Urban Festival Day Launches Woking Roots Ground Up Live
We launched Woking Roots: Ground Up. Live. on 18 July with our Urban Festival Day. In the tradition of Phoenix Cultural Centre CIC, the day brought together a wide variety of free activities, provided by our team and by local practitioners who contribute so much to Woking’s cultural and wellbeing offer.
Throughout the day, our resident Vintage Market was open with a wonderful selection of clothes and accessories. Visitors could also enjoy our writing and relaxation rooms, bar and outdoor areas.
Our longstanding Vintage market area had some new pieces to discover
Wellbeing
There was a fantastic range of creative and wellbeing activities for all ages. Yoga with Jim provided a relaxing and enjoyable yoga session, while Debs Yoga and Singing Bowls led a calming sound and gong bath. Positive Vibrations delivered a brilliant djembe drumming workshop, and Patches the Clown’s circus-skills sessions and wandering balloon sculptures proved popular with children and adults alike. Woking Improv Theatre also hosted a hilarious and lively workshop.
Positive Vibrations ran a very popular Djembe Drum Circle
Poetry, Open Mic & Gig
Our Public Living Room held an open mic for poets and spoken-word artists. Meanwhile, over in the Fiery Bird venue, we hosted an open mic for everyone, followed by Afrobeats from DJ Atmosphere. This led into an incredible evening gig, featuring an album-launch performance from post-punk band Argonaut and a closing set from reggae and roots favourites Soundation.
Soundations Reggae Band At the Urban Day Festival
You can find more information about all these brilliant local practitioners and groups on their individual websites, or pop into our foyer to pick up information. Many of them hold events and activities across the borough as well as at Phoenix, and the festival offered just a taster of the creativity taking place locally.
It was lovely to welcome Councillors Barker and Roberts, as well as Councillor Rob Leach, the Mayor of Woking. We deeply appreciate the Mayor’s nomination of Phoenix as one of his chosen charitable causes. No stranger to the stage himself, he even became a fourth member of Argonaut for a moment!
Woking Mayor Rob Leach joins Argonaut onstage at the Urban Day Festival
A huge thank you to all our volunteers, workshop leaders, performers and bands—and to Arts Council England for supporting the event.
We will be holding more free, drop-in open days over the coming months, so please keep an eye out for details.