Hi, my name is Chigbu and I am a BA student at University of the Arts London. On 25th June 2022 (through We Design For The Community), I was invited by Thamesmead cbs to attend Bexley Eco Festival and document my experience through photographs and a few words.
THE EVENT
My Bexley Eco Fest experience in short was: delicious cakes and jerk chicken, A LOT of beautiful flowers, fun games, amazing live musical performances (that I most definitely sang along to), a cat who ran away from me :( and a fountain (oh that beautiful BEAUTIFUL fountain was definitely the highlight from the festival).
At the time of the festival, Stuart had been playing the guitar for only 3 years and Dennis had been playing the ukulele since they were about 6 or 7.
THE HEAD GARDENER
Everything was overgrown. He had to uproot everything and make it look nice. He built the fountains, with his friend and his ‘old lady’. Using the scraps around the neighbourhood (both thrown away and donated), he repurposed them for decorations and the fountain(s). Truly an ‘Eco’ festival.
Chris started gardenening with scraps years ago, because it was inexpensive. He continued doing it for the benefit of environment, as all the things he uses would otherwise end up in landfills. He’s been doing this for ‘thirty odd years’ and wants to keep doing it.
He plans to build a lot more beautiful fountains in the garden space.
THE ECO
Prior to attending the festival, I knew it was an eco festival (because of the name), but I didn't fully sink in until I arrived at the festival. Bexley Eco Festival isn't an greenwashing ploy, it is truly an ECO festival, with the use and implementation of repurposed belongings and scraps around the vicinity.
MY TAKEAWAY
I never leave my house (because of anxiety and how scary the world is), so when I was given this task, I was severely petrified (to say the least). But to my surprise, Bexley Eco Festival was quite literally the opposite of the image my anxiety had planted in my head (prior to my arrival). The festival had an extremely relaxing and serene atmosphere, I was able to mentally escape and enjoy the event (while taking pictures and interviewing the head gardener). This is an experience I will never forget, and can't seem to stop talking about.