01 Sep A new free street festival is coming to Camden Town
The brand new street festival coined Camden Inspire will host a series of activities, workshops, live music, film screenings and performances with the aim of reimagining how we use our high street and public spaces.
Camden Open Air Gallery will be inviting attendees into its new arts space, Camden Collective will host film screenings and exhibitions whilst the surrounding streets will be completely pedestrianised hosting food, drink, arts and crafts with a mighty stage creating an outdoor venue. Camden has long been known as a hub of creativity and Camden Inspire aims to shout about all that Camden has to offer London. Taking inspiration from all things local, this new street festival wants to create a new blueprint for a more activated and experience focused borough. The free launch event aims to celebrate its community of small businesses and the value they add to the neighbourhood. Taking place on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September from 11am to 8pm.
The festival site will take over 17,000 sq ft including the surrounding roads of Camden Collective just off the highstreet near the canal. 15 traders will take over one road with seating, bars and activities with both family and adult entertainment taken care of whilst the joining road will create a long outdoor venue with stage taking up the other end.
Georgie Street, Head of Projects at Camden Town Unlimited says “Camden Inspire has always been about celebrating local small businesses, but this year we are taking the opportunity to do something more ambitious. We want to shine a light on the creative independents that make Camden Town such an exciting place to be, whilst showing how activating our local public realm should be a part of the future of our high streets – and our partnership with Camden Open Air Gallery perfectly fits this objective!
We are using this event to highlight the area’s heritage and history, the entrepreneurs who are bringing it back to life right now, and some incredible prospects like the revival of our live music scene and the Camden Highline, which pose a very bright future.”
Currently confirmed local traders include Ma Petite Jamaica which was London’s first Caribbean diner. Created way back in 1985 and still going strong, they will be filling the air with all things jerk. Lost Boys Pizza who host a vampire-themed pizzeria just up the road will be creating a creepy pop up just for the event while non-profit shop Think Coffee will be providing a pop-up temporary tattoo parlour. Much more is yet to be announced with further music and food news coming shortly.
Camden Open Air Gallery will be opening the doors of its new art space and shop for the first time during the festival. Started during Covid when businesses were closed, they harnessed the locked shutters in the local area to add colour and some vibrancy to the borough. From there the business has expanded ten fold and they will be hosting street art workshops and tours of the exhibition during Camden Inspire.
Camden Inspire is the brainchild of Camden Town Unlimited, a business improvement district democratically elected by local businesses to represent their interests in local and central government. At this time Camden Highline, Camden Collective and Camden Inspire are its flagship projects of energising the borough and bringing new ideas into the area.
Camden Inspire wants to bring some excitement back to Camden and boast about all the fantastic businesses dotted around the town. The first event will be a street stopper and rethink how public spaces can be used into the future.
