People
Meet the Dockers: Sameul Ullah
Sameul Ullah is a dedicated medical student who studied locally at Newham Sixth Form in Plaistow. Alongside his demanding studies, he brings passion and local insight to his work as a Youth Guide for The Line. After guiding visitors through the international commissions of last year’s Royal Docks Originals, he is returning this summer to lead the free ‘We Flow: Royal Victoria Art Trail’ as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2026.
The Youth Guides Programme provides tailored training, support, and paid employment for young people aged 18–22 to lead free wellbeing walks, guided tours, and school workshops.
In this Meet the Dockers interview, Sameul tells us how The Line makes art accessible, reflects on his personal ties to migration through his favourite artwork, and shares his experience guiding visitors through a world-class festival of international and local art.
What is The Line and what makes it unique?
The Line is an experience, fuelled by passionate people who wish to share the joys and wonders of art to as many people as possible. With the aim to get art out of paid and exclusive galleries and into the public eye, we aim to show that art is indeed accessible.
The public art trail spans from Stratford to Greenwich and what makes it special is how the trail evolves, changes, interacts with its local environment and community. There are connections to heritage, nature, water and history all along the route.
How do you prepare for a tour?
To be informative, as part of our training we learn facts about the artist and the installation on the free Bloomberg Connects digital guide which members of the public can also use for self-guided tours. We can listen to the artist interview and hear first-hand what the artist had tried to get across to the audience along with a few popular interpretations. At the same time, I want to get these interpretations from the audience and hear what’s coming across to them.
Learning scripts word for word can feel robotic and rehearsed, so it’s always great to ask questions. How does this make you feel? Why do you think they did this? Inquiring about purpose and emotion, is the best way to engage in something so subjective and complex. There’s no right or wrong answer, which is the best part!
What’s your favourite artwork along The Line at Royal Victoria Dock?
In Between by Hélène Amouzou in Royal Victoria Dock is my favourite artwork because of how she expertly used a long exposure technique to create a sense of invisibility, which then reflected how migrants and refugees can feel unseen. The piece itself talks about themes of identity, migration and having a place of belonging. It resonated with me, being a 2nd generation migrant. My parents had to find a place and settle in London to raise me, sacrificing a lot to provide a better life and education for me.
This is quite a common phenomenon I would say for a lot of young people, speaking to the global experiences of migration. This makes something very personal feel relevant in such a powerful way.
The Line Youth Guides
What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a Youth Guide?
Don’t underestimate the power of your own personality and charisma. A lot of this role is having genuine conversations with people and being a friendly face to the community. It’s less about what you say, but how you say it. It’s easy to get lost in the text, stress about saying the ‘right thing’ but if you can share your passion, engage with all sorts of people, you will do amazing. If you’re not confident speaking to the public, that’s more reason to become a Youth Guide, it’s the best environment to practice and find your voice and your person.
Don’t underestimate the power of your own personality and charisma.
How do you feel public artworks and festivals like Royal Docks Originals 2027 can contribute to building a creative future locally?
I feel like the most powerful thing they can deliver is inspiration. By showcasing local talent, new voices and faces it sends a message that anyone can be creative and part of something special. Just like The Line’s work, art is made accessible, barriers are broken down and it lets people know art isn’t restricted to professionals. People are also brought together, they network, they share stories and journeys. It helps build identity and pride, and the message that art lives in our everyday life, and anyone can be a part of creating or enjoying it.
Find out more:
Book the free trail
The We Flow: Royal Victoria Art Trail is a free guided walk led by The Line’s Youth Guides, inviting visitors to experience world‑class public art set against the unique landscape of the Royal Docks. Tours take place on Saturday 6 June at 11am and 2pm, each lasting 40 minutes. The trail explores artworks that respond to themes of identity, migration, water and movement, offering a fresh perspective on one of London’s most distinctive waterfronts. Book your free place.
Visit The Line
The Line is London’s first dedicated public art walk, connecting Stratford and Greenwich through a changing programme of contemporary art, nature and heritage. Its Youth Guides help bring the route to life by sharing local insight, creative perspectives and accessible ways into world‑class artworks along the Royal Docks. Discover The Line.
