Talkaoke is returning to the historical Waterloo site – Emma Cons Gardens and you are invited! The afternoons is supported by theSouth Bank & Waterloo Neighbours and will explore themes such as lunchtime and nighttime economy of the area, what does local sustainability look like, public art, the youth experience, the future of Emma Cons Gardens and anything else you’d like to bring to the table.

Emma Cons Gardens is a small open space in Waterloo opposite the famous Old Vic Theatre, as well as shops and businesses on The Cut and Lower Marsh, and directly opposite Waterloo Railway Station. It is named after Emma Cons (1838–1912), an active social reformer and theatrical impresario, who managed the Old Vic following its restoration and re-opening in 1880 until her death in 1912. Emma Cons Gardens is on the site of an old building that was bombed during the Second World War and which remained derelict for many years afterwards. The site was purchased by London County Council and opened in 1958 as a small garden with trees, raised grass plots and seating. The gardens are part of a wider improvement programme for Waterloo, which will make them more visible, accessible and safer, and to provide a welcome focal point and ‘gateway’ to Lambeth.