Free family-friendly winter festival on Saturday 10 December from 5pm

Allbrook House on the Alton Estate is set to become an illuminated vertical stage next weekend at the first Winterfest celebrations in Roehampton.

As part of the festive celebrations 30 dancers will perform on the balconies overlooking Library Green, while a lighting display will move across the tower block and be accompanied by music and stories from local residents about their hopes for the future and their lives in Roehampton.


Lantern parade 2013

The event will begin with a huge lantern parade made up of hundreds of children from four local schools and families and local community groups starting at 5pm on Saturday 10 December. The parade will feature a live band as it winds its way from Alton Activity Centre to Library Green.

Visitors will see 30 dancers, from nearby Roehampton University, perform with CoDa Dance to the resident’s stories which are being collected by local arts group Spare Tyre in the lead up to the event and made into soundscapes.

In the week leading up to the event there will be a free lantern making workshop with professional artists that the community can participate in on Monday 5 December between 4-6pm at Roehampton Library. And on Sat 10 December between 1-3pm at Alton Activity Centre.
Winterfest aims to celebrate the history of the estate and its residents, turning familiar spaces into magical places for one night only, while telling stories from the lives of local people.

Winterfest is produced by ROAM (Roehampton Outdoor Arts Movement) a community driven arts organisation. The event’s programmed has been inspired by and plotted with members of the community, which works to bring new, dynamic and accessible outdoor arts to the town.

ROAM is working with renowned outdoor arts group Emergency Exit Arts, dance group CoDa dance and Spare Tyre to produce the event, and has been funded by Wimbledon Foundation Community Fund, supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Big Lottery Fund.

Everything at Winterfest is free to take part in including a festive community sing-a-long.
Winterfest lantern parade begins at 4pm from Alton Activity Centre ending at Library green where the fire and dance performances begin at 5pm.

December 1, 2016