Quarter of a million smiles
The Mix
“Help us to engage with our residents” asked Southwark council, stewards to 250,000 Londoners – half of whom are from an ethnic minority.
Bring together civic leaders and local residents to celebrate London’s most culturally important borough and the people that make it so very special.
Our approach
Southwark had seen engagement with community events dwindle to almost nothing.
We needed to address the content and understand why once vibrant & strong community connections had been lost.
We also had to set about re-booting the borough’s events to it’s own residents – the very people who used to make them successful.
What we did
We met with youth groups, older people’s clubs, disability action groups and cultural leaders across the borough, working hard to truly understand the mix of dynamic groups that make Southwark great.
It was quickly evident that many of these groups were not represented or celebrated within the Council’s events programmes. A disconnection had occurred that needed to be addressed – head on.
What happened next
We proposed specific changes to established programmes and festivals, championing the creation of fresh and vibrant new events. All were brought to live through brilliant creative, reinforced by clear strategic marketing communications across print, digital and ambient media.
A set of vibrant events were launched: ‘The Silver Festival’ reached out to disenfranchised over 60s, ‘Women’s Week’ empowered a new generation of young women and ‘The Mix’ music festival enabled residents of all ages to enjoy the borough’s open spaces and unique venues.
A diverse cross section of the borough continues to feast on the sights, sounds and smells at today’s events, many now forming stand-out dates in cultural calendars. Community harmony powers a growing number of festivals and Southwark now supports events created by the people of Southwark. Engagement has never been stronger or more colourful.