David Williamson from Friends of Broomfield Park looks forward to a new community-led arts festival in Broomfield Park. This article first appeared in the July 2019 issue of Enfield Dispatch.
Our communities are full of creativity and talent; Broomfield Park is one of the most popular parks in Enfield. A group of local volunteers is using these two ingredients to create the recipe for Park Life Arts Weekend, running this month. As Friends of Broomfield Park, we want to spark imagination and creativity, foster greater engagement between community groups, and develop a sense of ownership of the park as a resource for collective enjoyment.
Park Life begins on the night of Friday 12th July by showing how an old bowling green can be brought back to life. Our launch event "Gin and Latin Dance Cocktail" features local gin distillers Old Bakery Gin from Bowes, hampers from local caterer Splendour and Sparkle, live music from Renaissance piano shop in Myddleton Road, plus dancing into the night led by Heather Ross of Salsatricity.
Local storytellers start Saturday's events, including an old favourite, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, played out for pre-school children in locations around the park. We also bring two new stories to life: Palmers Grin, created and told by local raconteur Andrew Gelling, and marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings is Astrogirl, created and told by Southgate's popular children's author Alex Woolf.
Saturday afternoon celebrates local voices, featuring Enfield Community Choir, led by Simon Gilbert; the award-winning St Anne's Girls School Choir, led by Marsha Morrison; and R Voices Choir, led by Richard Forbes.
Also on Saturday, one of Enfield's creative gems, Chickenshed Theatre, perform their family-friendly Tales from the Shed On Tour, which follows a week's run in Hyde Park. Saturday's events end with a galaxy of local talent lighting the night sky, organised by musicians Ruth and Dave Buckwell from That Blue Patch.
Sunday morning is a time to relax body and mind with yoga teacher Penny Austin in the community orchard, Tai Chi with John Merrill by the lakes, and creative wellbeing led by Anna-Maria Popova at the bowling green. Breakfast follows with sourdough craft bread from Holtwhites Bakery and honey from the bees at Broomfield Orchard.
Park Life Arts Weekend closes with more rhythm and dance throughout the afternoon surrounding the Palmers Greenery Café, encouraging old and young to get to their feet and dance.