As the Wanstead Fringe prepares to launch its new Family Fringe, Camille Leadbeater reflects on celebrating place, community and the joy of being exactly where we are
Universe. Galaxy. Milky Way. Solar System. Earth. Europe. United Kingdom. England. London. Greater London. Redbridge. Wanstead. E11. 51.567° N, 0.033° E. We are here. You are here, too (I assume, since you’re reading the Wanstead Village Directory). The Wanstead Fringe is here as well. And for the past 14 years, it has been rooted in this corner of East London. Here it began, here it has grown and here we intend for it to stay.
However, this year, things will change a little. A new strand of the festival is to be launched: Family Fringe. The idea is one we hope will become a permanent and cherished part of every Fringe season. It will feature a host of events for families, children and young people, creating opportunities for new generations to become part of Wanstead’s cultural life.
The ambition is to establish new traditions that over time become as beloved as some of the Fringe’s more long-standing fixtures, like the Eve-of-Fringe Charivari or The Duke Street Party, albeit with slightly earlier bedtimes and considerably less drinking! After all, traditions become so when they are shared. By involving younger generations, communities preserve customs, stories and celebrations that make them unique. We also celebrate change and evolution, not just how we got here but who we will eventually become.
Every September, the Fringe brings a renewed energy to Wanstead. Just as summer begins to fade and many of us reluctantly return to offices, classrooms and routines, the festival fills the area with music, theatre, creativity and celebration. It gives people a reason to gather together as the evenings grow darker and the leaves begin to turn. We do it because we are here and because we are glad to be.
Recently, I came across a quote from James Baldwin: “There is reason, after all, that some people wish to colonise the moon and others dance before it as an ancient friend.” What I take from this is that we should celebrate what we have. Of course, we must explore, adapt and develop, but also, shouldn’t our focus be equally on how we can live in harmony with the world around us and championing what we’ve got (while we have it), rather than constantly looking elsewhere for fulfilment?
I believe the Fringe is, in many ways, an expression of that idea. While headlines are increasingly filled with stories of missions to the moon, Mars and who knows where else, it sometimes feels as though we’ve forgotten to stop and appreciate the remarkable things right in front of us. We spend so much time looking outward, we neglect to cherish what is already here. We are here. Right now. The Fringe is our way of making the most of that fact. It is a celebration of the small things that make life meaningful. We champion Wanstead not only through the events we host, but through the care we invest in the area itself: the fairy lights and cushions for the Kinema on Christ Church Green, the restoration of the Wanstead Curtain, the performances, exhibitions and activities created by local people who give this neighbourhood its character. Most importantly, we celebrate the extraordinary talent that exists here.
The Fringe is made by performers, volunteers, artists and audiences who collectively create something greater than the sum of its parts. Hopefully, the new Family Fringe will continue that tradition. One exciting addition is the launch of the Wanstead Youth Theatre, beginning this August. Young people will spend two weeks taking part in workshops before performing a production during the Fringe. We hope it will be the first chapter in a story that continues for years to come. Who knows? Some of the children taking part this year may one day become the artists and organisers who shape future Fringes. They may be the people who continue to enrich Wanstead and strengthen the bonds that connect us all. Because the key to happiness is often simpler than we imagine. It lies in appreciating what we have, celebrating where we are and sharing this.
So, please do come to an event (or three, four or more). We have found ourselves here from all walks of life, from all over the world. Join us in celebrating where we are, what we have, the wonderful fact that, against all odds and amid the vastness of the universe, we are here. And what a wonderful place to be.
Wanstead Fringe 2026 will run from 5 to 26 September. For more information, visit wansteadfringe.org
