A FESTIVAL which has been celebrated in Reading for more than three decades was back once more in the grounds of one of the town’s oldest and most recognisable spots.
Waterfest returned to Reading’s Abbey Ruins for its 35th annual outing, celebrating the Kennet and Avon Canal and water’s role in all of our lives, sponsored by Station Hill.
The event featured live music across two stages, theatrical and dance performances, activities, stalls, and even a fashion show aimed at promoting recycling, re-use, and sustainable clothing.
It also hosted food and drink vendors, including food from Reading’s own Blue Collar, and drinks from Double-Barrelled.
The day’s events kicked off with a performance of an upcoming production, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, just metres from the gaol where Wilde was incarcerated in the grounds of the ruins.
Chris Westgate, who plays Jack, said that the Abbey Ruins was: “A lovely space with such a history behind it.
“To be performing Wilde’s own play right in front of the gaol, it couldn’t be more fun.
“This is my first time at the festival, but it’s so wonderful to see an event like this: there’s so much to see and do.”
Matt Irwin, who plays Algernon, said: “The people of Reading are engaged with Oscar’s story, so people love to hear about it; it’s such a good opportunity to connect with that history.
“It’s great to see how much the festival has grown, and as soon as it opened there was immediate interest.”
The Importance of Being Earnest is showing at the Abbey Ruins from July 17-27.
The event was also the first official engagement of the new deputy mayor, Alice Mpofu-Coles, who said: “It was so wonderful, especially taking a ride on one of the canal boats.
“The guy was explaining the history of the canal, and the knowledge he had showed me that there is so much knowledge we need to transfer to our schools.
“Children need to understand our waterways, their history, and how they need to be kept clean to protect the environment.”
She explained: “The event brings such different things and attracts people of all kinds, and people continue to come.
“I used to bring my daughter here when she was small and still comes as an adult; it’s a wonderful place to be.
“It does feel like being part of Reading’s history: older generations bringing younger, it’s intergenerational, and it also attracts people from outside of the town too.
“It’s a day out with family at it’s heart.”
It also saw the people’s catwalk, where participants gave a fashion show championing sustainable clothing, brought by Charity Super.Mkt.
One of the focuses of the festival is our relationship with the environment, especially the pollution of natural waterways which not only provide a home for wildlife, but form a necessary part of even modern life for us.
Among the things on display was the River Goddess, a giant puppet brought to the festival by Kim Kaos.
The Water Goddess took part in a ceremony celebrating the role of water in our lives, as well as a procession through the event to ‘bless’ attendees, to promote a closer connection with waterways and the natural world.
It was joined by members of Extinction Rebellion, who provided musical and choral accompaniment with tubular bells.
Extinction Rebellion members also raised awareness of the need for action to protect the climate at their stall, engaging with members of the public on environmental issues.
The event also marks the start of Reading Climate Festival, which was represented at the festival by Dylan Parks, co-chair of the Reading Climate Partnership.
Mr Parks said: “We’re promoting the beginning of two-week programme of events, lectures, and talks, including art and installations, and lots of chances to get involved.
“I think people are generally quite disconnected from nature, but extreme weather events we’ve seen in the last decades are starting to have such a huge impact.
“Water is such a fundamental element to our existence, but the change in climate is creating additional burdens on us.”
He explained: “Even in Reading we have seen some more extreme weather, which is likely to become much more common.
“So we want to not only engage the public and help them to play their part, but to engage the wider issue as well.
“They affect everyone, and sometimes feel remote or inaccessible, so we need to help them understand what is ahead and how we can work together for a much more positive future.”
On Reading’s part to play in global climate issues, he said: “Reading needs to continue to be a beacon of good practise; so many organisations across town work together to make an impact here and on the global stage.
“Be it the university’s world-leading research on climate science, the council’s status as eight-best in the country for reductions so far, and so much collaboration which we don’t see elsewhere.
“We need to shout about that and hopefully inspire others.”
Lincoln, part of the joint venture delivering the Station Hill development, sponsored this year’s Waterfest; Alex Aitchison, the company’s UK Managing Director, said: “I am delighted that so many people were able to enjoy this year’s Water Fest.
“It’s a key event for those living and working in the town and we were pleased to be able to engage with the hundreds of visitors who came to our stall to find out more about Station Hill and the exceptional environment it is already helping to create in Reading.”
He explained: “The residential element, Ebb & Flow, is now fully complete, offering nearly 600 apartments for rental.
“ONE Station Hill, the soon-to-be-open office element already has commitment from three significant tenants who will occupy over 40 percent of the available space.”
“As a result, we are confident that Station Hill will continue to make a significant contribution to Reading’s long-term economic success, as well as help to encourage the development of a vibrant and cohesive community in the town centre.”
Reading Climate Festival is running in venues around Reading until Friday, June 21.
