From June 2nd to 4th, we brought Brick Lane to life with “Setting Up Shop”, a 3-day cultural takeover celebrating music, fashion, film, creativity, and community in all its vibrant forms.
This wasn’t just a pop-up. It was a collaborative project between GenB TV and Sparks, created to give real people and rising talent the platform they deserve. Together, we transformed a local off-license into a community-led creative hub, part corner shop, part cultural hotspot, and fully alive with energy, purpose, and people.
Community at the Heart
At its core, Setting Up Shop was built on the idea that community drives culture. From fresh new creatives to seasoned innovators, every person who stepped through the door brought something to the table, and left with something more.
Over the course of three packed days, we hosted conversations, pop-up showcases, fashion activations, and screenings that brought together creatives across music, TV, film, photography, fashion, and business, with a constant thread of collaboration and connection.
Photos by Alicia Clarke
Big Love to Our Drinks Sponsor – High Water
None of this would’ve gone down the same without our official drinks sponsor, High Water. Their crisp, hard seltzers were flowing all weekend long, keeping things fresh, flavourful, and very photogenic.
Whether it was Scorcher relaxing after a panel, Siobhan Elouise chatting about community over a can, or the cast of The Mechanics of Creativity celebrating their moment, High Water was on hand, always on point.
If you were there, you probably caught a moment (or five) captured on camera, drink in hand, good vibes all around. Big up High Water for fuelling the flavour and supporting creativity where it happens.
Scorcher drinking High Water: Photos by Alicia Clarke
Who Showed Up?
The list is long, but here’s a taste of the talent and community figures that made Setting Up Shop unforgettable:
- Scorcher – artist and cultural icon.
- Siobhan Elouise – R&B trailblazer and MOBO UnSung Alumni.
- The cast and team behind The Mechanics of Creativity – a new GenB Movies indie film with heart and heat.
- Amardeep aka Shift Zero – fashion disruptor and cultural connector.
- Harps – BBC creative, photographer, and creative risk-taker.
- Gabe from Vis La Vie – whose global experiences (Spain, Florida, Manchester) inspired a brand built on effortless style and street culture.
- Carroll Thompson – legendary “Queen of Lovers Rock,” bringing soul and history to the space.
- Clip C – musician and songwriter.
- The Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK – honouring our event with their presence and support.
- Karleigh Osbourne – ex-professional footballer and current trailblazer in youth engagement.
- Amrit Kaur Lohia – musician, composer and storyteller connecting heritage and art.
And most importantly, you, the community. The people who came down, showed up, supported, connected, created, and celebrated.
His Excellency, The Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK: Photos by Alicia Clarke
Not Just a Pop-Up, A Movement
What made Setting Up Shop so powerful wasn’t just the brands or the names, it was the spirit. The way stories were shared. The realness in the conversations. The spontaneous collabs, the laughter in the back corner, the ‘you had to be there’ energy that only happens when culture is made by the people, for the people.
This wasn’t a one-off moment. It was a blueprint for how community events should feel, for how culture can be celebrated outside traditional spaces, and for how partnerships like GenB TV x Sparks can reshape the way we tell our stories.
What’s Next?
This was just the beginning. More pop-ups. More voices. More storytelling. More community-driven moments of real creativity.
Until then, thank you to everyone who rolled through, participated, shouted us out, or just stood in the back with a drink and a smile.
We’re not just setting up shop. We’re setting a new standard.
Presented by GenB TV & Sparks. Powered by community. Refreshed by High Water.
