From Backdrop to Building Block: How TAIT’s Shoreditch Event Materials Found New Purpose in London Communities

At a recent event in East London’s Shoreditch Electric, TAIT transformed the presentation space with striking willow and charcoal-coloured drapes around a central screen and used soft mesh scrim to subtly section off areas of the UBlock zone. While the experience was ephemeral, the materials left behind were anything but.

Once the final applause faded, Event Cycle stepped in to ensure the legacy of the event extended far beyond the venue walls. Rather than seeing the fabric as disposable, we saw even more possibilities for it and so did the organisations who received it.

“Event cycle were incredible supporting us at SXSW London this year. The efficiency and ease at which they were able to find homes for our materials was incredible and we love being able to see where our materials have now been used.”

 Kate Kieran, Sustainability Lead for Tait

In Stepney, volunteers at Stepney City Farm had been preparing to re-cover their poultry enclosure to meet new biosecurity regulations. The moment our van pulled up, they were ready. Within hours, the scrim from TAIT’s UBlock was secured with was around the chicken run, protecting hens from wild birds while allowing the public to continue enjoying their company.

Further south, Slade Gardens Adventure Playground was already mid-transformation. With plans for a site redevelopment on the horizon, the team needed materials to cordon off construction zones safely. The scrim arrived just in time. Before construction even began, the fabric found a second life shading the edible garden, protecting young explorers during their summer programme, and even sparking ideas for a haunted Halloween House.

Poplar Primary School welcomed the fabric for use in future school events, helping the PTA deliver memorable moments for families and children in the area, moments that might not otherwise happen on a tight community budget.

Meanwhile, over in Westminster, The Federation of Westminster Special Schools had something more imaginative in mind. At Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, immersive sensory storytelling is at the heart of learning. The drapes will now shape the backdrop for their upcoming “We Are The Explorers” programme, transforming classrooms into jungles, oceans, deserts and space, bringing stories to life for learners with profound and complex needs.

What started as a one-day spectacle in Shoreditch became a multi-month resource across four London charities supporting chickens, children, and creative play. All from fabric that might otherwise have ended up in landfill.

Thanks to TAIT’s collaboration and Event Cycle’s redistribution network, what once framed an event now frames new experiences in the local community. 

Want to do more with your next event? Make it sustainable with hello@eventcycle.org