For one week only – Saturday, October 23 to Friday, October 29 – residents of Queen’s Park will benefit from a free pop up café with a creative twist!
The free event, at the community centre, will give residents the chance to try out arts and crafts while enjoying some tea and cake. The café will continue to serve food into the evenings on Saturday 23, Sunday 24 and Friday 29, giving it much more of a festival feast feel.
The fun activities kick off on Saturday, October 23 at 1.30pm, with resident artist Caroline Wendling leading an allotment walk. An ice cream van will be on hand distributing ‘flavours of Queen’s Park’, while residents are invited to populate a map of the area with their own stories.
On Sunday, local artists Andy Holden and Mira Calix will be continuing to invite people to share their ideas for a ‘Community Communications’ themed mural in the community centre.
On Monday and Tuesday Andy and Mira will continue to share ideas and collect stories and a print artist will be on hand demonstrating screen printing. Families can get creative with lego enabling attendees to make Queen’s Park buildings.
Wednesday and Thursday are crafty days with screen printing, crochet and decorating glass lanterns as well as a cookery class. Friday will round the week off with an evening feast of food accompanied by live music.
Ami Aubrey, Programme Producer for BCA said: “We can’t wait to see what the community creates in these activities that will be proudly, ‘Made in Queen’s Park’. Over the next six months we’ll be working with artists on a couple of projects including a new community mural and so this community café is a great way for us to spend more time in the community, get to know local people and what they’d like to share with us about Queen’s Park and enjoy some feasting fun.”
The Made in Queen’s Park Community Café is part of the Take Part Queen’s Park project. Take Part Queen’s Park is an art project both inspired by and created with the community of Queen’s Park in Bedford. Through engaging residents of all ages with the creative arts and exploring Queens Park’s cultural diversity, the project seeks to celebrate and strengthen residents’ sense of place and community and share that with the wider residents of Bedford. It is delivered in partnership with The Higgins Bedford and funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The Harpur Trust and housing association bpha.
There is no need to book, just drop-in when it suits, and enjoy the hospitality and creative opportunities to express your stories, memories and inspiration of Queen’s Park.
The Made in Bedford Community Café will be open:
3:00pm – 7:30pm Saturday October 23
4:00pm – 7:30pm Sunday October 24
11:00am – 2:00pm Monday October 25
11:00am – 2:00pm Tuesday October 26
10:30am – 12:00pm Wednesday October27
10:30am – 12:00pm Thursday October 28
5:00pm – 8:00pm Friday October 29
A full detailed programme will be published on the BCA website on Friday 15th October www.bedfordcreativearts.org.uk.
If you’d like more information, please contact us on takepart@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk