Interview: Ellie Beedham on In a Field by a Bridge Festival
We caught up with Ellie Beedham, Director of Arts, Team London Bridge to talk about In a Field by a Bridge, a free festival coming to Potters Field Park – right next to Tower Bridge.
In a Field by a Bridge Festival | 22-23 July 2023 | Potters Fields Park and St. John’s Churchyard, Tower Bridge | Free
Tell us about ‘In a Field by a Bridge’ festival. How did it come about and what should we expect?
In a Field by a Bridge is a new festival about low-impact living, in a fantastic park right next to Tower Bridge, and is the brainchild of myself, Wayne Hemingway and his brilliant team. It’s about arts, business and the community coming together to help encourage a greener future. The people of London Bridge are working towards becoming net-zero by 2030 and the festival celebrates and shares their passion for learning to live more responsibly.
What big highlights should people look forward to and are there any hidden gems they shouldn’t miss?
Come and have a look around, there’s loads of fun and plenty to do for all ages with sound installations, talks, workshops, performances, a maker’s market and suitcase sale. Hear potter Keith Brymer-Jones and artists Andrew Logan and Dame Zandra Rhodes telling us all about their work, help pedal the pedal powered stage, watch a movie at The Scoop or alternatively enjoy some tunes as you relax in Potters Fields Park.
Don’t miss the film screening of Complicité’s Can I Live? by Fehinti Balogun, a masterpiece about climate change, at the Two Bridges pub – plus a series of talks looking at how we can positively engage with issues of sustainability and environmental change.
Community engagement and sustainable living seem to be important themes. How do you think the festival will support these important aims?
The festival is about bringing together our local community and visitors to realise that we can make a positive impact. Decisions we make now will directly impact the future of this place and our community. Why not try the Feast in a Field with Beyond Food/Brigade, where home cooks take their favourite recipe and, having trained with professional chefs, will feed the visitors to the festival with real home cooked treats.
Tell us about London Bridge and Potters Fields Park and how they are important to London.
This area is a major transport hub, with three hospitals, King’s College London university and landmarks such as The Shard and Tower Bridge. Potters Fields Park and St. Johns Churchyard are two of the lovely green spaces here which provide the lungs for the area helping to clean the air and support wellbeing. There are pocket parks and exciting green areas all around London Bridge. It’s a very special place.
What are your favourite haunts around the area? (to eat, to be entertained, to relax).
A favourite place for lunch is Farmer J’s who make great tasty vegetarian field trays (top of Bermondsey Street) and of course there are fantastic shows at the Unicorn and Bridge theatres. There’s Amazing Grace for gigs and the very unusual Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret in the roof of an old church. Amongst the iconic architecture, Tower Bridge is an amazing place to visit, an incredible feat of engineering. The views from the top along the Thames are out of this world.
Ellie Beedham is Director of Arts at Team London Bridge
As strikes may affect your journey, make sure to check travel info for the festival!
I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.
