Who We Are
Walthamstow Garden Party is presented by the Barbican, Create London, Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture and local residents. It’s a free two day global festival made locally, celebrating and powered by the incredible creativity of Waltham Forest, London’s first Borough of Culture.
The Barbican
Louise Jeffreys, Artistic Director at the Barbican, said: "This year’s Walthamstow Garden Party is a special and important one. Not only are we celebrating Waltham Forest being London’s first ever Borough of Culture, but we celebrate six fabulous years working in the borough, supporting an inspiring network of local organisations and residents to work together to co-create this truly unique event. We are incredibly proud of what we have built together and can’t wait to share it with you again."
The Barbican is a world-class arts and learning organisation in the heart of The City presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and creative learning events. Committed to ‘arts without boundaries’ the Barbican offers over 50,000 discounted tickets for as little as £5 to 14-25 year olds through its Young Barbican scheme.
At Walthamstow Garden Party, the Barbican continues to build on its history of programming and partnerships with artists and organisations in east London.
Visit the Barbican
Create
Hadrian Garrard, Director of Create London, said: "This is always one of our favourite weekends of the year. It's such a joy to see this local festival flourish and grow from year to year, especially as it becomes more and more locally owned and run. When we first started Walthamstow Garden Party with the Barbican in 2014, we could only have dreamed it would be the festival it is now. Events like this, which bring communities together are of increasing importance in London and we are proud to be a part of this story."
Create exists to explore the ways artists can contribute to the lives of people in cities. It helps artists to connect more closely with communities through an ambitious programme of projects.
Create's work is primarily focused in east London, home to more artists and art organisations than anywhere in Europe.
Visit Create
Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture 2019
Councillor Clare Coghill, leader of Waltham Forest Council, said: "Waltham Forest Council is delighted to be working with Barbican and Create London for the sixth consecutive year to deliver the Walthamstow Garden Party, a highlight of our London Borough of Culture 2019 year. The Walthamstow Garden Party embodies our themes for this year – Radicals, Makers and Fellowship – bringing together an immense diverse network of Waltham Forest artists, community groups, residents and businesses to deliver a weekend that truly celebrates the best that our borough has to offer."
Waltham Forest is the first ever London Borough of Culture. The award from the Mayor of London will ensure arts and culture is placed at the heart of our communities. The year will explore the theme Radicals, Makers and Fellowship in a collaboration between local residents, artists and creatives producing events, workshops and activities celebrating the borough.
Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture 2019 will highlight the character, diversity and cultures of the borough, the things we have in common and the things that make us different, in a year-long celebration of the real cultures of London by the people who live here
Visit Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture 2019
PROGRAMME PARTNERS
Walthamstow Garden Party is made possible by the amazing talent, commitment and enthusiasm and hard work of all the local artists, groups, organisations and businesses that get involved. Meet our collaborators for 2019:
Appetite Food Market
Artillery
Auntie Maureen
Beatroots
Benji Davies
Blackhorse Arts
Bongalong
Cat & Hutch
Chapel End Early Years
Choir 17
Create Jobs
Citizen Helene
Curious Wilds
Dave Congreve
Dear World
Delyth Taylor
Drum Works
E17 Arts Trail
E17 Designers
East of Eden
Eastern Front Soundsystem
Electronic17
Ewan Pearson
Forest Poets
Forest Recycling Project
Friends of Lloyd Park
Greenleaf Primary School
Greenpeace Waltham Forest
Hedge Herbs
Hornbeam
Justin Robertson
Layla Rosa
Legends of the Forest
Leyton College
Leyton Orient Football Club
Lloyd Skate Park Jam
London College of Fashion
Move17
Meet Your Park People
Middlesex University Muslim Cultural Forum
Natural Voices
NBAM
Organiclea
Pete Fowler
Perky Blenders
Raising the Funking Bar
Raw Academy
Real Food Festival
Samantha Blackburn
Scribble & Smudge
Soul Picnic
Skate Park Users Group
Stories & Supper
Suntrap
Tell Tails
The Lloyd Park Centre
The Make Escape
The Mill
Turning Earth
The Three Valleys Male Voice Choir
This is Rubbish
Urban Flames
Waltham Forest Flames
Waltham Forest Muslim Cultural Forum
Walthamstow Toy Library and Play Centre
We Can Be Hereos
Wild Card Brewery
William Morris Gallery
You Should Be Dancing
X7eaven Academy
OUR FUNDERS
Arts Council England
Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Between 2015 and 2018, ACE plans to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
Keep it Free
Last year you contributed £9,579 in donations over the weekend- through cash donations and through the reusable cup scheme. Along with £10,713.69 in contributions from local businesses involved in the event. This contribution has been invested into this year’s festival to support local organisations to develop areas of Walthamstow Garden Party
Find out more here.
Image credits © Gar Powell-Evans