Reflections: 18 Months with the Community Voices Panel
Image from the Community Voices Panel Manifesto 2026.
Written by Fabian Danker, Director of Studio Colab
In recent years, we have all felt the sting of reduced services. The closure of Newham City Farm during the pandemic felt like a great loss for local families. We’ve seen reduced library hours, the sale of the East London Gymnastic Centre, and the increasing privatisation of leisure facilities. As a father, this poses as barriers to my children’s development.
Having lived in the borough for eight years, I am raising my two young sons, aged one and four, here alongside my wife. Establishing my own architectural practice afforded me the flexibility to engage deeply with my local community, allowing me to contribute professionally to the development of the area.
Newham is defined by its rich socio-economic and cultural diversity. I feel a responsibility to ensure there are consistent opportunities for residents to be exposed to free art and culture, as essential, accessible rights for everyone, regardless of their finances. I joined Culture Within Newham to meet like-minded creatives and to help steer the development of the borough’s cultural landscape.
Being part of the panel would also allow me to use my professional experience, training and background to help with the wider community where I would normally not be able to.
My Role with Culture Within Newham
Throughout the last year and a half, I have focused on appraising grant submissions for various arts and cultural initiatives. This role involved providing feedback, utilising my experience as a business owner to evaluate the feasibility, budgeting, and marketing strategies of applicants and assisting with the Summer of Sustainability Jamboree in the Park provided a "behind-the-scenes" look at the logistics, venue requirements, and legal frameworks necessary for large-scale community events.
While Culture Within Newham’s primary role is to vet applications and allocate funding, their true value lies in their human capital. The breadth of their network connecting musicians, non-profits, and businesses is astonishing. Culture Within Newham don't just provide financial assistance to fund projects they "connect the dots" to ensure delivery and offer mentorship to develop ideas into reality.
The Future: From Community Voice to Ambassador
Moving forward, I plan to leverage my professional background to develop a youth workshop focused on the design and construction of physical structure, although not sure of what or what purpose yet. Being part of Culture Within Newham hasn't just allowed me to give back, it has equipped me with a better understanding of the funding process and a powerful network to help turn my own community workshop.
“Culture Within Newham don’t just provide financial assistance to fund projects, they also “connect the dots” to ensure delivery and offer mentorship to develop ideas into reality.”
Community Voices Panel
The Culture Within Newham Community Voices Panel is made up of 18 local residents from a wide cross-section of the borough, who play a central role in shaping our programme. They make decisions on which projects we work on, which commissions we fund, and which communities we focus on in Newham.
Their networks and expertise of their local areas are crucial to helping us create a programme that is truly for and by the people of Newham.
Learn more about the Culture Within Newham Community Voices Panel.
About Fabian Danker
Fabian’s involvement in Newham’s development is extensive. He has served on the judging and evaluation panels for Create Your Docks, Pews and Perches, and has been a Royal Docks Curator. He has been an active member of the Beckton Parks and Royal Docks Public Spaces working groups, the Newham Chamber of Commerce, and was part of the inaugural Newham Scale-Up Business Programme. His commitment to the next generation also includes critiquing student projects at the University of East London and collaborating with Local London E-Business.
About Studio Colab
Studio Colab is an award-winning RIBA Chartered Architects studio based in London. We specialise in residential architecture from house extensions and refurbishments to contemporary new-build homes. We cover London and home counties and can assist in both residential and commercial projects.