Fest Norwood drew to a close on 12 August with the final event courtesy of West Norwood Free Film Festival and their special festival screening of Phantom Thread at Volcano Coffee Works Café.

 

The festival ran over 10 days and featured more than 70 events, most of which were completely free. Celebrating the return of South London Theatre to its new, Heritage Lottery funded refurbished home at the Old Fire Station, the festival equally showcased much of the incredible breadth of arts, culture and physical activities across West Norwood.

 

Norwood Forum awarded one of its annual community grants to local health and wellbeing project West Norwood Wonder, and this was used to support 12 organisers and a total of 56 individual events of which 55 were completely FREE to attend. The grant was especially used to shine a light on existing organisations and events within the community, with the intention to introduce them to a new audience by being part of the festival. All reported new attendees.

 

There was a packed programme of completely free workshops at Portico Gallery, walks from the Health and Leisure Centre and Friends of West Norwood Cemetery; a special focus on the entertainment programme at West Norwood Feast; the soul and Motown dance night House of Bamboo at Portico Gallery; an art exhibition by Martin Grover at The Great North Wood; poetry events by Poetry Slabs who also collaborated with Abigail C Sudbury from West Norwood Voices - who also ran another two singing based workshops; West Norwood Stitch showcased their weekly stitching group; The Book and Record Bar joined in with eight events; including seven radio shows and not forgetting West Norwood Free Film Festival as mentioned above.

 

Finally, there were two photography events, one from Station to Station and Norwood Forum's very own, Nor-Wood – building a digital map of our favourites trees, and there is still time to add you own! Email a photo of your favourite tree, along with its location toinfo@norwoodforum.org or post on the Norwood Forum Facebook page: @TheNorwoodForumWestNorwood

 

Local events, by local people, for local people.

#festnorwood