Streets of Colour is an accessible and inclusive parade of colourful flags and live music.
The parade will feature a sea of vibrant coloured silk flags. The flags represent different groups who support our communities in Redbridge and have been made by the community members themselves, alongside expert artists at Kinetika. The groups will also be carrying the flags on the day in a procession of community celebration.
There will be two parades on the day: a relaxed performance at 11:30am with live handpan music from Atlas Hand Pans, and lively parade at 3:00pm with marching New Orleans style brass band, Das Brass.
Who is this for?
The parade has been designed to be fun and accessible for all: everyone is welcome to join in the parade or come to watch it go past.
What is the format of the day?
Spectators will be encouraged either to follow the parade route or to relax at one of the designated picnic areas to sit and watch the parades throughout the day.
The relaxed performance will start at 11:30am, suitable for guests who would like a quieter experience. The afternoon performance will start at 3pm, suitable for guests who are happy with a louder show. Each parade is 1km long lasts for around an hour. See the handy route map for more details.
What will visitors get out of it?
You can enjoy free, high-quality music performances and learn more about the local communities of Redbridge at this vibrant and inclusive procession. It will be fun, inclusive and accessible.
How to book?
Booking is not necessary, you can just turn up on the day. However clicking the ‘book’ button helps us get an idea of the number of people coming and we can email you with any updates about this event (such as if the timings change due to bad weather). For more information, email hello@colours.red.
How do I get there?
Please travel to Valentines Park using public transport as car parking will be very limited. The parade start point is at Valentines Boat House, near Bandstand Avenue. Find the event start point using What3Words. We have also created a handy route map. The start point is a 12 minute walk from Ilford Station, and the closest bus stops are VB towards Ilford or VP towards Gants Hill. Plan your journey at tfl.gov.uk. There will be limited, paid car parking available at Valentines Mansion, Perth Road and Melbourne Road car parks.
Access
The overall route length is 1km and will take up to 1 hour at a slow pace. For this event, we have tried to provide a range of features for people with access needs such as:
- A ‘relaxed’ parade in the morning
- 2 accessible toilets with a radar key
- A Changing Places facility from RevoLOOtion
- Level / step free access throughout the parade
- A designated viewing platform for people with access needs
- Free blue badge parking in Valentines Park car parks
See the handy route map for location details. Please email us at access@colours.red to discuss your requirements.
About the Artists
Kinetika – With a 25-year track record of producing large-scale hand-painted silks through community projects, they produce spectacular outdoor events that engage diverse audiences wherever they work. Founded by artist Ali Pretty in 1997, inspired by her training in carnival arts in Trinidad and India, Kinetika now has an unrivalled reputation for working with local communities on projects that change the way people feel about where they live. Based in Purfleet since 2014, Kinetika delivers activity both at ‘home’ in Thurrock and ‘away’ across the UK and abroad.
Hannah from Atlas Handpans has created the handpans herself in her workshop in East London. She also runs the London Handpan Group, where she shares her love for the instrument. The sound of a handpan is inspired by nature and creates a connection to the natural word, like running water or rain. All handpans are tuned in a certain scale, the scales evoking a different mood.
Das Brass are the UK’s most diverse brass band. Their band consists of traditional New Orleans style horn section instruments: trombones, trumpets, saxophones, sousaphone and drums. As well as playing New Orleans style music, they also fuse contemporary songs from the likes of Pharrell and Beyoncé to create a truly unique experience. High energy, charismatic and exuberant shows are their trademark.
