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Enfield river to become a site for artistic exchange

People throughout Enfield are being encouraged to help shape a new arts project that aims to bring creative and cultural projects to the River Lee.

Enfield Yard on River Lee

Hinterlands will launch this April and is being run by us, as part of our Arts on the Waterways programme.

Between late April and early June, Hinterlands will offer local communities in Enfield and children and young people from Oasis Academy and Prince of Wales Primary School, the opportunity to take part in creative river walks and boat trips, performance, spoken word and filmmaking activities with renowned and local artists.

Residents are also invited to share their ideas on how to make the river in Enfield a warm and welcoming space, by taking part in a ‘Talkaoke' - a fun and informal mobile chat-show and platform for creative exchange, led by arts collective The People Speak. Talkaoke will be visiting Palace Gardens Shopping Centre in Enfield Town, on 21 April (12-4pm) and Forty Hall Village Fete, 13 May (11am-5pm).

Hinterlands is a national arts programme that aims to reinvigorate five areas of canal and river where there is low engagement with the waterways and the arts. In addition to the project in Enfield the other locations are: Sheffield/Doncaster; Leicester; Smethwick/Sandwell; and Pontypool/Torfaen in Wales.

Tim Eastop, our producer of the Arts on the Waterways programme says: "The River Lee is a fantastic place, loved by those who know it, but still undiscovered by many. It's a wonderful environmental space, and it has the potential to be a great cultural space as well, a place that brings communities together and swells people's pride in the area. This creative consultation is aimed at giving local people, working with artists and the Canal & River Trust, an opportunity to come together and express themselves. The river is such a perfect canvas for creativity and we can't wait to hear what ideas people come up with. Everyone is welcome, anyone can get involved and we hope as many people as possible take part."

If you would like to know more about the Hinterlands programme in Enfield and get involved either as a participant or partner, please contact creative producer, Clare Moloney: [email protected]

Last Edited: 10 April 2018

photo of a location on the canals
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