All Roads Lead to Bentley's

A heritage project reclaiming the overlooked story of Bentley’s and reconnecting the community that made it matter.

Led by Katherine Green for Rendezvous Projects, All Roads Lead to Bentley’s was developed for Newham Heritage Month 2023 to document the largely unrecorded history of Bentley’s (1982–86), a major soul venue on Barking Road, Canning Town. Through oral histories, archive research and new public outputs, the project restored visibility to an important but under-documented chapter in East London nightlife, recognising Bentley’s as a vital platform for Black music, community and club culture.

The project also brought people back together in person, while introducing new audiences — including local school pupils — to the venue’s legacy through events, creative learning and press coverage.

Approach

  • Oral history interviews recorded, transcribed and made available through Newham Archives
  • Limited-edition booklet sharing the venue’s story in accessible form
  • Podcast episode built from first-hand testimony, exploring Bentley’s context and cultural impact
  • DJ mix by Linden C, alongside supporting playlists that extended the project through music and listening
  • Schools partnership with Newham Music, resulting in two new tracks created by local pupils in response to the heritage
  • Public event at Arch1, Canning Town, bringing together former club-goers and new audiences

Voices & soundtrack

A podcast tells the story of Bentley’s through the memories of the people who were there. Alongside it, a Spotify playlist gathers the tracks people mentioned in their recollections.

Schools partnership

In partnership with Newham Music, the project translated Bentley’s heritage into creative learning activity for local schools. DJ Linden C introduced pupils to the history of the venue and its wider musical context, Newham Music staff then supported them to create new tracks in response. This extended the project’s reach across generations and positioned local heritage as a live creative resource rather than a closed chapter of the past.

The tracks by the pupils can be heard below.

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Community reunion

A public event at Arch1 in Canning Town brought together former Bentley’s DJs and club-goers with new audiences encountering the venue’s history for the first time. Combining a Q&A, DJ sets and tracks created by local school pupils, the event treated heritage as something that could be reactivated through shared experience, music and memory.