GLOOMFEST

I have been having so many adventures of late that I nearly forgot to tell you about the day I manned a splat the teddy game, got my face painted as a psychedelic tiger and dressed up as a robot, or gloombot and played connect 4 with passers by!

All this took place at the wonderful Gloomfest, a night curated by my favourite party starters Cliff and Len from the Feeling Gloomy/Club De Fromage / Hairbrush Heroes / Down with Dating club nights.

The boys were asked to put together an area of fun and frolics in Brixton Village's indoor market which is just tucked behind the tube station. It was a little gem of a place with cool cafes and quirky restaurants as well as tasty markets and funky clothing stores. The atmosphere was great with punters embracing the fun of gorrilla twister, air guitar lessons, Morrissey poetry corner, cake stalls, Italian cooking classes, interactive theatre, teddy races, face painting and even a bit of live music.

As said the night is currated by Feeling Gloomy the world’s first club devoted to sad music. Luckily the boys this time were in happy mode so are threw together loads of interesting people in a fiesta of fun to open the very first of these late nights in Brixton. As promoter Mike Toller says, “It’s a great honour to kick this off. Its going to be a lot of fun and we are really pleased to be able to support Brixton market, which is still a real hub for the community in these days of chain shops. Though with only a few days to organize it there will be a touch of anarchy about the whole thing!”

Brixton Village is a superb example of 1930’s market which sadly had recently fallen in to decay with over a ¼ of its units empty. In the past 6 months Space Makers Agency has been working with the market's owners (London & Associated Properties), Lambeth council and local residents to bring life back to the deserted corners of the building. Empty shops were offered to temporary creative projects and new long-term businesses, attracting a range of new independent cafes, restaurants, fashion and design shops, as well as community-driven spaces. These initiatives have breathed new life in to the market so it will continue to be part of the beating heart of Brixton.

Check me out as the Gloombot for the night as well as other pics from the evening:

http://www.feelinggloomy.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=270&pos=15