A PUB is hoping to raise £7,500 to put the area on the arts map and turn it into a creative hub.

The Wanstead Tap, in Winchelsea Road, is hoping to secure the cash to give the hub a boost so the staging equipment matches the high standard the booked artists.

The space, which has been fondly dubbed ‘The Tap’ by locals, is a café by day and a bar by night with an impressive calibre of entertainment and art.

But as the space has grown in popularity and bigger acts have been booked, The Wanstead Tap’s owner Dan Clapton, of Reydon Avenue, in Wanstead, has decided to raise money to give the bar a revamp.

The 49-year-old hopes to raise enough money to improve their sound system, lighting and staging. The team also want to invest in additional beer lines – remaining true to their humble beginnings. Another reason behind the demand for additional funds is a result of the rent being increased by 45 per cent.

Mr Clapton said “I went to see Misha in Notting Hill for a 15 minute talk and it was absolutely astonishing. I went and spoke to him after and he is now talking with us for an hour.

“Since we started in 2014 the amount of events we put on is growing. We have folk music, classical, poetry, readings by authors, opera – all sorts.

‘The Tap’ first started as a market stall in the Wanstead Farmer’s Market - specialising in craft beer. But Mr Clapton wanted to provide a space for the local community to come and watch performances for a fraction of the price of the typical London price.

“It was an empty shell when we first started and rife with crime and drug dealers hung around outside. But now we have a thriving little art, food and drink strip of the arches.

“We use local drink and food, which boosts the economy, and it gives people in the neighbourhood something to do.”

According to Mr Clapton, some of the events sell out within a day and since they have been up and running the variety of acts has become more impressive.

He explained that once one big act is booked, it is a large case of word of mouth and within no time performers of national and international stance were appearing at The Tap.

He said: “We just need a little boost, we don’t want to put the prices up. I did an arts degree, so I really believe that accessibility to art is vital, and not everyone has the kind of money that they charge in places like Soho and the West End.”

Since 2014 The Wanstead Tap has gone from strength to strength and boasts an impressive list of artists, authors and musicians that will be taking to their stage.

Next month Misha Glenny, journalist and the author behind McMafia, which has recently been made into a BBC drama, will appear.