All you need to know about Millfield Festival this weekend

The Festival - on Saturday and Sunday - takes a slightly different format this year.

“Instead of taking place on New England Rec, we’ve been working with the local residents and groups to programme FREE activities at venues across Millfield. This way we hope to celebrate all that the area has to offer whilst also creating a covid-safe festival,” said Sarah Haythornthwaite, Peterborough Presents’ Programme Director.

“You can watch films, singing, Bollywood and Roma performances, make your own craft and art or take part in dance and fitness workshops, even Karate. You can come alone or with friends and family. Many of the activities are drop-in but for some you’ll need to book so that we can manage numbers.”

Here’s a glimpse of what you can look forward to:

Over the last 6 months Peterborough Presents has been gathering photos, creating art works and interviewing people from across Millfield about what makes the area special to them. They have covered subjects such as community spirit, food, shops and businesses, growing up in Millfield, work, music and much much more. You can find these stories and images on displays at 7 different locations around Millfield from 7 th – 16 th August or on Millfieldlink.com. Over the whole weekend you can also pop along and see progress on the restoration of the Millfield Link Road mural that inspired this exhibition.

The Saturday line-up includes:

Drop by for a free creative workshop for families of sticker making and poster printing workshop from 1 – 4pm at Allama Iqbal Centre. Artists Matt Booker and Prin Marshall will be outside the Centre helping you to design your own piece of art inspired by Millfield and add it to the Millfield Link exhibition of their work which will be on display.

Drop in from 12pm - 6pm to PARCA’s Youth Club for 11-16 year olds to play games, try out instruments, play, and have a go at some craft activities.For an afternoon film with the family join Cine-Sister for 3 Braves, Pakistan’s first computer- animated feature-length film. The film focuses on three eleven-year-old friends, Amna, Saadi and Kamil, extraordinary children who rise from the unlikeliest of places to save their community from the evils that plague it. Before the feature you will have the opportunity to see locally made short films by children at the school. Film starts at 2pm at Gladstone Primary School, Gladstone St. Booking is required.

Pop along and see traditional Indian and Bollywood singing and dancing from top local performers - performing The Bollywood Matinee from 3 – 5pm at Bharat Hindu Samaj Mandir Temple.

Following the success of his Millfield Magical History Tour film, former Cromwell Road resident and community legend Deljit Singh will lead a live two-part memory walk around Millfield, sharing some of the history of the area and personal memories of days gone by.

Tours start at 10am and 1pm and booking is essential.

Raising Millfield by Atiha Sen Gupta, is a new piece of theatre experienced on foot and through headphones in an audio walking tour of Millfield. Raising Millfield tells the stories of residents, what it’s like to grow up or raise a family in the area. Join Eastern Angles Theatre for this audio tour at 11am*, 2pm* and 3.30pm. Booking is essential *BSL Interpretation

Celebrate the local Roma culture at the Roma Heritage Day (12pm - 5pm Compas Orien).

There will be Roma traditional music, exhibition of art, and traditional food.

Drop in for music-making workshops and hands-on musical activities at Millfield Music Makers (10am – 4pm, Chime Creation Centre) including DJ’ing, instruments to play on, synthesis, sampling, beat-making, lyric writing, singing, beat-boxing, and live performances.

The Sunday line-up includes:

Ever wondered what the clock tower on the Triangle signifies? Was there ever a windmill on Windmill Street? Where was Unity Hall and why the name? Join local historian Hazel Perry to discover the answer to these questions and more, on the Millfield Radical History Tour. Tours start at 10am and 1:30pm and booking is essential.

If you need something to lift the spirits then drop into Feel Good Hub with HAY Peterborough, (11am – 4.30pm, Gladstone Park Community Centre). Come and have a go at different activities that can help you to feel good and lift your spirits. There are also bookable workshops including Acru Yoga with Soul Happy: 11am – 12pm, Bollywood dance (age 16+): 12.30 – 1.30pm, Northern Soul dance: 2 – 3pm, Bollywood dance (families): 3.30 – 4.30pm.

There’s an International Storytelling Extravaganza (10am – 4pm, The Allama Iqbal Centre) where you can to hear storytelling from local community heroes, plus the first live reading of a brand new story written by children from Millfield and local author, Sandy Wardrop, with illustrations by children’s illustrator Ellie Sandall! The book bus will be on site to explore, and there will also be shadow puppet workshops inside the centre to have a go at.

And finally, Party with PARCA, 10.30am - 4.30pm you can drop in and have a go at crafts, gardening, music and food activities. Plus, see performance from brilliant local Lithuanian singers.

To find out more and see how we are making the festival safe please visit the festival website: Millfieldfestival.com or email [email protected].

Don’t forget to book for workshops and tours!

To visit the Millfield Link exhibition go to millfieldlink.com or to find out more about Peterborough Presents visit peterboroughpresents.org.