ERITH MADE 2023
What an incredible one! This year marked a few changes and a new approach to the festival, and we were so happy with the results – a brilliant day at The Exchange, a brilliant day at all other venues and spaces, and some very happy (but hot!) people across the town.
Akwaaba to the Takeover!
For ERITH MADE 2023 we decided to use it to explore new opportunities and partnerships.
On the Saturday, we focused on the incredible work that is being delivered as part of the Akwaaba (meaning “Welcome” in Akan) programme, showcasing the richness of Ghanaian culture and craft. Curated by local resident Pauline Brobbey, supported by our Participation Manager Keilah Boyd, this programme included hair braiding, costume making, Kente weaving, spice workshops, Afrobeats dance and some incredible music curated by Johnny Mensah.
On the Sunday, we invited Three Rivers to take over the space. Three Rivers are a local community-led arts organisation working across North Bexley and doing some amazing work. They gave the ERITH MADE crowd a fab time sketching, sculpting and learning with all activities inspired by the Crayford and Erith Marshes.
This partnership work brought lots of people we know, and many people we met for the first time.
Alongside this, we had music in the Garden Room for the first time, welcoming back the Wilf’s Steel Pan Band and the wonderful Clyde and Sophia.
Sharing the vision, sharing the responsibility
The first ERITH MADE in 2021, was completely organised by The Exchange and our brilliant team of volunteers; the second year The Exchange still oversaw the coordination of the festival, but with many more local groups and businesses involved as a result of our work to develop the Erith Town Partnership; this year, coordination moved completely over to the Erith Town Partnership with Theatre Box Performing Arts Academy taking the lead.
This was a big step for The Exchange, a move that we hope will not only mean more people have a say in what that festival looks and feels like, but also so that the responsibility for future festivals is the responsibility of many groups, not just us. This move wouldn’t have been possible without the help from Three Rivers, 64 Million Artists and Bexley Council who provided a range of support to the Partnership including funding.
The Town Partnership is already discussing next year, collating the feedback we received over the weekend, so that we can work towards ERITH MADE 2024!
And we want to thank everyone at Theatre Box, The Running Horses, Erith Playhouse, Christ Church, St John’s Church, the Riverside Shopping Centre and all the other partners that helped to bring together such a wonderful weekend.
A massive thank you
We wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone that has helped to make this year’s event happen - volunteers, partners, funders, staff - the dream team!
We were also well aware that the current closure of The Bookstore would have an impact, but across the weekend we had over 280 people join us for what we had planned for The Exchange. A massive thank you to everyone for continuing to support us.
A thank you and a see you all soon from everyone here!
