Face Front Fest 21

“It’s not what happens – but how you react to it”

This is a quote from our previous Artistic Director and founder of Face Front Inclusive Theatre: Annie Smol. We have it written down on a post-it note that has prime location in the Face Front office (taped to the filling cabinet)!

The ‘Face Front Fest 21’ was not the festival that we began imagining and planning with back in late 2019 – BUT we continued to react and responded to the challenges and changes that the pandemic brought our way, until we ended up with an online Face Front Fest that we are immensely proud of.

Putting the festival online has meant that we have been able to engage with our audiences in new ways and also develop new audiences who might not otherwise have been able to attend our work in person. We have been able to highlight the work of several Enfield based artists and creatives, as well as provide opportunities for Enfield residents and those from further afield to have access to and participate in online dance workshops and discussions with leading practitioners from around the country. Today, the total number of views for the work hosted online on our YouTube channel stands at close to 2,000!

Whilst the festival may be concluding today, the work featured in it will remain available to view which means that Face Front Fest 21 will have a legacy beyond our normal festival period.

In closing, we would like to highlight and thank all those who have made Face Front Fest 21 possible – The artists for contributing their work, participants, parents, carers, our patrons who champion our work, the Face Front steering committee, and of course our audience – we thank you!

We would also like to thank the funders who have made much of this work possible: National Lottery community fund, Leathersellers’ Company Charitable Fund, City Bridge Trust, Children in Need, The Mercers’ Company, Enfield Council, and Anon

We look forward to seeing you all for Face Front 2023!