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With support from Hackney Council, venues will be able to stay open for an extra two hours on Wednesday 10 July to allow local football fans to come together for longer to watch England play in the EURO 2024 semi final. The extension will automatically apply to premises which are licensed to sell alcohol until at least 11pm, allowing them to stay open until 1am the following morning. The change only applies to England matches, meaning venues can stay open later on Wednesday the 10 July and Sunday 14 July 2024, should England reach the final. The decision comes from the Home Office, who can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”. The Government has previously pushed back pub closing times for royal weddings, the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, the Fifa World Cup in 2014 and the last EURO 2022 final. It’s hoped that the extended hours will give pub-goers longer to celebrate the matches, and provide a boost to the hospitality industry after a difficult few years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hackney Council will continue to support residents and licensed premises throughout this period. The Council’s Hackney Nights and Licensing and Environmental Protection teams will work directly with venues to ensure they are compliant with the conditions of this extension. If residents have any concerns about the licensing extension, please reach out to the Hackney Nights team by emailing hackneynights@hackney.gov.uk  

A ground-breaking initiative aimed at integrating artists and communities in library spaces, is set to transform the borough’s libraries into vibrant cultural hubs.Art at Heart was developed in response to feedback from around 8,500 Hackney residents, and residents expressing that one of their top desires is for libraries to become dynamic centres for creativity. This summer, the project will train early-career artists through paid residencies in libraries across Hackney, collaborating closely with local community groups. The initiative, led by Hackney Council in collaboration with Art School Plus, and funded by Arts Council England, will see award-winning artists including Ingrid Pollard and Olivia Plender, lend their expertise to help the artists integrate their work and residencies into library spaces. Local artists will take part in a training week facilitated by artist, feminist and co-founder of the Glasgow Women's Library Dr Adele Patrick.Hackney’s Libraries service will also partner with students from the MFA Curating course at Goldsmiths, University of London to provide two curators with a specialism in socially engaged and public art an opportunity to work in libraries. Acting as advisers and peers, the curators will support the artists working within the library spaces to build a network and trigger future collaborations.Disability-led arts organisation SHAPE will collaborate with Arts School Plus to break down barriers in culture and to involve their network of disabled creatives in reimagining the library as a vibrant place of community, expression and imagination. The programme is part of Hackney’s libraries strategy which focuses on promoting creativity, reading and lifelong learning, digital inclusion, volunteering and participation, and engaging with vulnerable people and communities throughout the borough.Residents will have the opportunity to visit their local libraries and take part in the Art at Heart programme during the summer. Dates and times for the arts activities will be published on Love Hackney in July 2024.NotesHackney Libraries ServiceHackney Council runs eight libraries and a Community Library Service - its membership is open to anyone and allows customers to borrow stock, to use the computers and participate in cultural, learning and community focused activities. Information on all Hackney Libraries can be found on Love Hackney.The libraries strategy for Hackney 2022 to 2026 is a vision for what the borough’s library service aims to achieve over the four years. It responds directly to what residents said they wanted for their libraries. View libraries strategy for Hackney 2022 to 2026 here.Art School PlusArt School Plus connects early-career artists with organisations, businesses, and public realm projects.Art School Plus is both an alternative artist training programme and an innovator of unique projects. It is the bridge between artists and opportunities which exist outside of a gallery setting, supporting both organisations and artists in making projects a reality.The Art School Plus programme champions the role of the artist within a wider social context, supporting a true diversity of voices and perspectives in this space.Arts Council EnglandArts Council England (ACE) is the national development agency for creativity and culture. ACE has set out their strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 England will be a country in which the creativity of all is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone has access to a range of high quality cultural experiences. ACE invest public money from the Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver the vision.

Learn and perform a new instrument, create your own theatre production, or build your own furniture in Discover Young Hackney’s annual youth arts and culture programme.Young Hackney residents aged 15-26, including those with SEND, can take part in free events and workshops throughout August, covering a wide range of creative art forms including music, dance, theatre, architecture and woodwork.Take your first steps towards a career in the creative sector, by signing up to the exciting line-up of activities taking place from 1 August - 1 September:Play with avatars, music and choreography in this digital dance workshop by Alexander Whitley Dance Company, in partnership with DarkfieldSpend a week creating a performance showcase with professional actors in Arcola TheatreLearn to play a new instrument and show off your skills in front of a live audience at Hoxton HallCreate your own piece of theatre around the theme Limitless with Hackney Shed, in partnership with Hackney Empire and Access All AreasLearn about the music industry with trained professionals from Progression Sessions, in partnership with EartH and Hipgnosis MusicDesign an architecture project from planning to construction with STORE Schools, in partnership with Flimsy Architectural StudioExplore the world of woodwork and build furniture to last with the Woodshop of Recycled Delights, in partnership with BetaMinds, Babes in Development and Project IndigoFind a full list of what’s happening and details of how to take part here. You can also follow Discover Young Hackney on Love Hackney's Instagram and Twitter.

Hackney paid tribute to the brave service people in the British Armed Forces community with a ceremony on Armed Forces Day on Saturday (29 June). Representatives from units and cadets in Hackney including members of Hackney’s Salvation Army, 3 Military Intelligence Battalion, London Cadets, RAF Air Cadets, Sea Cadets and the Hackney Memorable Order of Tin Hats, assembled in Hackney Town Hall to hear the playing of Reveille by a lone trumpeter, and witness the traditional flag raising ceremony. The gathered troops heard addresses from Speaker of Hackney, Cllr Sheila Suso-Runge, and Stephen Howlett CBE DL, Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Hackney, before certificates were presented to troops and cadets in recognition of their exceptional service. Armed Forces Day takes place every year on the last Saturday in June to acknowledge the dedication and efforts of those who serve in the Armed Forces.