People’s Pavilion Community Festival
Photography: Luke O’Donovan
Project
The People’s Pavilion 2025 Community Festival
Team
Produced by Beyond the Box in collaboration with our Young Producers. Bianca Quiring, Roselyn Mensah, Isata Kamara, Jamie Jones, Aether Singh, Jennifer Ly, Ummi Hoque, Manuela Mantey, Jade Lennon and Senior Producer Akif Rahman.
Supported by
Arts Council England
Location
William Morris Gallery, Waltham Forest
The People’s Pavilion 2025 Community Festival was a free cultural festival that brought Waltham Forest alive throughout August and September. Led by young people from across London, the Pavilion was reimagined as a stage for music, film, debate, creativity, and design — created with and for local residents.
Produced by Beyond The Box CIC in collaboration with community partners, the festival celebrated the power of culture to connect people through performances, workshops, installations, and shared experiences.
Over five weeks, more than fifteen events filled the Pavilion with energy and imagination. With support from Arts Council England and additional backing from Beyond The Box, over £30,000 was dedicated to making art and culture accessible for everyone — ensuring every moment of the festival was free to attend and open to all.
Festival partners included, William Morris Gallery, Landscape Encounters, Eftekasat Band and Ustavi, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) & Immortal Bloom. Artists, Isata Kamara & Serra Abbie Luthena. Patchwork Stories with Alisha and Sade, Xaymaca Awoyungbo and Stow Films, Waltham Forest Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica Twinning Association, Project Xero Waltham Forest, John Ongom Big Band , Stories and Supper, Makers Nihal J. Singh & Lucinda Purkis, RIBA London, Artist Angry Dan, Mbilla Arts CIC and Pantonic Steel Orchestra.
The festival activated public space in new ways, opening the Pavilion and its surroundings as places for gathering, creativity, and celebration. By breaking down barriers to access and reimagining how spaces can be used for culture, the programme demonstrated how public spaces can belong to everyone — alive with energy, open to all, and shaped by the communities around them.
Watch the Film
Relive the spirit of the People’s Pavilion Community Festival . This short film captures the energy, creativity, and unity that filled Waltham Forest — from live performances and vibrant workshops to community spaces buzzing with connection.
Experience how young people reimagined culture in their community, and see the festival come alive once more.
👉 Press play and step back into the festival.
Celebrating culture, community, and togetherness – a free festival bursting with energy and expression
Cultural Producers
With funding from Arts Council England, we empowered a team of young cultural producers to work alongside our community festival partners, co-developing events, shaping the programme, and creating their own Closing Ceremony to celebrate the festival.
