It has been an exciting few weeks at Start Thurrock and it was amazing to see so many of you at our Big Lunches.
We have one more Big Lunch, on 28 August, and we hope you’ll be there. If you missed out, or if you’re hungry for more community fun and entertainment, don’t worry there are a lot more sparkling events coming up in the next few weeks, and we would love you to join us!
This year’s Afro Food Fest was a huge hit with so many people joining the event at Aveley Football Club earlier this month. This vibrant festival was an amazing platform for our young people and a space for Thurrock’s youngsters to enjoy themselves, come together, showcase their talents and enjoy having something fabulous just for them.
The excitement, entertainment and eating continued all day as the family fun day celebration of Afro culture, food, music and community was followed in the evening by even more Afro vibes with Party in the Park.
We are so proud to have supported U-Turnships with this event once again.
We are proud to announce a partnership with Essex Cultural Diversity Project which will see artist Laura Trevail creatively respond to Coalhouse Fort with a powerful mix of ghostly tales, heritage, natural history and personal stories.
This new commission aims to further Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Start Thurrock’s joint work to celebrate diversity, provide a platform for marginalised voices, and empower residents to decide what kind of creative activity they want to experience in their own neighbourhoods.
Over the next few months, Laura will bring together people who love, seek out, or stumble upon Coalhouse Fort in the creation and sharing of ghost stories, while exploring the Fort’s heritage, its natural history, and personal stories together. The project will help to articulate our own connections to Coalhouse Fort, and how that can carry forward for generations.
What a sizzling summer of Big Lunches we’ve been enjoying across Thurrock during the summer holidays!
The good news is there is still time to start something with lunch! Join us at Corringham Big Lunch 2025 on Thursday 28 August when Cohesion Plus will be bringing Bhangra to the Big Lunches finale.
Come and find us at the Start Thurrock stand to say hi, tell us what performance and workshops have been your favourite or what creative activities you’d like to see at next year’s Big Lunch – your ideas could be the start of something even bigger in 2026!
If you can’t join the Corringham event but have been to one or more of our Big Lunches, please share your thoughts with us. We would love to know what you enjoyed, what we could improve and, best of all, your suggestions. Please take a few minutes to fill out our confidential survey and help our research. Thank you!
LET’S PLAY THURROCK – PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY!
Do you love playing games? Want to perform alongside professionals?
As part of Let’s Play THURROCK, we’re looking for adults in Thurrock to join Casson & Friends’ performances of ARCADE at THE ORSETT SHOW on Saturday 6th September!
You will be taught some fun & simple games, and work alongside the professional team to encourage local children, families and adults attending the show to play.
The organisers will cover:
We have limited places available, so if you’re interested, sign up before Friday 29th August and the Let’s Play Thurrock team will be in touch!
Let’s Play THURROCK is a collaboration between Casson& Friends and Applause Rural Touring, supported by Start Thurrock, and commissioned by Creative Estuary.
Start Thurrock are working in partnership with the Thameside Theatre to bring you this brilliant production written by award-winning children’s author Elayne Ogbeta, Grandad Anansi is a Half Moon and Z-arts co-production. The event is designed for children aged 4-9 years, but all are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
October 22, 4.30pm, at Thameside Theatre, Orsett Rd, Grays RM17 5DX
Cost: £5. Book now for free tickets for parents and carers –use code parentsga. We are delighted that this performance will be BSL interpreted.
Start Thurrock have commissioned two performances of Grandad Anansi which is touring the UK celebrating Black History Month. The first show is at 1.30pm and will be free to organised school groups. Get in touch via contact@startthurrock.org for more information or to arrange a schools booking.
Our free Producer Training workshops with Teatro Vivo theatre company producers Mark Stevenson and Esme Cooper certainly got people talking.
Following on from two interactive theatre shows in Purfleet-on-Thames and South Ockendon alongside the local community – the Myths of the Marshes and the Mystery of the Missing Markets, there were free training sessions. We received some great feedback and this testimonial:
“I attended the workshop yesterday which was amazing to meet such inspirational people doing inspirational work! It was great to join an exercise to plan a concert event and the sharing of thoughts to make it happen, the concerns, how to overcome challenges, I took lots of notes! I feel thankful for the opportunity it was to join in and to meet wonderful people. They shared some hints, tips and others to follow to inspire with the work and projects they are working on.”
Wow! We love this. Thanks for sharing.
