Events

8th Sydenham Arts Festival

10 days of poetry, drama, music, comedy, film, visual arts plus two weekends of the 2016 Sydenham Arts Trail

VIST THE WEBSITE

Sydenham Arts

An Evening With Kei Miller and Mona Arshi
1 July 8 – 10pm Sydenham School
Kei Miller won the 2014 Forward Prize for his work “The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion” ­which Hilary Mantel chose as one of her favourite poems.

Poetry Storytime
2 July 10.30 – 11am Kirkdale Bookshop
Kirkdale Bookshop’s regular Saturday morning storytime will be having a poetry makeover Come and listen to our favourite children’s poems.

Festival in the Forest
2 July 1 – 10.30pm Devonshire Nature Reserve
An unforgettable summer’s day filled with music, food and drink Presented by The Friends of Devonshire Road Nature Reserve.

Poetry Town ‘Poem for Sydenham’
2 July 2pm Queensthorpe Square
Not regular activity for a regular high street, but perfect for Sydenham. We have invited the whole community to help build the very first Sydenham Community poem.

Balalaika
2 July 8pm The Dolphin
An evening of Russian, Balkan and klezmer music. Their seventh visit to The Dolphin and guaranteed to provoke dancing and induce dangerously high levels of enjoyment.

Jody Kamali is the Incredible Man of Mystery
2 July 7 – 8pm Sydenham Centre
He’s handsome, debonair and incredible. He’s also a bit of an idiot. Jody fuses props and physical comedy in this riotously enchanting show, weaving stories from everyday household items.

Sydenham Comedy Cabaret
2 July 8.30-10pm Sydenham Centre
A modern music hall extravaganza. Hosted by Jody Kamali as the shambolic circus entertainer ‘Fernando’, featuring emerging, daring and exciting comedy performers from the London circuit.

Sydenham Blues Club: Gentleman Tim & The Contenders
2 July 9pm The Grape and Grain
Authentic 1950s West Coast Swing and Chicago Blues. Led by inspirational harmonica player and vocalist Tim Corbett, The Contenders are one of the most powerful combos on the circuit.

Fan Mail Workshop
3 July 11 – 1pm and 2 – 4pm Sydenham Garden
Make beautiful fans and use them to send messages to friends, family, the famous, the departed.

The Great War Classroom
3 July 2pm and 4pm Sydenham Centre
Experience what it would have been like to be a member of a school class during a typical lesson in 1916. Presented by Sydenham Arts. Visit the sub-site now!

Foxtots Bops
3 July 2pm and 4pm (45 Mins) Mayow Park Bowling Green
Live band bring family friendly vibes to Mayow Park. Local parents, Rosie and Ben Fox brought Foxtots baby and toddler music group to Sydenham in 2013.

Film Lovers ‘Summertime’ Jazz Picnic
3 July 7.30pm Mayow Park Bowling Green
Open ­air evening celebrating some of the finest film soundtracks of jazz, performance, film, food and craft beers. Presented by Sydenham Arts and the Sydenham Film Club. With the all-time-favourite Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemon.

Mosaic Workshop
4 July 2 – 4pm Sydenham Centre
Be inspired and learn new skills with Art4Space. Create, connect and enjoy making a mosaic tile using a selection of wonderful materials. Dive into a choice of bright colours and textures.

Cuban Salsa with Yamile
5 July 2 – 4pm Sydenham Centre
Amaze yourself by learning some simple moves. Enjoy lively Latin music, easygoing exercise and find your inner rhythm and confidence. Wear comfortable clothes & shoes (trainers not suitable, they grip!).

Sir George Grove Blue Plaque Celebration Concert
5 July 5pm St Barts Church
An historic day celebrating the writer and editor of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians. English Heritage and the Sydenham Society are delighted to be unveiling another Blue Plaque for one of Sydenham’s greatest residents.

Making a Poem Workshop
5 July 6.30 – 8.30pm Sydenham Centre
Hone your skills in a friendly setting with writing prompts. Presented by Sydenham Arts. Come and write with the help of Sydenham Arts Poet in Residence Gale Burns.

Tea Dance
6 July 2.30pm – 4.30pm Sydenham Centre
Music, dance and cake! Singer Abigail Sudbury accompanied by her pianist brings us some beautiful singalong music and show tunes.

Singer-Songwriters: The New Generation
6 July 7-9pm TNG Community Centre
An evening of young talent with local emerging singer Jay Johnson. Jay is a resident artist at London’s ground breaking Roundhouse and working on his first EP at Abbey Road Studios.

Blues Brothers International
7 July 7.30pm St Christopher’s Hospice
An evening of high energy. The biggest Blues Brothers tribute band in London with a punchy horn and driving rhythm section.

Duo Dialogo: Corelli and Bach Sonatas
7 July 7.30pm St Barts Church
Baroque music brought to life with period instruments. Violinist Asuka Sumi and harpsichordist and Sydenham resident Masumi Yamamoto perform sonatas by Baroque masters.

Paper Flower Workshop
8 July 1-3pm Sydenham Centre
Come together for a new craft. Join the Secret Adventures Club to learn step ­by ­step how to make beautiful, simple floral accessories out of tissue paper.

Special Kids Film Screening
8 July Doors 3pm, screening 4pm TNG Community Centre
Classic family film at the TNG­ hush hush! Join the secret cinema event with Sydenham Arts and our partners TNG Film Club for a classic after school family treat.

Stand Up Tempest
8 July Bar 7pm, performance 8pm Devonshire Nature Reserve
Open­ air theatre in a magical and natural surrounding fit for the Bard.

Here for Good Laughs
8 July 8 – 10pm Here For Good Centre
An evening of stand­up comedy with Paul Kerensa and friends.

Poetry Storytime
9 July 10.30am – 12pm and 2.30 – 4pm Kirkdale Bookshop
Kirkdale Bookshop’s regular Saturday morning storytime will be having a poetry makeover.

Music Nights in Sydenham
9 July 7.30 – 10.30pm On The Hoof
A monthly celebration of the wonderful musicians who make London their home.

Romeo Stodart and Ren Harvieu plus Michele Stodart (The Magic Numbers)
9 July 7.30pm doors open, performance 8pm St Barts Church
Don’t miss this festival exclusive! Romeo and Michele of much­ loved brother/sister harmony rock n roll combo “The Magic Numbers” in a rare performance in unique and intimate surroundings.

Sydenham Blues Club: Dave Hickey and the Jukebox Heroes
9 July 9pm The Grape and Grain
Old school rock‘n’roll! This five piece band, all veterans of the rock’n’roll and rockabilly scene, deliver a set of crowdpleasing classics from the golden era to keep you jiving all night.

Fan Mail Choral Performance
10 July 2 – 3pm Sydenham Garden
Led by artists Sue Mayo and Anna Sikorska. Form fans into an installation.

Sydenham Summer Sing
10 July 10.30am – 12.30pm Sydenham Hub
Learn to sing in harmony. Led by Janna Goodwille, whose warm, sensitive style will draw you into singing.

Big Band Swing
10 July 7.30-9.30pm St Barts Church
Festival finale ­ South London Jazz Orchestra with Georgie Fellows, for a night of swing and jazz classics! With the UK’s largest performing big band, the South London Jazz Orchestra.

THE ARTISTS TRAIL

Sat & Sun 2-3 July and 9-10 July

11am – 5pm

Starts this Saturday!

The Artists Trail team invite you to take a tour of central Sydenham and the fringes of Forest Hill to meet artists in their homes, take part in their workshops and enjoy art in the high street.

Visit the sub-site now!

Waterloo East and

Charing X trains resume

end August

New platforms 8 and 9 will open at London Bridge station on August 30 which will allow us to travel to Waterloo East and Charing Cross again without having to use the Tube.

Part of the new underground concourse will open beneath Southern Rail’s platforms. Passengers will be able to alight from their trains and then use the new escalators, stairs or lifts — which are currently boarded up on each platform — to reach the new concourse, which connects with the new platforms for Charing Cross.

However, work will then start on rebuilding the Cannon Street platforms. This means there will be no interchange at London Bridge with Southeastern rail services to Cannon Street from late August until 2018. As with the Charing Cross services, National Rail tickets will be valid on London Underground to complete your journey.

Thanks to Forest Hill Society for this report

10 days of poetry, drama, music, comedy, film, visual arts

Read More