Sarah is the newly appointed Director of Dulwich Festival, Founder of Pexmas and Freelance Events Producer across Southwark.
What brought you here?
I moved to the area around 15 years ago from North London to be closer to friends and was lucky enough to start working at the arts organisation Bold Tendencies in Peckham.
What do you most value about the area you live in?
People and community are at the heart of this area. In my 13 years of running Pexmas, I’ve been blown away by the vast range of makers, crafters, startups, foodies and artists, who live and breathe South East London. Looking forward, I’m excited about showcasing the wealth of creative talent from our area at Dulwich Festival.
Describe your perfect weekend
I have a six-year-old son so spend a lot of Saturday mornings at The Velodrome in Herne Hill to burn off energy! It’s such a fabulous facility to have on our doorstep. As a family, we love stomping around the area, discovering amazing food and spending time in the plethora of green spaces that characterise South East London. There are brilliant playgrounds at Dulwich, Brockwell and Goose Green parks, and come rain or shine, there’s always something to do.
What is your favourite place to eat?
I have multiple daytime meetings at the moment and seem to be spending a lot of time in Oru, on Lordship Lane. It has such a nice buzz, the staff are very attentive and their food is healthy and delicious! I also really love their commitment to community, diversity and inclusion.
What’s your favourite place to go for a drink?
The two pubs I love the most in this area are The East Dulwich Tavern and The Crown and Greyhound in Dulwich Village. Despite being big pubs, there are lots of partitions within each one, giving an intimate feeling and a lovely atmosphere! Both have great non-alcoholic options, too.
The best kept secret…
Kingswood House, run by Kingswood Arts, is such a gem, steeped in Victorian history and yet so relevant to its surrounding community. They have brilliant creative programming for families and are hugely focused on accessibility for all. Their café is gorgeous, too!
If money was no object..
Children and young people have really suffered with the funding cuts of the past ten years – many local services, youth clubs and children centres have closed. If I had unlimited funds, I would definitely invest in programmes that offer free support and creative activities to children and young people, giving them hope and skills for the future. I would also love to help fund independent/start-up businesses because there is so much passion for that in this area but the reality of self-funding means it’s not possible for everyone.