Description: The Tower Hamlets Arts Project (THAP) was formed in 1976 out of protest to the Thames Television ‘Eyesights’ scheme which commissioned professional artists to create posters for display in the borough, rather than investing in local arts projects. A crowded public meeting in February 1975 called for an alternative, bolder plan, bringing together existing and fledgling arts activities under a coordinating body to be called the Tower Hamlets Arts Project (THAP). The purpose was to create opportunities for everyone to participate in community art. THAP celebrated their achievements with a month-long ‘Big Show’ at the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

The camera records the performances from the audience, looking up onto the stage. First, we see a youth group composed of young girls who sway elegantly back and forth, before the dance transforms into a form of physical theatre, with a story of murder and kings. The next performance shows three Black women in floor-length satin dresses performing to a drum-heavy soundtrack.

The next few performances are primarily composed of dancers wearing one-body leotards that end with flared trousers, mostly with adult dancers. They are ballet and contemporary dancers. We see a solo performance from a Black dancer who uses a chair as a prop, dangling their sparkly jacket on the back, as they dance to jazz music. The next solo performance is by another Black performer to more dramatic classical music. The final performance is an ensemble act with the youth dancers using umbrellas as props.