Colours of Redbridge have secured an additional £333,000 from Arts Council England to continue their ground-breaking programme of free, community-led arts and culture until April 2026.

So far, Colours of Redbridge have engaged well over 10,000 local residents with the programme, and the majority of those people are from communities who are less represented in mainstream arts and culture.

Projects to date have included a mass kite-flying spectacle in Hainault Forest, an inspiring flag parade in Valentines Park and a cultural food festival at the newly-opened Mercato Metropolitano in Ilford.

All projects have been designed by local residents and aim to improve the overall quality of life for people living in the area. 30 residents, known as Community Producers, have been working with expert artists to develop a world-class programme, including: award-winning dance company, Rambert; producer of large-scale processions and spectacles, Emergency Exit Arts; and internationally acclaimed flag-artists, Kinetika.

Some of the programme’s outcomes achieved so far include making our communities happier and more connected; increasing skills and job opportunities; and improving health and wellbeing. Colours of Redbridge have created 71 new roles that have allowed people to develop transferable professional skills and 97% of people who attended the health and wellbeing events reported physical or mental benefits. Importantly, attendees feel strongly that Colours of Redbridge is making an important cultural contribution to the area.

Chair of Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure (Lead Consortium Member), Martin Solder said:
“We have been delighted to be part of the Colours of Redbridge journey, from the initial funding application with Arts Council England, to supporting the project’s development as the lead member of the consortium. We want to continue to champion the local community in Redbridge and this additional funding will help to build a place where people and communities thrive.”

Programme Director of Colours of Redbridge, Pete Nichols, said:
“Getting this new phase of funding is brilliant news, as it means we can continue to improve the lives of people living locally and we hope to do so for many years to come. Now is a time, more than ever, when we need to help to bring people together, to find common ground and provide positive and joyful experiences.”

Community Producer, Shagufta Hussain said:
“It’s been an absolute privilege to have been a part of this project with Colours of Redbridge, and I’ve learnt so many new skills and met some amazing people along the way. Having lived in the borough for the last 17 years, I’ve never seen anything done this way before, where residents are involved in the process of organising and delivering community events. I’m really looking forward to seeing our local community come together, to enjoy these events as much as we have enjoyed creating them.”

For more information, visit the Colours of Redbridge website.

For anyone interested in getting more involved in the Colours of Redbridge programme, please email hello@colours.red.

About the programme: 

Colours of Redbridge is a three-year programme of community-led arts and culture in the borough of Redbridge. The programme supports people who live, work or study in Redbridge develop their own creative and cultural projects for everyone to enjoy. 

It is part of Creative People and Places (CPP), a national programme from Arts Council England, supported using public funding by the National Lottery. Thanks to National Lottery players, Creative People and Places is about more people taking the lead in choosing, creating and taking part in creative and cultural experiences in the places where they live. 

Since 2012, there have been over 15 million engagements with the CPP programme in England in 38 areas, and 90% of people who participate in CPP weren’t previously engaging regularly with mainstream creativity and culture. 

As well as Arts Council England, the programme is supported by the following local organisations: Friends of Loxford; Muslimah Sports Association; SPACE Studios; Community Action Redbridge; Ilford Business Improvement District; and Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure.