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A gripping site-specific performance by Company Svalbard & Deadbeat Films. Streamed live from onboard Light Vessel 93 as part of this year’s Join the Docks.
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Over the first weekend of December performance company Svalbard will be collaborating with Deadbeat Films to create a stunning site-specific piece onboard the iconic Light Vessel 93, a former Trinity House lighthouse boat moored in Victoria Docks.
This brand-new performance for Join the Docks has been commissioned by Certain Blacks, producers behind last year’s Ensemble Festival. Svalbard will use their signature blend of live music, contemporary dance / circus, and cinematography to explore the human brain and the architecture of the lightship in this stunning new collaboration.
The event will be filmed and live streamed direct from the ship inviting the audience to jump onboard with the artists as they embody the hull, navigate the bridge and digitize performance below deck – bringing this intimate performance right into the heart of people’s homes – a welcome shining beacon in these turbulent times.
This is the second project developed by producers Certain Blacks as part of Join the Docks who are based locally in Custom House in the Royal Docks. The performance is part of Ship Building – a large body of creative work being developed by Certain Blacks in response to the current UK societal climate and reflecting the heritage of the London docks.
Ship Building takes its name from Elvis Costello’s anti-war song and responds to C19, Brexit and Black Lives Matter – current goings-on that have been likened to war, the wider programme seeks to explore what it is to be British and diverse in these challenging times.
The renovation of Light Vessel 93 reflects the ships heritage and the refit was researched through an extensive collection of photographs and ship drawings spanning the entire work life of the light vessel, from its construction in 1938 to its retirement from service as a North Sea lighthouse in 2004.
You can find out more on https://www.royaldocks.london/whats-on/ship-building-by-certain-blacks-and-svalbard .
Join the Docks this autumn to discover 20 activities and events taking place online and across London’s historic Royal Docks. Between October through to December local residents are invited to explore events taking place in this unique part of east London and those from wider London and beyond can join in with everything taking place online.
With projects including live and digital theatre, light installations, photography exhibitions, film, performances through to music and dance workshops, community archiving, heritage projects and more – this is a programme to surprise and inspire audiences that should not be missed. The majority of events in this programme are free. Join the Docks this autumn and discover something different.
The full schedule of activities for Join the Docks Autumn Programme can be seen here: https://royaldocks.london/whats-on
Clive Lyttle From Certain Blacks says
‘We are delighted to be part of Join the Docks once again – bringing the best of contemporary culture to the heart of the docklands’
© 2026 Certain Blacks.
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