Our last participation in the Camden Together series of events was our own CBC Culture Fest which was in collaboration with The Building Centre in South Crescent, Bloomsbury. This was our first organised event as a group of people who had never worked together before and it certainly brought its fair share of challenges.
Participating in the outdoor cinema was one of our creatives Modu Sesay, an up and coming film maker. The outdoor screening project was a worthwhile experience for Modu as funding allowed him to finish his film project in time for the festival and it was the first time he had seen his work on such a big screen and showing to a mixed audience. The feedback from his film has given him the much needed confidence to continue pursuing his ambition.
The events team at Camden, led by Nicky Ezer were extremely helpful and supported us in organising and managing the coordination of the event.
Our event consisted of a 2-day festival with black performers, speakers, a fashion show and food vendors selling African and Caribbean foods and drinks. The indoor event included an art exhibition, short film screening and fashion stalls.
Unfortunately, due to the unpredictable British weather, we were forced to cancel the outdoor part of the festival at the last minute and managed what we could inside the venue. Because of the weather, we had a lower turnout than expected, but still had an amazing turnout of support, from our social media followers as well as people from the street.
The event was well received and positive feedback from participants and attendees on the diversity of creatives and programs and the quality of the festival. We had over 30 participants and over 150 guests attended the event over the 2 days. The whole project proved to be an invaluable learning experience.