CAPITAL WATCH ISSUE 1 2018

T he area of Shoreditch first rose to prominence when the Augustinian Priory was established in 1158, soon becoming an sprawling 8-acre religious site on the west side of Shoreditch towards Hoxton. The nunnery was affectionately known as the Holywell Priory, and was once the richest nunnery in the country - before its closure during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The next phase of Shoreditch’s development came not long after the closure of the Priory. In 1576, James Burbage began construction of The Theatre, the first of its kind in London. Within the same year, the building was completed and the theatre hosted dramatists and performers who had long been prohibited from performing within the City’s walls. A second theatre was constructed the following year just 200 yards from Burbage’s first site, and was named the Curtain Theatre due to its proximity to the City walls. With the landlord refusing to renew the lease for The Theatre in 1596, The Curtain Theatre became the primary venue for Elizabethan performances - including premieres of Shakespeare’s Henry V and Romeo and Juliet . Burbage dismantled the foundations and timbers of the original theatre, transporting them through the City and across the frozen Thames, where they were assembled to become The Globe in Southwark. In the 17th century, Shoreditch became home to increasing numbers of Huguenot weavers who had fled religious persecution from King Louis XIV of France. These migrants brought highly sought-after weaving skills to London, and were keen to set up in Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Bethnal Green to avoid the levies imposed within the City walls. It is thought that there were up 20,000 looms operating in Huguenot homes, rather than dedicated factories. This meant that the weavers left a relatively limited architectural footprint: but the boost to Shoreditch’s economy cannot be underestimated. Alongside the weaving and fabric industry was a burgeoning furniture trade, with many successful businesses operating in Shoreditch. In the late 19th century, the area had become the epicentre of the furniture industry, for both manufacturing and trade. An example of the workspace used by these companies can be seen at Curtain Road Studios, previously owned by furniture company C. & R. Light and now used as a high-end studio for brands such as Harrods and Vogue. Other factories left behind industrial facades that now form part of many of the converted workspaces that characterise the area, as well as providing the UK’s first loft-style apartments. Originally called the Shoreditch Technical Institute Girl’s School, the London College of Fashion was launched in 1974 and built on the area’s history in textiles and design to establish itself as one of the leading education institutions of its kind - and training famous designers such as William Tempest and Jimmy Choo. In 1576, James Burbage began construction of The Theatre, the first of its kind in London In the 17th century, Shoreditch became home to increasing numbers of Huguenot weavers who had fled religious persecution fromKing Louis XIV of France. These migrants brought highly sought-after weaving skills to London. 35 PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE