank at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 13 and 14 June 2026.
Children aged 8-11 were given the opportunity to choose what kind of artwork they would like to commission on behalf of Culture Within Newham.
The Children’s Board said they were looking for a ‘play zone’ that was also ‘a relaxing space’ where ‘you can express your feelings through singing or dancing… and if it gets too loud you can chill out in our quiet area with fun activities’.
After working for months to refine their brief and vision, the children met with multiple artists who pitched their vision – and BASSTONE PLAYGROUND by Linett Kamala was selected.
Learn more about BASSTONE PLAYGROUND on their Project Page.
Learn more about the Culture Within Newham Children’s Board.
About the artist
Linett Kamala is an interdisciplinary artist, educator and carnivalist born in London who works across a range of media including paintings, installation, murals and DJ soundscapes. Kamala is known as the ‘Sound System Queen’, credited as one of the first female DJs to perform at the Notting Hill Carnival on a static sound system in the early 1980s at the age of 15.
