In this 5 minute extract, Ingrid recalls memories of Maindee Festival that started in 1997.

Ingrid explains how Maindee Festival grew out of the community development work happening at Community House. Brian Selby, as the Youth and Community Warden had always used the Arts to promote people coming together. Upon Brian’s retirement in 1997, Sue Bidmead, a Community Development worker based at Community House,
“picked up the mantle that Brian had started and at the beginning of '97. We had the first meetings leading up to the creation of the Maindee Festival”.
At the end of 2016 Ingrid opened a two-month exhibition at the Riverfront to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Festival.
The first Festival was held jointly between Community House and Maindee Primary School, with activities at both venues. All meetings for the Festival are held at Community House. Community House provides,
“a breakfast for all the volunteers at the Festival”.
The parade is unique “this is all a people’s parade on foot, waving banners […] bringing the community together”. “Over 1,000 cups of water” were given to people taking part in the Festival the first year.