Explore East London festival for free fun
3rd March 2009
by Karoline Hjorth
The East London Festival kicks off this week with a six- day festival celebrating the best of East London.
From the 5th to the 10th of March more than 300 events will serve up an eclectic cocktail of performances, music, art, history, fashion, design, film and food.
In respect to all fellow skinflints we will remain blissfully oblivious to any festive activity costing more than the remains of an empty pocket and instead offer a glittering list of hidden gems and tempting venues to experience for free.
Depending on your level of curiosity for local oddities, die- hard fashionistas, quirky musicians and like-minded treasure hunters, East Festival seems to cater to the most peculiar of tastes.
Any pick from the Mayor of London’s comprehensive guide to East London rewards clever skinflints with generous invitations to a range of complimentary events.
East End creative mash-up and canal love
Music B4U invites the masses to lunchtime dates with Bollywood bonanza at Spitalfields Market while Homerton Hospital freshens up its corridors with a Capella body percussion performances.
For the curious cats and socially aware there are experiments in social engagement, outdoor art classes and in-conversation sessions with local artists.
Trendy kids are spoiled for choice with progressive swishing sessions to get rid of their dated clothes and exchange them with strangers. See article on clothes swapping here.
Lovebirds can trawl the magical Hackney canal system in endless romantic ways while audio geeks can get lost in musical mash-ups flying from minimal house to experimental jazz, calypso classics and 60s funkadelic.
In the spirit of Skinflint, East Festival hugs London freshers, indie kids, kinky afros, geeks and barflies. Now go and have fun and remember to give us feedback on the highlights.
