Sydenham Arts Festival

June 17, 2009

By Chris

Festival Fever comes to Sydenham

The first ever Sydenham Arts Festival takes place from 3rd to 12th July 2009 and promises a host of vibrant events – with something for everyone. The ten day festival will include drama, dance, music and poetry performances, film screenings, celebrity book-signings, workshops and family-friendly activities. Preparations are currently underway for more than forty events taking place in galleries, schools, shops, churches, community centres, libraries, cafes and parks within the Sydenham area.
In addition to encouraging arts groups and organisations to forge new partnerships, the festival will provide local residents from all walks of life, backgrounds and ages with the opportunity to celebrate and participate in an exciting and culturally diverse programme.

: Levi Roots

Levi Roots, the man behind the popular Reggae Reggae Sauce, has been announced as part of the line up. Levi gained widespread fame after appearing on the UK television programme Dragon’s Den in 2007, seeking funding for his Reggae Reggae Sauce – a jerk barbecue sauce made to his grandmother’s “secret recipe”. On Saturday 4th July, the pavement outside Kirkdale Bookshop will be
transformed into a beach, complete with deckchairs and palm trees. Between 12pm – 2pm, Levi will be signing copies of his Reggae Reggae Sauce Cookbook (HarperCollins £15.99) at the Kirkdale Bookshop.

Highlights of the festival include:

The Street Party (July 4th): This will include an urban outdoor beach, street dancers, a barbershop quartet, a launderette theatre performance and buskers along the whole length of Sydenham High Street.

Flamenco Dance Workshop (5th July): A glimpse of the rhythms & passion of flamenco through an introduction to palmas (percussive clapping) & dance, this workshop, accompanied by live guitar, will finish with a short performance by members of Viva Flamenco.

Free Film Show: The Bride of Frankenstein (7th July) An exciting programme of short films made by local film-makers will be followed by a rare screening of The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) starring Sydenham’s own Elsa Lanchester and Lewisham-born Boris Karloff! The programme will be introduced by locally-based author, journalist and BBC presenter, Matthew Sweet

Picnic in the Park (12th July) a fun-packed family event in Mayow Park which includes dance, theatre, live music performances, poetry & visual arts.

London Bubble’s Mystery Show (10th July) in Sydenham Wells Park. The first in a new season of open-air ‘Fan Made Theatre’, the public are invited to purchase a stake (which includes ticket price) and then vote on which show they’d like to see.
Picnic in the Park (12th July) a fun-packed family event in Mayow Park which includes dance, theatre, live music performances, poetry & visual arts. The festival, a ‘celebration of artistic excellence in the local area’ is the brainchild of local resident Jonathan Kaufman, and was inspired by the sell-out run of the Midsummer Night’s Dream he produced and directed and the Independent Booksellers’ Week held at Kirkdale Bookshop both which took place in Sydenham in 2008. Jonathan said: “Sydenham was ready for something new and exciting, and we wanted to create a
festival which would prove to the rest of London that Sydenham is more than just another London suburb. It’s a chance for all local people to connect and share the arts.”

Ticket prices will suit all budgets and many events will be free.

For full festival programme listings please visit: www.sydenhamartsfestival.com
For further information, images or to interview Jonathan Kaufman, contact Jenni Asiama
or Jillisa Carty at the A.M.A Consultancy on 020 8778 8824 or (e) info@theamaconsultancy.com

The Box Office for the festival will open on 26th of May.