Since 2017, Thamesmead Festival, conceived and led by 14 local residents, has celebrated the vibrant diversity of Thamesmead’s 45,000-plus residents. Held each August by Southmere Lake, it has grown to four stages, a Play Zone, a Calm Zone and 45 local vendors. In 2024, it had 8,500 attendees. It complements community initiatives such as a new arts centre, a library and 38 artist studios.

 

 

Who is on the project team?

 

The Festival Production Group (a group of 14 local residents)

 

Event producers - Serious,

 

Peabody’s Cultural Team led by Adriana Marques 

 

Head of Cultural Strategy for Thamesmead and Lisa Drew

Cultural Programme Manager for Thamesmead.

 

Describe the context of this project and its neighbourhood and people?

Commissioned and funded by Peabody, The Thamesmead Festival is led and programmed by a dedicated group of 14 local residents. Taking place each August on the banks of Southmere Lake, and hailed by Time Out as “London’s most unique festival,” it reflects the vibrant diversity of Thamesmead’s 45,000+ residents and its iconic urban landscape, with beautiful open spaces to one side and Southmere Estate’s brutalist towers to the other. Conceived as a celebration of local creativity, the Festival showcases home-grown talent across four stages. It builds on the town’s proud tradition of community events, from the Thamesmead Town Show (which started in 1971) to Party in the Park (in the early 2000s). Revived in 2017, it is a cornerstone of Peabody’s long-term cultural strategy for Thamesmead, and has grown in scale and ambition, ensuring art and culture remain integral to daily life. Complementing the festival, Peabody has launched a number of initiatives such as a new arts centre, library, and 38 artist studios in collaboration with the community and cultural partners since 2017.

Tell us what you did and how the project, event or installation enlivened the place in a creative way? 

 

The Thamesmead Festival, conceived by a community group in 2017, celebrates local talent and fosters pride in place. Planned a year in advance, the festival is organized by the Festival Production Group (FPG)—14 local residents collaborating with production specialists Serious and Peabody’s cultural team led by Head of Cultural Strategy Adriana Marques and Cultural Programme Manager Lisa Drew. In early 2024, a call for participants garnered a record number of submissions from artists in Thamesmead and South East London. The FPG curated a diverse line-up using a Eurovision-style scoring system after hosting a listening session. The festival reimagines Thamesmead through vibrant and creative interventions: Revitalized Public Spaces: The Eastern bank of Southmere Lake, recently transformed as part of a £2.5m investment programme, becomes the festival’s vibrant hub. Place Branding: A bold, Thamesmead-inspired identity, featuring flags and banners by local designers, animates the public realm. Community Engagement: A dynamic PR campaign, including interviews with performers and organisers, generates coverage across local and citywide platforms and builds excitement. Showcasing Local Talent: Performances span rap, soul, rock, spoken word, and street dance, connecting artists with the community. Celebrating Creativity: A market showcases local makers and food traders, alongside commissioned works like Paige Denham’s giant picnic rug and The Thamesmead Community Choir’s hymn to the town. 

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution? If it was a temporary intervention, is there a legacy plan? What happened to its tenants, users, materials and programming?

 A flagship of Peabody’s longterm cultural strategy, The Thamesmead Festival is confirmed in The Thamesmead Plan to take place until at least 2028. It is licensed by the London Borough of Bexley, who have granted permission for the Festival to take place in perpetuity. Audience numbers increased from 1,000 in 2017 to 8,500 in 2024A. Applications to participate quadrupled between 2017 and 2024. The Festival has grown from one to four stages plus a Play Zone, ‘Free to Be’ Calm Zone, 18 street vendors and 27 craft vendors (mostly local). In a survey conducted in August 2024, 83% of respondents said the festival makes them feel more connected to and proud of Thamesmead, and 88% agreed that the festival provides entertainment, promotes local talent, offers learning opportunities and boosts the local economy. The festival promoted public transport, worked with carbon-conscious suppliers, prioritized local vendors, and included programming to foster nature appreciation.

 

 “Not just an ode to the area, but to the very sense of community.” – Jay Akbar, ITV News