FAQ

Pollyanna Training Theatre, established in 1990, has been a cornerstone of artistic development and community engagement in Tower Hamlets. Founded by a group of passionate theatre enthusiasts, Pollyanna has grown from a Saturday morning class into a renowned training ground for aspiring actors and performers.  

For over 30 years, Pollyanna has been igniting the imaginations of young performers aged 3-18, offering bespoke classes led by industry professionals. Unlike franchise-based programs, Pollyanna tailors its approach to each child, fostering confidence, social skills, and a love for the stage. As a registered charity, Pollyanna is passionate about accessibility, offering bursary places for families on Universal Credit.

What Pollyanna brings to the community

Through its diverse range of workshops, performances, and training programs, Pollyanna has empowered countless individuals, fostering a sense of community and belonging. The theatre's commitment to inclusivity and excellence has made it a loved institution in Tower Hamlets. 

Due to the continued cost of living crisis, Pollyanna is finding that more and more families need financial support to attend, which is being provided through their Universal Credit support offer. Over 60 per cent of their beneficiaries are from low-income backgrounds who are struggling to make ends meet.  

Pollyanna's community involvement has grown significantly over the last decade. The theatre now hosts a variety of events throughout the year, ranging from casual coffee mornings to lively family open mic nights. The most anticipated event, the Wapping Christmas Fair and Tree Lighting, is always met with enthusiasm by local people. Additionally, Pollyanna actively participates in numerous gatherings across East London, showcasing talents at venues such as Wiltons Music Hall, Canary Wharf Roof Gardens, and Spitalfields Market. 

Over the past year, Pollyanna has worked directly with 1,300 children and young people, providing 900 hours of tuition in drama and creative arts. They have also provided 252 hours of afterschool drama sessions within four primary schools in the borough. Their summer courses, themed around 'Rock Stars' and 'Once Upon A Time,' were particularly well-received, with children devising and creating their own pieces of theatre.

Value of the Raine's House to the Pollyanna

Pollyanna Training Theatre leases the first floor of Raine's House, in Wapping. This Grade II* listed building was built in 1719 as a charity school where poor children could get an education. Three-hundred years later it was refurbished by the council to high standard, providing a valuable asset to the local community and still helping children to learn and to grow.  

The ground floor is managed as a Community Hub by the council and the hall, meeting room, kitchen and outside courtyard is available to hire. 

The space at Raine's House allows Pollyanna to offer a wide range of classes in Musical Theatre, LAMDA, Dance, and Drama throughout the week.  Pollyanna's work with local schools, providing afterschool drama classes, further extends its reach, enabling children who might otherwise be unable to attend studio sessions to benefit from its programs. 

Pollyanna's ability to offer free places to families in need, particularly those on Universal Credit, is a testament to the value of the council building. This support ensures that financial barriers do not prevent children from accessing the benefits of theatrical training. Pollyanna provide free access to their space to a Stay and Play Group twice a week. 

“Raine House is more than just our venue, it’s a historic part of Wapping that’s always been rooted in the provision of education for young people and we feel privileged to call it our home.  

Being able to offer children, young people and families a safe, nurturing environment to learn new skills, build confidence and creativity,  

At the core of what we do is helping young people grow into confident, self-assured individuals. Through drama, they learn to make their own choices, express themselves clearly, and develop the kind of communication skills that matter in real life—whether that’s speaking up in class, interviewing for a job, or just being heard.” 

Alexandra Kind – Manager Pollyanna Training Theatre

Why the Voluntary and Community Sector matters

The voluntary and community sector is core to the existence of Tower Hamlets, contributing to the wider social fabric of the borough in so many ways. The sector comprises a wide range of over 1300 organisations with a combined income of over £200 million, employing 4,300 people and supported by over 25,000 volunteers. The current climate in the voluntary and community sector is a challenging one with a combination of factors including a difficult funding environment, a cost-of-living crisis, rising costs, and increased demand for services. This is true nationally but is particularly acute in Tower Hamlets with its high levels of poverty and disadvantage.

The community premises offer

Raine's House is one of 70 council premises that are part of the Community Premises Portfolio- a varied property portfolio which are available exclusively for lease by VCS organisations at a community rent. Qualifying organisations can further reduce rental costs by up to 80 per cent as part of the council's Community Benefit Rent Reduction Scheme. Find our more on the community premises to lease page.

For buildings that are available for hourly or short-term hire visit the halls and venues for hire page.

More information about hiring Raines House Community Hub.

It is an offence if dog owners do not remove their pet faeces from land within Tower Hamlets that is open to the air and accessible to the public. This includes:

• public roads, footpaths, cycle paths and verges adjacent to these roads
• parks and recreational spaces, cemeteries and Council-owned allotments
• school playing fields, playgrounds and any land surrounding schools and colleges
• council-owned housing estates

Failure to comply with the dog fouling control order may result in the issue of a £100 penalty and/or prosecution with a maximum fine up to £1,000.

People who are registered as blind, disabled, or otherwise rely on dogs will be exempt from this order.

The orders can also be inspected and copies obtained from Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ by prior arrangement.

1. If you live in rented accommodation, check if you need your landlord’s permission to own a dog.  LBTH tenants need to apply to their Housing Office for permission to keep a pet. Check leasehold agreements for any rules about keeping a dog. Make sure you have any necessary permission before getting a dog.

2. Don’t get a dog unless you can reasonably foresee being able to keep it for its whole lifetime.  Unexpected things can happen of course, but start out with the expectation of enjoying a whole life partnership with your dog.  It is not easy to rehome dogs as they get older, so casual and temporary decisions to own a dog often lead to the dog being put to sleep once it’s no longer wanted.  Consider whether your housing stability, your finances, your work/life balance and your family situation make this the right time to get a dog. 

3. Get your dog neutered.  Castration for a male dog and spaying for a female  will prevent them from having puppies.  There are more unwanted dogs than there are good homes for dogs at the moment.  Over population is the root cause of many of the problems relating to dogs in society.  Don’t be part of the problem.

4. Do not allow your dog to exercise off lead, even in an area where this is permitted, unless you have effective control of your dog.  Effective control means that the dog has good recall and is responsive to basic commands. 

5. Make sure your dog is well trained and socialised and can safely interact with other dogs without becoming fearful or aggressive. You are responsible for your dog’s behaviour and you must ensure it does not impact the safety and wellbeing of any other person or animal.

6. The council’s dog control public spaces protection order (PSPO) rules mean that dogs should be kept on a lead on all public roads, pavements and in car parks and including all estate roads and communal areas on estates.

7. Please be mindful that not all people wish to be greeted by your dog; some members of the community are fearful or allergic and may not welcome an interaction.  It is your responsibility to make sure your dog does not approach another person, particularly children or another dog, without permission of the the other person, even when walking on a lead.

8. Dogs who are reactive or lack social skills should not be taken into an off-lead dog area.

9. Dogs should be walked on a short lead to enable the handler to have good control of the dog. Long or retractable leads often do not provide effective control over the dog.

10. Do not approach other people’s dogs without the permission of the owner first.

11. The consequences of a dog-on-dog or dog-on-person attack can be significant: financial responsibility for vet bills, compensation or prosecution under the Dangerous Dogs Act and your dog being destroyed.

12. Take out third party insurance for your dog to protect yourself against claims by other parties.

13. Do not allow your dog to chase wildlife.  It encourages a prey drive which might be directed at a domestic pet.  If you wilfully allow your dog to injure wildlife, you can be prosecuted for causing unnecessary harm to an animal.

14. Always clean up after your dog.  The council’s dog control PSPO makes it an offence if you do not clean up after your dog. Make sure you carry plenty of bags for the purpose.  Offer one to another dog owner if they appear to be in need!

15. Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date, to protect your own dog and any others it meets.  Regular flea and worm treatment is also your responsibility.

16. Remember to change your owner details on the microchip database if you move with your dog.  You can be fined for not having the correct registration information.

17. Your dog should wear a collar and tag showing the name and address of the owner.

18. Dog owners must ensure that their dog does not persistently bark which can be a nuisance for neighbours and the broader community.

19. Keep your dog on lead when entering or leaving your home or car, including lifts, communal entrances and corridors.

20. If you let your dog out in your garden, make sure your fences are secure enough to make escape absolutely impossible and tall enough to prevent your dog jumping or scrambling over – it’s surprising how agile an excited dog can be. If your garden abuts a walkway, people must be able to walk past without having your dog bark or lunge at them, so make fences high enough to create a screen.  YOU may know your dog to be friendly, but other people could be afraid, and they have the right not to feel intimidated by your ownership of a dog.