Festival shares joys of sustainable living as thousands flock to Billingham
THE Festival of Thrift’s national celebration of sustainable living attracted thousands of visitors to its event in Billingham in the Tees Valley over the weekend.
The town was transformed as the annual celebration of creativity, sustainability and community took over Billingham town centre and the adjacent John Whitehead Park.
Throughout Saturday and Sunday festivalgoers made the most of the diverse line-up of events, talks, independent traders, interactive installations, artists, makers and menders that the award-winning Festival of Thrift is known and loved for.
A wide range of drop-in free workshops supported by Thirteen Housing teaching mending, making and repurposing skills provided tips, tricks and learning for visitors to take away including zine making, lino printing, Japanese-inspired denim mending, fermenting and creating eco beauty products.
Children and adults enjoyed the old school fun of den building and slacklining in the Camp Thrift playground where Boxville by Cardboard Adventures also provided participants with the skills needed to become fully-fledged cardboard engineers.
In the nearby Imagined Meadow area a range of interactive installations included the northern launch of 100 miles of String by Leap then Look where visitors worked together to create a woven landmark to mark the weekend.
Over at the new Base Camp at Thrift stage a programme of emerging and established music talent selected by the festival’s creative partner, established north east music event specialists Base Camp Industries, performed throughout the weekend and musical acts also entertained from the town centre band stand.
In Slow Fashion Alley in the town centre visitors were given an insight into sustainable style and conscious fashion choices with fashion shows, a curated collection of fashion and accessories from the UK’s best charity retailers at the Charity Supermarket and the chance to exchange unwanted fashion items and accessories at the Teesside Hospice Swapshop.
A series of talks featured guests discussing topics including music, fashion and identity and the natural world.
On Saturday afternoon a packed audience heard Billingham’s own Paul Smith, Maximo Park singer and frontman, in conversation with Festival of Thrift Co-founder Wayne Hemingway of Hemingway Design as they discussed music, identity, and growing up in northern towns like Billingham.
Dominic Somers, Festival of Thrift’s co-creative director said: “We have had an amazing weekend crammed full of joyful experiences. It’s been wonderful to see people of all ages joining in and having lots of fun and it’s been great to welcome people from near and far to celebrate the power of thrift.
To find out more about Festival of Thrift and its year-long programme, volunteering opportunities and more, sign up at www.festivalofthrift.co.uk or follow the festival’s social media feeds @festivalofthrift on Facebook and Instagram and @FestoThrift on Twitter.
Festival of Thrift is funded thanks to support from Arts Council England, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
