Streets of Colour Parade, 2024
A Celebration of Redbridge in Motion
Colours of Redbridge, 2024 – 2025
Ilford, Redbridge
Across 2024 and 2025, Kinetika worked in close collaboration with Colours of Redbridge to bring colour, creativity, and connection to the streets of Ilford. Through two community arts projects – Streets of Colour (2024) and The Big Small Wonders Parade (2025) – local residents came together to co-create silks and transform their neighbourhood into a living celebration of community pride.
In 2024, Streets of Colour invited eleven community groups to design and paint silk pennants representing their unique identities and stories. United by the shared outline of Redbridge and the winding River Roding, the pennants celebrated the borough’s rich diversity and the power of creativity to build connection.
The following year, The Big Small Wonders Parade expanded this partnership with a new creative challenge – developing a collection of five-metre mobile silk fans and processional artworks inspired by the beauty of nature. Working through hands-on workshops, participants explored wax-resist and batik techniques to produce luminous designs that moved gracefully through the air.
On 30 August 2025, these creations came to life in a spectacular parade through Ilford, bringing together more than twenty local groups, including organisations supporting people with additional needs. Over 3,900 spectators lined the streets to watch as silk sculptures unfurled and danced alongside live percussion, community-made flags, and the return of last year’s pennants – a vibrant expression of togetherness.
The Big Small Wonders Parade, 2025
“The parade was watched by over 3,900 spectators. It featured dozens of local community members, including over 20 different groups in Redbridge working with people with additional needs. Your giant scallops really were the stars of the show, and I think would work equally as well as a standalone piece, let alone amongst the other elements. Not only did they look beautiful, but the performers on the day were also total stars… Thanks for going above and beyond – we really love working with you all.”
– Pete Nichols, Programme Director, Colours of Redbridge
Photos: Mark Massey
About Colours of Redbridge
Colours of Redbridge is a programme of community-led arts and culture in the borough of Redbridge. It is part of Creative People and Places (CPP), a national programme from Arts Council England, where local people decide what culture happens in their area.
