SouthWestFest 2022 – how to get involved

Add your event to our programme, apply to have a stall at our Festival Day and opportunities to volunteer with us

Event registration – if you are planning an event in South Westminster during the 2022 festival (24th June to 15th July, inclusive), you are invited to apply to have it added to our Open Access Programme. As long as it is open to the community to attend and free of charge (or low cost), we’ll consider adding it to our programme, which will be promoted across the borough via 12,000 brochures, social media and our website.

Click here to register your event

Apply for a stall at our Festival Day – with between 5,000 and 7,000 visitors, our Festival Day is a key date in the events calendar in South Westminster and we’d love you to join us! We have a sliding scale of very reasonable stall fees for individuals, community groups, charities and not for profits and businesses. Join us at this years event, and enjoy being part of a much loved community festival:

Apply for a stall

Register your interest in volunteering – our community festival wouldn’t be what it is without the volunteers to donate their time to help bring it all to life, and once again we’re hoping to bring on board a team of local residents that will love being a critical part of bringing SouthWestFest together. We’d love you to register your interest in volunteering, and you can do so here:

Volunteer with us

And if you’d like to work with us in any other way, we’d love to hear from you – get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter or our contact form.

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New Team Members Announced

Following the Board of Trustees recent appointment of Dodie Finamore as Festival Director, we have two new members of the SouthWestFest team to share with you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edward Quigley is a self-taught artist and photographer/ working from his studio in north London. He brings a combination of experience and energy to his new role of Festival Producer.

He is also the founder of Citizens Art Market which is a visual arts social enterprise supporting artist development and engagement, and active in Pimlico, as well as across London.

Edward has 30 years experience in community development, event management and project management. He also worked in Westminster for the Paddington Development Trust.

Edward says: “I’m delighted and excited to join Dodie, the board and volunteers at SouthWestFest as we bring together plans for our 2022 festival. It’s great that the team have managed to programme activity during such difficult and uncertain times. I’m hoping that this year we can work to bring something really special to the community in South Westminster”

Lucy Donald is a marketer and producer based in London with a passion for theatre, live events and festivals. She has worked on a variety of large outdoor arts projects, including: Little Amal at COP26 (Good Chance) and Petrol Headz on Tour (Barbican Theatre). She has a range of experience in marketing – from national tours to brand new fringe work.

Lucy says: “I am excited to join the festival team. I’m looking forward to collaborating with our community to make the festival as fresh and fun as possible!”

Lucy will be running our social media channels and running our mailing list. Keep your eyes peeled for updates over the coming weeks and months!

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New Director Announced

Today we announce that after recruiting and interviews, the Board of Trustees have appointed Dodie Finamore as Festival Director

 

“I am so excited to continue my work with SouthWestFest, our partners and communities. Heading into my fourth year with the festival, the time feels right to step up into this new role. After two years of finding new ways of working to steer us through these difficult times I am looking forward to returning to the festival’s traditional model whilst bringing fresh ideas and energy.

I am indebted to Joanna Goodey the previous Director, for all her support and guidance over the last few years, I shall miss working with her and wish her well.

We will be recruiting for my replacement so keep your eyes peeled!”

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Work with Us

SouthWestFest is looking for a new Festival Director:

Since 2004, SouthWestFest has brought the SW1 community together in the first weeks of July to celebrate the cultural and community work taking place in this unique part of the capital.  Now the Board of Trustees is seeking an experienced freelance Festival Director to lead this dynamic annual community festival, sustain past success and take it into a new phase of development.

The successful candidate will work with the Board and partner organisations to link local people to cultural and community opportunities through fun activities and engaging events for all ages.

Role – Freelance Festival Director

Contract value – £10,400

Contract period – January 2022-December 2022, renewable annually

Time commitment – One day per week on average, but weighted towards the festival events

and immediate preparation for them in early summer

Place of work – Primarily home-based/flexible with attendance at meetings in Westminster

needed on a regular basis

Reporting to – Chair and Board of Trustees

Supervising – Festival Producer and freelance staff, as required

Enhanced DBS check required

For an application pack and any queries please contact Chair of Trustees Dr Catherine Drake Wilkes on chair@southwestfest.org.uk

We plan to hold interviews on 23rd November.

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Jo Goodey steps down as Festival Director

Dear Friends of the Festival,

After 6 fantastic and fun-filled years at the helm of SouthWestFest it is time for me to move on from my role of Festival Director. This decision was not made easily, as I have absolutely loved my time working for SouthWestFest, getting to know the incredible communities, groups, organisations and people who make south Westminster such a vibrant place to live and work.

I feel honoured and privileged to have been able to work with you all to create amazing and inspiring cultural and community events and projects, which showcase and celebrate the area. From determinedly dancing and singing in the rain at the Pimlico Proms, to pop up planetariums, outdoor theatre shows, incredible community art installations, our parades and performances in the streets of Westminster, and my absolute favourite- our Festival Day in St. Georges square! I have so many happy memories to take with me.

I’m also pleased to have been able to work with our amazing trustees, our fantastic producer Dodie, our freelance staff and volunteers, to see the Festival and charity through the challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic. We launched a Digital festival in 2020, and a reimagined hybrid festival for 2021, out of which our Art Trail and other exciting new initiatives were born and now is an opportune time for the festival to continue to develop and grow under new leadership. 

Although I am departing as Festival Director, I promise this is not a goodbye, just a farewell for now as I will definitely be popping back in the future as an audience member, to enjoy all the fantastic future events the festival has to offer!

See you all soon,

Jo Goodey

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