Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs gives hope to Rich Mix

Rich Mix: reasons to be cheerful?

The future of endangered arts organisation Rich Mix may be looking up following the election of John Biggs as Mayor of Tower Hamlets.

The new Labour Mayor has tweeted his support of the arts organisation, which is potentially facing closure due to a dispute with Tower Hamlets Council over the repayment of a £850,000 loan.

Asked in the run-up to the election about his plan for Rich Mix, Mayor Biggs replied: “Rich Mix is a great cultural asset and deserves the support of the council in securing a viable future serving our community.”

A petition launched in March to save Rich Mix from closure has received more than 16,000 signatures so far, with the organisation last month beaming messages of support on the wall of its building at 35–47 Bethnal Green Road.

@spileon RichMix is a great cultural asset and deserves the support of the council in securing a viable future serving our community

— Mayor John Biggs (@MayorJohnBiggs) June 10, 2015

With a court date looming on 20 July, Rich Mix posted a statement on its website that read: “We have been very encouraged by some of the discussions that we had with a number of candidates in the run-up to the election, including the newly elected Mayor John Biggs.

“We are seeking an urgent meeting with him and the relevant officers and commissioners in the hope that we can find a way to settle, which will allow Rich Mix to continue to do the work that over 16,000 of you have told us they value.

“We are hopeful this may prove to be a way to finding a sensible settlement to what has been a long and debilitating dispute.”

John Biggs was elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets last week, narrowly defeating his nearest challenger Rabina Khan.

The election followed the ejection from office of former Mayor Lutfur Rahman, who was found guilty of electoral fraud in April.