First Tuesday of the month
Event Type: Libraries
Join Pablo Aguilar and his Mariachi band and enjoy the unique and vibrant sound of traditional Mexican music. With its exciting blend of live musicians and colourful costumes, it’s guaranteed to bring the passion of Mexico and the authentic Mexican Dia De Los Muertos to life.
Born in the neighbourhood of the ‘Plaza de Garibaldi’ – famous worldwide as the home of the Mariachis in the heart of Mexico City, Pablo grew up living and breathing the wonderful and exciting music of the Mariachis known as ‘Ranchera’ music.
The band will play at different points of the afternoon, and accompany the Wanstead Procession – so make sure you don’t miss out!
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Experience the ethereal beauty of Las Muertas with their flamboyant dresses flickering with light and bursts of colour, brilliantly standing out at night. Let them transport you to another world with their magical dancing.
Las Muertas will be appearing at different points of the afternoon, and will accompany the Festival of the Dead Procession – so make sure you don’t miss out!
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Join award-winning storyteller Minnie Wilkinson in the Long Barrow: a place where the dead are celebrated and remembered. Listen – can you hear them whispering? What adventures did they have while they were still living? Maybe, if we’re lucky, they’ll tell us their tall tales…
The 3pm show will be BSL interpreted.
Minnie Wilkinson is an award-winning storyteller and theatre maker based in London. She has a wealth of experience telling tall tales for adults and children in schools and at events, including the Bloomsbury Festival and Hay Festival, and she is a regular performer at Discover Children’s Story Centre. She is the Co-Artistic Director of The Suitcase Storytelling Company, and has also collaborated with companies including Slot Machine Theatre and Coppice Theatre to make family theatre which has toured to venues across the UK.
Insta – @_miniwilk
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Join ITZATNA Arts for their ‘October Fiesta’ – an interactive children’s theatre show inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead and reimagined traditional stories about life, death and rebirth in the animal kingdom. Through playful interaction, these stories and games support how families and adults can engage their young ones to think and talk about death and bereavement through the lens of Mexican culture.
The 1pm show will be BSL interpreted.
Made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. October Fiesta is an original concept created by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces (OPUS) and commissioned by Twycross Zoo.
ITZATNA Arts Collective are an emerging artist collective based in the Midlands, that create intercultural collaborations between artists and diaspora communities of Mexico and Latin America in the UK.
I – @itzatna.arts
Choose from glamorous or gruesome skull designs to transform your look for the day with some colourful and ornate sugar skull designs.
Face painting charges: £4.00 per child / £5.00 per adult.
This activity is not available to pre-book and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Please pay at the welcome desk and present your receipt to the face painters.
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Is there something you’re not saying? What have you left unsaid?
The death of someone we love can put us in a position where our words remain forever unspoken.
#Unsaid is an anonymous interactive installation created by Life Death Whatever that allows people to express all the things they’ve been unable to say. It’s a collection of cathartic postcards where you can share your words, your burden, your sorrow, your secrets and your sadness without judgement or comment.
https://www.lifedeathwhatever.com/
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Before I Die is a global arts project started by artist Candy Chang. It invites people to reflect on their mortality and consider the things that matter most. What would you really like to achieve before you die?
Share your hopes and dreams on our dedicated wall.
https://beforeidieproject.com/
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
The Redbridge Neighbourhoods Team are organising a Community Planting Day between 10am – 12noon, outside Wanstead Tube Station, and would like to invite the local community to come together and brighten up the local neighbourhood.
Then, come along to Wanstead Library and celebrate Green Libraries week by making your own Cactus Bookmark from 2pm-3pm
Suitable for ages 4-10yrs
FREE, Drop-in, no need to book
Come along to Seven Kings Library and celebrate Green Libraries week by crafting your own Bird on a Stick from 11am-12noon.
Suitable for ages 5-10yrs
Then, join the Redbridge Neighbourhoods Team who are organising a Community Planting Day between 2pm – 4pm, outside Seven Kings Station, and would like to invite the local community to come together and brighten up the local neighbourhood.
FREE, Drop-in, no need to book