As London’s short-lived summer arrives, Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival kicked off on 10th June with an outdoor promenade performance, WAF Opening Promenade. A variety of performing artists of different genres expressed themselves in their own art forms to encourage the audience to walk along the riverside with a big brass band. The destination of the journey was the Royal Academy of Dance, where the flamenco group, Flamenco Con Gusto, welcomed and ushered them to the beautiful new building of RAD. I was honoured to be invited as one of their support musicians, along with a guitarist and a castanets player.
After doing a welcoming flamenco taster session just outside the building, we moved to the indoor theatre stage where the flamenco dance students performed two shows to recorded music. As live musicians, we were asked to do some jamming during intervals. While hitting my cajón to follow the guitarist with whom I hadn’t played before, I felt delighted not only because the event was so enjoyable but also because I could have a good time with a friend whom I hadn’t seen since the lockdown: the lady who came to play castanet. Seeing and working with her certainly lit up my mood.
The festival itself is large, with 150 events over a total of 17 days in different venues across the local area, including concerts, theatrical plays, art exhibitions as well as family events, both indoors and outdoors. Check the lineups for options - hopefully you can pick quite a few to make you feel uplifted with the summer mood - enjoy!
Wandsworth Arts Fringe: 10th June to 26th June 2022
The Royal Academy of Dance for Wandsworth Arts Fringe