The Jago is an arts and culture hotspot located at the beating heart of Hackney. Formally known as Passing Clouds, The Jago is a colourful little hub, tucked away just off Kingsland Road in Dalston. The Jago opened after a long fight to save the building from redevelopment. It was a tough fight, but since 2018 our community has been coming together to protect our special space. The site is now registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) and has continued to house local and diverse musicians for over 16 years.

This petition is a call-out for collective action to protect The Jago and fellow neighbouring grassroots venues in Hackney against noise complaints and closure. 

Many of you may be familiar with this vibrant space. We host a range of live music events, performances, screenings, workshops and much more. Our eclectic mix is reflective of Hackney’s diverse communities and a safe space for many who find comfort here.

Since the pandemic, many surrounding buildings have been converted to residential properties. Subsequently, Hackney has unfortunately seen a rise in the number of noise complaints. As such, venues face risk of closure or reduction of trading hours.

Many of our fellow grassroots venues - including our friends at The Haggerston Pub - have fallen victims to these consequences. This is an urgent issue, with jobs and livelihoods at risk of being lost. We are fighting to protect the unique culture of Hackney, and continue to offer a safe space to the wonderful communities that are created in spaces such as The Jago.

Today, we are asking for your support. We are asking local residents to sign our petition, reinforcing a need for collective support in protecting our grassroots venues and culture in Hackney.

The Jago is at risk. As one of the last ACV grassroots venues in Hackney, and one which has contributed so richly to culture and wellbeing, we ask you to help us. We are very worried for our future as a business, and particularly for the livelihoods of our staff and the wider community who depend on The Jago.

Hackney is a wonderfully unique place. With people relocating to the area during a global pandemic, we want to ensure the cultural value and community arts spirit of Hackney is not overlooked. We welcome new residents into the vibrancy and culture of our community.

We’d like to work with the wider community, and gain collective support to reach an amicable resolution. We are in close contact with the Mayor of London's Culture at Risk team, who have expressed their support in solving this issue. We aim to facilitate a conversation between Hackney Environmental and Culture teams to reach a mutual resolution to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Our space, and other grassroots venues like us, are so important for our community. Please join us in the fight to protect Hackney’s culture and diverse communities.

We look forward to having you onboard.

For any questions please reach out to us at hello@thejagodalston.com