Essential Information
| Type | Events and festivals |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and Times | Friday 1 August (7-11pm) and Saturday 2 August (12-5pm) |
| Prices | Free |
Tickets available soon
Contact us to hear when tickets go on sale
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. Programmers Gabriel Dedji and Faruq Adigun want people to become more attuned to their personal values as well as the zeitgeist of the culture around them.
This two-day festival has been expertly curated by Gabriel and Faruq 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 multiple genres, including interactive workshops. Read on to learn more about the event's programmers and performing artists.
More updates and line-up announcements coming soon!
In the meantime, save the date and email youngpeople@rmg.co.uk or text 07907 711159 to hear when tickets go live.
For ages 16+
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, and relevant 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 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.
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