Essential Information
| Type | Events and festivals |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and Times | Friday 3 October, 7-11pm | Saturday 4 October, 12-4.45pm |
| Prices | Free |
Enjoy live music and celebrate young talent at What's The Time?, a two-day takeover of the National Maritime Museum.
What's The Time? is an exploration of contemporary sounds and contemporary affairs
through live music and thought-provoking activities. It’ll be a place for all ages to become
more attuned to their personal values as well as the current zeitgeist.
This two-day festival has been expertly curated by Gabriel Dedji and Faruq Adigun- talented
artists, musicians, producers and creative explorers from London- in collaboration with Royal Museums Greenwich's Youth Programme, celebrating young talent from south and east London.
Expect a diverse programme of energetic, communal sound across Jazz, UK underground
rap and more. You can also partake thought-provoking workshops from some of the scene’s most beloved curators.
Performances by:
- NAVY
- Orii Jam
- Osquello
- EllaDHC
- SYNDYVIBES
- NOLI
- Gabriel Dedji
- 8’Olanna
- Casually Clued
- Juno
- Yemi Yohannes
- IAMTARIQ
Click here to book tickets now. A single ticket covers both Friday and Saturday live performances.
Email youngpeople@rmg.co.uk to book Saturday workshop tickets.
Film, Arts & Crafts Workshops (see full Saturday workshop programme below)
- Ludi Club (hosted by Home Radio)
- Nourishment
- What Colour Are You?
- Teshay Studios
- Munk’s Mahjong Club
Attending on the day of event without booking also welcome, but we encourage you to reserve tickets in advance to avoid disappointment!
For ages 16+ on Friday, all ages welcome Saturday
Friday 03 October, 7-11pm:
- NAVY
- Osquello
- EllaDHC
- NOLI
- Gabriel Dedji
- 8’Olanna
- Yemi Yohannes
Saturday 04 October, 12.30-5pm:
Orii Jam
16:00 - 16:45, Ocean Court
IAMTARIQ
15:30 - 15:45, Ocean Court
DJs: Gabriel Dedji, Casually Clued, Juno and Sndyvibes
13:30-15:30, Figurehead Space
Feels Like a Better Tomorrow Tour
12:30 - 13:30
A thought-provoking tour delivered by Gabriel Dedji through the National Maritime Museum’s collection, in celebration of Black History Month.
This tour is an immersive experience, which uses an expansive collection of items from
across the globe to stimulate conversations on optimism and resilience. This was originally
curated by Less Talking (an arts and culture series which curates moments of togetherness
and reflection through music and the arts). This edition will be a special retelling of stories
on self-determination and overcoming from Benin Republic, Senegal, Ireland and more.
Ludi Club by Home Radio
13:30-15:30, Figurehead Space
An exhilarating session of Afro-Caribbean games that blends strategy with luck Home Radio’s Ludi Club has taken London’s third spaces by storm over the past year.
Through its residency at Jumbi Peckham and numerous other collaborations, it has championed South London’s diverse local communities, affirming their autonomy during an age of gentrification and urban decay. Players of all ages partake in this Ludi Club regularly, sparking glee, conversation and intrigue. Enjoy Home Radio’s very special takeover of the National Maritime Museum with soulful dance DJ sets from Gabriel Dedji, Casually Clued, Juno and Sndyvibes.
Munk’s Mahjong Club
13:30-15:30, Figurehead Space
A peaceful games club reimagining South-East Asian traditions
South London’s newest mahjong club brings vibrant excitement to its local young people. Through leisure, play and gathering, this community reminds us all to slow down and be mindful.
Nourishment: No Time To Waste
13:30-15:30, in the ReThink Space
An eye-opening workshop on building a better future fixing the problems of a broken present. Through this interactive workshop, Nourishment’s founders- Tito and Sam will inspire attendees to confront the deep issues of our time and contemplate how we can solve them using our creativity and imagination.
Deniché’s ‘What Colour Are You?’
14:00-15:30, in the Learning Space
‘What Colour Are You?’ was started by East London painter, Deniché Wilson, to spur young people to think about their identity, their values and their beliefs. She curates communal spaces in which people of all abilities feel comfortable creating artworks that speak to their authentic feelings. This has resulted in collaborations across the UK underground rap scene, schools and London’s third spaces. Audiences of all ages across the country are finding self-awareness through art. Participants of the sip and paint session are particularly encouraged to sign-up to the Feels Like a Better Tomorrow tour beforehand!
Ballyman Screening and Workshop
14:00-15:00, in the Group Space
Ballyman is a short film exploring the blurred lines between psychosis and spirituality. Ballyman follows Deji, a young black man from South East London as he traverses through the city hiding behind his balaclava. As his mental state deteriorates - a new path of discovery begins to unfold, one that is as isolating as it is enlightening. The director, Faruq Adigun, will be leading a writing workshop in response to this screening.
Meet the team
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Gabriel Dedji
Gabriel Dedji is a writer, curator, educator and musician focussed on raising the critical awareness of his community. He is the founder of Less Talking, a thought-provoking creative outlet that stimulates togetherness and self-reflection through music and the arts, and operations lead at TheBooksDem – a creative agency celebrating the literature and arts of the Black diaspora. Gabriel has maintained a prolific output since publishing his debut novel at the age of 17. Resultantly, his work has received acclaim from ITV News, BBC Radio London, GUAP magazine and much more.
Find him on Instagram and Substack
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Faruq Adigun
Faruq Adigun is a writer, director, producer and creative explorer. Whether through film, theatre, poetry or music he is driven by the power of storytelling. As a curator and producer he creates and delivers live events, workshops, and community engagement programmes that centre voices and spark connection.
From concept to stage Faruq bring words to life and is always looking for new collaborators, commissions and creative opportunities.
Work and projects: Associate Artist, sounds like chaos | Ballyman - sounds like chaos
Find him on LinkedIn
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The story behind What's The Time?
Gabriel and Faruq have led on curating this event, guided by their inclusive practice and previous experiences programming exciting work made by other young artists, producers, and musicians.
The idea to commission this event as part of the Museum's offer for young audiences came from work with six local young researchers (aged 16-26) in autumn 2024. This team of Peer Researchers went out into the local community to deliver workshops and surveys, asking other people aged 13-25 what they wanted from our museum sites. In total 200 young people were interviewed or surveyed across multiple youth hubs and public spaces in Greenwich and we delivered 210 hours of paid work above London Living Wage, plus travel expenses.
One of their key findings was for more relaxed spaces to see free live music and make new social connections.
And so...in collaboration with Faruq and Gabriel, we invite you to ask What's The Time?
Support work like this
This event is free to attend, to remove barriers to accessing live music. However, in order to support our work, you are welcome to make a donation when making your booking. All proceeds will be reinvested into the youth programme, contributing directly* to delivery costs such as fees for artists, paid programming and producing development opportunities for ages 16-30, or for travel and refreshments for participants.
*Directly means your donations won't go toward staffing costs for example e.g. towards the Youth Programme Producer salary, but toward programme delivery costs - materials, photography, paying young people, artist fees, equipment etc.
Credits and thanks
Youth Programme Producer Amy Van Zyl would like to give a BIG thank you, in recognition of their experience, time and ideas, to:
- The team of talented peer researchers - Amelia, Fadumo, Lara, Rubie, Stephanie - who together designed this research project and delivered it with so much care, expertise, and patience.
- Consultant for arts education and evaluation Rachel Moss, who led on the project and collated all research to produce the final report.
- Charlton Athletic Community Trust, Young Greenwich, and METRO for hosting our researchers at various workshops and youth hubs.
Sponsors and supporters
Young people at Royal Museums Greenwich
Find events, activities and projects for young people and youth groups at Royal Museums Greenwich