Help Give Curious School of Puppetry a Permanent Home
Help save a historic Hackney building for community arts and puppetry.
Our friends at the Curious School of Puppetry are part of a passionate consortium bidding to re-open the former Colvestone Primary School in Hackney. Together, they aim to transform this historic building into a community educational, cultural, and social hub — keeping it in public hands for generations to come.
🏫 Why Colvestone?
Built in 1862 in the Gothic style and Grade II listed, Colvestone was one of the pioneering Birkbeck Schools founded by William Ellis.
It closed in 2024 due to falling pupil numbers and funding cuts, leaving the site at risk of being sold on the open market.
In 2025, it was officially recognised as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), confirming its importance to Hackney’s cultural and social fabric.
✨ The Vision
The consortium’s proposal would see the school reborn as a vibrant community hub, with:
A new theatre and performance space for local and international artists
Curious School of Puppetry establishing a permanent base with training, workshops, and a puppetry archive
Music hub supported by composer Julian Joseph OBE and Sam Shepherd (aka Floating Points), offering young people opportunities to learn, record, and perform
Studios and maker spaces for artists, craftspeople, and creative businesses
Gardens, open space, and rooftop community areas managed with sustainability in mind
A communal hall for performances, film screenings, exhibitions, and social gatherings
🌍 Why it matters
Hackney has one of the highest child poverty rates in London, and spaces like Colvestone can provide vital opportunities for education, creativity, and social connection. Instead of being lost to private development, this beautiful building can once again serve the community.
✍️ How you can help (in 2 minutes)
The consortium is preparing to lodge its “Expression of Interest” with Hackney Council. To show that the community values this space, we need as many supporters as possible.
Sarah Wright of the Curious School of Puppetry said ” Curious is artist-led and focuses on puppetry performance, theatre making, and collaboration. It provides an archive, a reference library, material resources and a training programme for adults who are seeking to expand their professional work and it supports workshops for children and young people. Puppetry is a medium which connects people across cultures and communities and explores new ways to communicate our understanding of the world around us.”
👉 Sign the Supporters’ Form Here
(No money is required — just your name and support.)
Every signature makes a difference. Together, we can ensure Colvestone Primary School continues to serve as a place of creativity, learning, and community for the future.
📖 Learn more about the bid and consortium partners here:
🔗 Colvestone Project Information