Government Guidance from DCMS update for Outdoor and Indoor Events 10 July 2020

Current Situation Government announcement from DCMS made on the evening of Thursday 9th July set out a list of detailed objectives and some guidance. Licensing Authorities are asked to “avoid issuing licenses for events that could lead to larger gatherings forming and provide advice to businesses on how to manage events of this type. If appropriate, the Government has powers under ​schedule 2​2​ of the Coronavirus Act ​2020 ​to close venues hosting large gatherings or prohibit certain events (or types of event) from taking place.” Until such time that more detailed event or public gathering specific guidance has come from Government and Public Health England then Lambeth Events team will not be permitting any new events to take place without adhering to the DCMS current guidance. EventLambeth will only consider events which can demonstrate they meet the following requirements. Lambeth Council requirements may change should there be further guidance from the Government and Public Health England. Current Government Guidance Social Distancing must always be maintained Reviewing capacity in our venues and open spaces Reviewing entrance, exits and hygiene facilities Reviewing the health & safety provisions to maintain government guidance Restriction on singing and playing of wind / brass instruments for professionals only Social interactions should be limited to a group of no more than two households (indoors and out) or up to six people from different households (if outdoors). It is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in private homes (including gardens and other outdoor spaces). Events in public outdoor spaces that are organised by businesses, charitable or political organisations, and public bodies, provided they take reasonable steps...

Vauxhall Gay Club has PhD

After running every Saturday night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern for 25 years until the lockdown kicked in, Duckie, the South London gay club and cabaret night, has joined forces with Queen Mary University of London and launched “Duckie in the Community,” a PhD on the club’s work. And so welcome Dr Duckie – aka ex-journalist Ben Walters – a self-described “in house bent boffin” who has spent 5 years examining the work of Duckie and written a hefty 100,000-word dissertation on the legendary LGBTQ clubnight and its ancillary projects. When it’s ambition prompted an upgrade from gay clubs in Vauxhall, Duckie started to take itself seriously as a legitimate arts company and developed a programme of unusual events, inventive large scale club nights and ambitious interactive theatre shows.  In order not to be ghettoised, it also spread its wings and began to serve an audience outside its core Vauxhall gay clubbers.  This new programme included making cabaret shows for the over 70s, creating arts drop ins with homeless people in hostels in Lambeth and setting up a QTIBPOC youth theatre. But long-term fans of its infamous Saturday night residency need not fear, as it plans to return to the RVT when the current health crisis is over, and restrictions for pubs and clubs are relaxed.  If there is a future for Vauxhall “bentertainment” after the lockdown Duckie hopes to be at its centre and is planning to survive and thrive for another 25 years into the future. To read the Dr Duckie PhD or watch a 60 minute talk about the research, go to duckie.co.uk/drduckie Both photos below...

Ideas for the Weekend – Keeping Fit!

With some of our usual outlets for exercise curtailed in recent months (anyone else missing the chance to go for a swim?) and many having to stay indoors to look after others or protect themselves we wanted to bring you some ideas of ways to keep fit while indoors or maintaining social distancing.  As we are not experts in this field (though we do know a lot about fields) we spoke to our lovely colleagues in the Lambeth Sports team to find out what they’d advise people to try.  Below are a selection of different ways to keep fit inside and outside of the house! Hopefully there is something for everyone, Sport England Join the Movement page is full of links to activities people can do at home. https://www.sportengland.org/jointhemovement#get_active_at_home The NHS Active 10 is an app which encourages you to do 10 minutes of exercise a day- did you know that even walking briskly counts! https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/active10/home The NHS Couch to 5k a classic! Some of the Events Team have been giving it a go with varying degrees of success.  Some of us have downloaded the app (that counts right?), while others are racing around the streets of Lambeth! When you get to the 5K don’t forget there are the fabulous free Parkruns in Brockwell Park and Clapham Common.  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/ Another offer from the NHS – Strength and Flex exercise plan this is a 5-week plan consisting of a series of equipment-free exercises designed to improve strength and flexibility https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flex-exercise-plan/ And finally if the above haven’t already exhausted you enough Love to Ride https://www.lovetoride.net/uk is starting Bike month in June...

Pineapples, Pineapples, Pineapples

  What is it with Lambeth, Stockwell and Pineapples? Well in 1600’s John Tradescant who was botanist and importer brought Pineapples to the UK for the first time. His botanical garden was in Stockwell,  and included the ground that we now know as Larkhall Park. Now you know this,  you’re going to start seeing Pineapples all over Lambeth! This certainly was the case for some unsuspecting motorists on a sunny Saturday morning on Stockwell Road back in 2008. With funding from Arts Council England and European Union regeneration funding Stockwell Festival were given a grant for further outreach projects to support the annual Stockwell festival. Stockwell Festival worked with local Lambeth carnival arts company Mandinga Arts to create the costumes and Art Community Exchange a local arts company based in Brixton ran schools programme and co-ordinated the parade. Bureau of Silly idea also based in Brixton made the Pineapple car. Everyone gathered at Stockwell Primary School.  The local bloco samba carnival band created the soundtrack and then the pineapple parade too to the street with the support of the festival stewards and local met police officers. People joined in along the way and all arrived onto Larkhall Park to enjoy a full day of music, food, theatre and lots lots more. I still remember standing on Larkhall Park at 12:30 having just got the festival open. Music was on the stage, people were milling around the festival site and stalls were open and slowly the festival was coming alive. Then in the far corner the procession burst onto the park and all of a sudden there were dancing pineapples...

World War II and Lambeth’s Parks and Open Spaces

Later this week we commemorate and celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE day albeit not in the way that any of us would have been anticipating at the start of this year. We’ve been looking through the fantastic online resources from Lambeth Archives – and found this great photo of a VE day street party on Tivoli Road in Norwood and this one of York Road in Waterloo. We also have this image of the then Mayor making a speech from the Steps of the Town Hall. The exterior of the Town Hall hasn’t changed much since then, but the surroundings have. It got us thinking about the reminders from the Second World War that can be found throughout the borough. For example the Deep Level Air Raid Shelters at Clapham South and Stockwell which are still visible today (in Stockwell it is part of the war memorial mural). The Clapham South Shelter went on to be shelter for some of the Windrush Generation in 1948. Staying in Clapham the funfair site was established during the Second World War as a part of the “Holiday at Home” where members of the Showman’s guild were given special dispensation and ration books to enable them to travel and bring Fairs to the people. On your next walk through Kennington Park take time to admire the beautiful sunken flowerbeds, where there is a memorial to those who lost their lives in one of the most devastating bombings which resulted in a direct hit on the bomb shelters there and the loss of over 40 lives – further information can be found on...

EventLambeth

As you will have been aware since our initial COVID-19 blog post, there have been a significant number of changes.  We are now entering the 5th week of lockdown, and the 6th week of working from home for EventLambeth.  In these unprecedented times, we have, understandably, seen a considerable change in our calendar.  At a time of year, when we are usually working with event organisers towards our Summer Season.  We  help the delivery of hundreds of public events and support street parties and events throughout the borough. Alongside visiting our Parks and Open spaces we would be busy working with our colleagues in Lambeth Landscapes on the ground maintenance and preparation ahead of the event season.  We are used to being out and about in all weathers and at all times of the year. And along with the rest of the population, we are adapting and supporting our NHS and key worker colleagues by staying in and working from home.  We have been looking at ways that we can bring an online programme that provides all the fun of the digital fair! If you have a favourite event that you have attended in one of Lambeth’s fabulous Parks and Open spaces, help us share those beautiful stories. Tell us what you are doing and what events you want to see come to Lambeth.  We want to hear about them and see if we can share them with as many people as possible. If you’re one of our event organisers, help us keep the spirits up by sharing your best moments.  If you are one of our event attendees,...