Thornton Heath Arts Week proved that Thornton Heath is brimming with ingenuity, talent and above all passion, writes Caryn Thandi.

In abundance of artistic energy and creativity from music and horticulture to poetry, photography, and film.

Now in its fourth year, the festival has grown immensely and organiser and founder of THAW (Thornton Heath Arts Week), Karen Barnett, was blown away by the positive response from participants and attendees at this year’s festival.

Having started the Arts Week without official funding, Karen has kept it alive through collaborations with other passionate artists and local residents.

She said: “We’ve seen a diverse range of artists and residents get involved, with the festival providing a unique space for community engagement through the arts.”

The week kicked off with a music jam at Thornton Heath station to get the community inspired.

Driven by the Pen Pow Project, poems of local artists were on display for the duration of the week, includin

Station Manager, Dominique Asamoah, said of the poems: “We look towards working with THAW on a long-term partnership following the amazing impact they are having on Thornton Heath.”

Maybe a flower hasn’t decided what colour

it wants to be,

until it has stretched out

of the slumber of birth

and seen the sun.

Maybe one bee has done a lifetime’s work

somewhere,

in someone else’s green,

catching its breath

making its way towards yours.

Maybe it is summertime and

we haven’t noticed

there is poetry living, right here, in our gardens.

                              @anjali_barot