In A Field By A Bridge FESTIVAL

A brand new and unique (free) London festival launches this July.

Summer 2023 sees the launch of ‘In a Field by a Bridge’, a weekend festival with a  unique backdrop. In a community park beside an international landmark, this event inspires sustainable living and celebrates community action.

From when the sun sits high over Tower Bridge until the last pink rays disappear behind London Bridge, on grassy fields next to the Thames, this free festival showcases the juxtaposition of incredible London landmarks alongside cityscape, nature and one of the world’s great rivers.

Celebrating everything that Potters Fields Park and the London Bridge neighbourhood have to offer; merging green spaces, evocative history, wonderful architecture, a diverse residential community, and thriving businesses – this is one of London’s most culturally innovative, sustainable and exciting districts. In a Field by a Bridge is the first opportunity to showcase what London Bridge has to offer as a leading environmentally-focused business district, highlighting the transition to a carbon-neutral economy, low-impact living and healthy lifestyles. The impact of this festival on the local community is aimed to create positive social and economic longevity far beyond this launch weekend.

“Great festivals have meaning and a purpose  and  a team that means it, and if you can add an amazing location, then BINGO!, In a Field by a Bridge has the aim to be an exemplary sustainable festival and in Team London Bridge, a festival funder that “means it”. 

The location is nothing short of spectacular. Potters Fields is a beautifully maintained public green space overlooking the Thames and with views to the adjacent Tower Bridge, London Bridge, and The Tower of London. Across Tooley Street, the festival’s second green space  St. John’s Churchyard, is a wonderful community park that will play host to the Beyond Food-led “Feast in a Field“ initiative, where local “legends in their own kitchen” will allow Londoners and visitors from all around the UK and the world to get a taste of delicacies that thus far only their families have been able to enjoy.

We are aiming to make In a Field by a Bridge a  must-attend annual event.  I would ensure you can  say you were there at that first one in July 2023 !”

Wayne Hemingway, HemingwayDesign

This free festival aims to enable and encourage education and action on greener living through creative programming. It’s jam-packed with an incredible showcase of live performances, interactive workshops, film screenings, architectural tours, activities for all the family, and more.

The full programme coming soon, but here’s a sneak peek for now….

• Keith Brymer Jones and Clayground mass participatory clay workshop celebrating the history of pottery-making in the area
• Social Enterprise Beyond Food Community Feast in a Field
• Programme of workshops, talks & walks curated by London National Park City and its network of park rangers
• Topical talks programme with headline panellists
• Local businesses & resident involvement
• Film screenings
• Suitcase Sale
• Designers and makers market
• Street food & drink
• Workshops
• Music & Entertainment on a pedal-powered stage.

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For a number of years, the London Bridge community has been addressing global problems with local commitments. Matching the ambition of Southwark Council and the Mayor of London, local businesses have committed to a first-of-its-kind route map with the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and dramatically decreasing the 130,000 tonnes of CO2e they produce annually – an output equivalent to powering 25,295 homes a year. In a Field by a Bridge will highlight ways we can collectively and individually decarbonise and instil new ideas for low-carbon living into our daily routines. 

“In a Field by a Bridge will mark the start of the summer for many of us. Alongside HemingwayDesign, we have curated two days of riverside festivities for the curious, creative and conscientious who just like to have a good time! Everything has been planned with sustainability in mind.  Come along and discover Feast in a Field – our community cookout, experience making ceramics with Keith Brymer Jones of BBC2’s The Great Pottery Throw Down, and find a pre-loved bargain at the massive suitcase sale along the Thames. We hope to see In a Field By a Bridge become a regular fixture on London’s cultural calendar for many years.”  

Ellie Beedham, Director of Arts, Team London Bridge

 

“Access to green space and nature has never been more important to our busy urban lives. With our award-winning parks, commitment to sustainability, passion for our area and pride in our community, we’re excited to host the first In a Field by a Bridge festival.  We can’t wait to share two days of fun and inspiring activities with visitors from around the world and the corner.”

Sheila Benjamin, Chief Executive of Potters Fields Park Management Trust

“I am pleased and excited to be involved in this community event ‘In a Field by a Bridge’. It brings together the history of Potters Field on the banks of the Thames in the heart of London whilst creating an event that is accessible to the local community and beyond. Bringing historic places back to life through creativity is arguably the best way to highlight our past and recognise its significance for future generations.“

Keith Brymer Jones, ceramics and homeware designer. 

“We’re incredibly excited to be curating the London National Park City Zone at the first ever In A Field By A Bridge festival this summer, not least because it coincides with the 4th anniversary of London becoming the world’s first National Park City. There will be events and activities galore, all celebrating urban nature and the outdoors, and we can’t wait to see you all there.”

Mark Cridge, Executive Director, London National Park City

“Beyond Food Foundation and Brigade Bar+Kitchen have been in The Fire Station on Tooley Street for over a decade. Brigade is a social enterprise restaurant that cooks with live fire and smokes produce on site. Beyond Food is a charity that has helped over 7000 individuals whose lives have unravelled to regain confidence and independence. We have also supported over 2000 people to gain professional skills, which have taken many to work in the hospitality industry. We are delighted to be involved in the community-focused event ‘In a Field by a Bridge’, helping us to support and engage in our local community, placing a spotlight on the work of our charity.”

Jo Littman, Beyond Food

“It was an enticing invitation from Wayne Hemingway to work on this inaugural festival on the site of such rich ceramics history. The offer to develop a large-scale participatory installation to animate the space with members of the public, many of whom have never touched clay before, goes to the heart of Clayground Collective’s ethos to bring art practice through clay to all.”

Co-Directors Duncan Hooson, Claire West & Julia Rowntree, Clayground Collective

In a Field by a Bridge is just a short walk from London Bridge Station and the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river bus service and is set amid the attractions of the London Bridge area with its cafes, restaurants and theatres. 

I: @inafieldbyabridge

T: @inafieldfest