The Fête of Barking.
Saturday 11th April, 11am-5pm
Couleur Cafe, Barking Town Square & Barking Library
A day for the people of Barking to come together to have some food, fun and stuff for kids to do while sharing what it is that makes the place special, and what people’s hopes are for how we live together as good neighbours. It’s politics for people who don’t like politics and would rather have a nice chat with a stranger.
It’s going to be a lovely event especially for Barking’s mums, and we’ve shifted 150 free tickets for it so far, there’s loads of local groups including A House for Artists and Early Years Cocoon involved, and the organisation Mothership, who have been running kitchen table conversations for mums all around Barking.
- Bringing together the people of Barking to talk about what matters most to them
- A focus on local mums and what makes them the best mums in London
- Kitchen Table Conversations, Recipes of Love workshop, community soapbox, more
- Part of Fête of Britain, a rolling festival to celebrate our neighbourhoods and nations
On Saturday 11th April, everyone in Barking is invited to come and take part in a celebration and discussion of what local people want for the places where they live, and what makes a good neighbour when times are difficult. The lineup includes local organisations and performers as well as community organisers from around the borough:
- Kitchen Table Conversations with national organisation focused on mums, Mothershi
- Craft area and Fill Your Cup workshop with local organisation Early Years Cocoon
- Badge making with Julia from Barking-based A House for Artists
- Chair-based massage from Heal Studios
- Recipes of Love Workshop with Humanity Project
- Children’s entertainment from The Bureau of Silly Ideas, Anusha Loves Parties, and face painting with Ernesta
- The ‘Good Neighbours’ directory, Britain’s Common Census boards, and more to get conversations started on what the people of Barking want
Amy, one of the organisers of the Kitchen Table Conversations that have been happening all over Barking and which will bring together mums on the day, said:
“It’s been voted worst borough in London to live in, but Barking is an amazing place, with such amazing support networks. There’s a real sense of unity, and I’ve met some amazing women who, due to what has happened to them, are making really positive changes to how services are run. We want to engage women, and show that one mum can make a change.”
During recent workshops in Barking, mums focused more on community power than political action. Just like the 40% of people who didn’t vote in the last UK general election, many in the borough see no reason to. What would change if they did?
The Fête is an invitation to explore that question, by creating a feeling that politics – how we make decisions for ourselves – can be different, in collaboration with local organisers and artists. Because who do you trust to run the country? Politicians, or your mum?!
The day is part of The Fête of Britain, a nationwide rolling cultural festival to bring together the people who know that we need to do things differently. It’s a mixed programme of culture, arts, stuff for parents and children, shining a spotlight on community organisers, workshops for democratic agency, and more. The thread running through is participation – so people experience what it feels like to build a new world together, and feel good doing it. The Fête’s aim is to bring people together in learning new skills to decide on the things that matter to them where we live, and have a joyous party at the same time.
Over the next 12 months local and regional Fêtes will pop-up in community settings and national cultural institutions across the UK; as well as Barking, the Fête is visiting Swansea, Wigan, Nottingham, Great Yarmouth and more locations tbc.
The Fête launched in 2024, with a four-day takeover of Aviva Studios in Manchester, featuring Brian Eno and Jarvis Cocker. In 2025, we ran regional Fêtes as part of a tour to Corby, Luton, Great Yarmouth and Peterborough, as well as music-led events in Liverpool, Bristol, and at UK summer festivals. We also brought together 200 grassroots and political organisers in a Convention at Conway Hall.
The Fête of Barking takes place Saturday 11 April 11am-5pm at Couleur Cafe, Barking Town Square and Barking Library. It’s free and everyone is welcome.