CAF2020 - A-Z of Camberwell
The show must go on. Camberwell Arts Festival 2020, The A - Z of Camberwell is happening pandemic or not! I’ve been tinkering away the last few months working alongside the wonderful Colleen Burns to get the CAF website up and running in time for the summer festival. After rebuilding the entire site with Squarespace 7 it’s ready to rock for an online festival running 13 - 21 June 2020.
Since it’s the 26th year of Camberwell Arts, we decided to run the A-Z of Camberwell and try and get to the heart of what Camberwell means to her residents. Each day has a different theme for each unique letter of Camberwell A-Z.
*links added after the festival
Saturday 13 June - C is for Cats, Choirs and Community Creativity
We open with the community Camberwell A-Z exhibition including painting, pictures, poems, and films from the community in response to our A-Z choices. We’ve got A for Art School, B for Burgess Park … you get the idea! We’re also running the Camberwell Cat Show for one year only, thanks for Matthew Cuffe. Matthew insists the cats won’t behave for a show in the park next year. We round off the first day with Camberwell Choiroke, a CAF20 Commission by Jordan Theis and Sarah Doyle giving a nod to Camberwell’s music hall past.
Sunday 14 June - A is for Artists
Camberwell Arts is for artists too! The first Sunday of the festival is all about supporting artists with the launch of the Camberwell Arts Directory and digital Arts Market, as well as a selection of Artist’s Videos and local posts for the #ArtistSupportPledge. We’re also delighted to announce a new major commission for a public sculpture, in partnership with Network Rail.
Monday 15 June - M is for Movies
My live-streaming nightmare comes along on Monday, but it’s packed full of treats for film-lovers with a fab selection of local films. We’ve got 5 live Q&A’s on the night including the debut of CAF20 Commission, 26 Objects, by Darren Zlatareff & Matthew Sommerville. We’re also going to speak to the directors of Prospect, White Girl/Black Girl & Everything Inbetween, Black Widow & War of Words.
Tuesday 16 June - B is for BAME heroes
Tuesday we’re celebrating the diversity of Camberwell with two films by the Black Heroes Foundation including a live showing of The Story of Sam King with a special new intro with Pastor Michael King. Stay Strong Route debuts a new film centred on the summers Black Lives Matter protests in London.
Wednesday 17 June - E is for Exhibitions
I miss ‘real’ exhibitions, but this is the next best thing with 14 online shows for you. Some highlights: Leyla Reynolds’ CAF20 Commission, Isolation Postcards, a selection of tongue in cheek illustrations sending holiday wishes from her sitting room. I See You by David Whyte, which you can have a peek at in the Pigeon if you go in to buy a craft beer takeaway! Loving the Camberwell-themed Animated Alphabet by Art of the Magic Lantern, an A-Z selection of images and gifs inspired by magic lantern slides. Robbie Ewing creates his own A-Z map of Camberwell, charting his rediscovery of SE5 through lockdown. And finally, a pet favourite, Agustin Coll’s Daily Corona Drawings, recording his experiences of lockdown with an illustrated house-inside-a-house.
Thursday 18 June - R is for Rainbows
Rainbows have quicky become the universal symbol of the NHS, brightening up the windows of Camberwell courtesy of local school children. One particularly impressive rainbow appeared on Ada Street courtesy of Louis Young, so we’ve marked its place in Camberwell with a mini exhibition, The Camberwell Rainbow. To aid anyone who wants a rainbow with a little extra, there’s a downloadable drawing of a rainbow over the Hermit’s by Emma Barnie. Before the rainbow was associated with the NHS, it has long been a symbol for LGBTQIA communities. Camberwell Arts presents Beyond the Rainbow - Pride in 2020, in partnership with The Chateau. Beyond the Rainbow is an examination of Pride inclusivity, alongside a mini exhibition celebrating Black queer performers, customers, and staff from The Chateau archive
Friday 19 June - W is for Workshops
A Day of do-it-yourself festival with workshops courtesy of local arts organisations. Try South London Gallery’s Zine Making Workshop, follow the story of Cinderella with Blue Elephant Theatre, or make your own Hermit’s Cave hermit with armchair art classes by Sarah Sparks
Saturday 20 June - L is Literature
As the festival comes to a close, we look at some local literature. Enjoy a live spoken word performance from 2019 UK National Slam Champion, Robin Lamboll. Or perhaps follow Wes White on an epic journey through The Way to Zed. You can join in with homemade Playwriting and Haiku challenges and then compare your results to Poetry from the Bunker, acrostic poems from 23rd Camberwell Scout Group, made in response to ‘U is for Underground Bunker’
Sunday 21 June - Z is for Zoom
I’m going to be honest, nothing much is happy today - on the 7th day they rested etc. But do check out the Zoom closing party where we’ll be showing Vikki Stones CAF20 Commission for the first time. We Are Not Okay, a rallying cry for the arts. #SaveTheArts