Feature: Culture - BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL - October 22nd to 24th - From 5-a-side football to church graveyards

Published: 14 October 2010

A COLOURFUL three-day bonanza of art, sport, food and science will spring back into life next weekend. The Bloomsbury Festival will bring together more than 60 venues and 100 events – most of which are free. 

The festival attracted 60,000 visitors the last time it was staged in 2007. Back then it was sponsored by Allied London, developers of The Brunswick shopping complex – but when new owners took over the centre, they decided not to keep up the funding. It owes its new lease of life to the generosity of a mystery benefactor – and organisers have pledged that it will be bigger and better than ever before.

For young people, highlights will include a street dance competition judged by Arlene Phillips and featuring six groups of children from Bloomsbury schools (Saturday October 23, 10.30am-12.30, St Pancras International Station) and the Bloomsbury Cup five-a-side football tournament for ages 13-16 (Sunday October 24, 12-4pm, Coram’s Fields; to enquire about joining a team, call Naz on 020 7837 6138).

Other major events include a traditional London street meal with food made by local chefs (Sunday October 24, 4-9pm Lamb’s Conduit Street) and a mini “festival within a festival” featuring South Asian henna hand painting, a parade led by Bengali dancers and lectures by experts from the School of Oriental and African Studies (Saturday October 23, 11am-4pm, SOAS precinct).

“Secret” tours of “hidden Bloomsbury” will be taking place throughout the weekend (call 0207 7130 350 for details). These will include a tour of poet TS Eliot’s office and Charles Holden’s iconic Art Deco building Senate House (the Ministry of Truth in the film of George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four). Festival goers will be able to explore the grisly history of St George’s churchyard with Dr Rodger Bowdler of English Heritage (famous for his frock coats, long hair and tales of bodysnatching, poisonings and executions). Check out St George’s chapel build­ing, which will be home to an “intestinal” instillation by renowned artist Geoffrey Harrison.

• The Bloomsbury Festival will run throughout the Bloomsbury Area from Friday, October 22 (6pm)-Sunday, October 24 (9pm).
Almost all events are free. There is a ticket allocation for certain events (see www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk, otherwise just turn up).
A full programme of events can also be found on the website.