Summer arts festival helps artists create their visions

Wandsworth Arts Fringe festival is gearing up for their two-week summer festival – and have given grants to artists to help them realise their creative visions.

The festival will run from June 25 to July 11 in a variety of venues across Wandsworth and includes an eclectic mix of dance, theatre, art and comedy.

The event also offers a total £20,000 in grants to artists and performers who will create work that engages with Wandsworth residents.

Awardees of this year’s grants include World Heart Beat Music Academy who will bring Latin American music and dance with their Congrego! Festival.

They will perform an online concert which will be streamed into care homes, as well as a series of music workshops for musicians aged 5 to 25.

A robot will also take to the streets in the Cat and Mouse Theatre’s The Adventures of S.U.S.A.N.N the Robot.

Accompanied by her creator Dr Morten Hyphen Sinclair, S.U.S.A.N.N. will help people see a lighter side of life as they wait in queues, take walks through the park or isolate in small communities.

Some projects have been inspired by the events of the last year.

The Baked Bean Company’s [Re]focus: Exploring Unheard Voices is a documentary exploring how people with learning disabilities have been impacted by Covid-19.

The learning disability community has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, yet not enough people are speaking about it.

Actors at the company have created the documentary in the hope their voices will be heard and listened to.

Finding Strength in Small Things is an exhibition of photo artworks from Sound Minds studio project artists at a pop-up gallery space.

The exhibition follows a series of workshops led by artist Sam Haynes and photographer Alejandra Carles-Tolra and will reflect on the artist’s experiences over the past year, focusing on what helped them to battle the boredom and loneliness of lockdown.

The festival will also have a focus on local people.

My Battersea is a photography exhibition showcasing the work of the My Battersea Photography Award 2021 winners and finalists.

The exhibition explores what Battersea means to those who live and work there.

Councillor Steffi Sutters, Wandsworth council’s cabinet member for community services and open spaces, said: “Wandsworth Arts Fringe continues to be one of the highpoints of the borough’s cultural calendar, and I am delighted that despite the pandemic and uncertainty, WAF continues to celebrate the wealth of creative talent in our local community, both live and online.

“Last year we were thrilled to work with a wide range of Wandsworth organisations to transform the festival into WAF In Your Living Room; this year we hope to be able to deliver a more hybrid offer of both live events and activities and online projects.

“We are so proud to be supporting all these brilliant projects through the council’s grant programme.”

Main Pic: The Adventures Of S.U.S.A.N.N the Social Distancing Robot