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 film is in quite bad condition, with very blurry segments, and a soundless section. The first part of the film begins with a dance performance accompanied by a guitar. The camera pans across a large audience sat in rows. We can hear someone calling out numbers like a bingo game, while two people dance impressionistically and experimentally across the stage.

The next section shows a musical play, with an ensemble performance. In the next skit, we see a comical interaction between one man seeking directions and another giving it in a loud, abrasive manner. We hear laughter from behind the camera. Then there is a shoot-out scene, with a man wearing a colander as a helmet. After the next singing section, there is no sound. The sound returns upon a performance of ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ by Roy Orbison with guitars and stamping on stage. The final skit has two people on stage, and a woman says, ‘You’re beginning to look like a real Eastender.’