Image: Timberlina (left) and Dan de la Motte, present Rock n Roll Nature Revelation on Saturday 23 July

Summer is here, and Team London Bridge brings a weekend of family fun to Potters Fields Park, and it’s all free to join in. Whether you enjoy great shows, like to get hands-on with workshops or love to explore with guided adventures, there will be plenty to entertain you across two days dedicated to children and their families.

Ellie Beedham, (Director of Arts at Team London Bridge) and Tim Redfern aka Timberlina (Artist and Eco-warrior) catch up ahead of FAMILY DAYZ – A weekend of fun and adventure (23-24 July) to quiz each other on the festival, including Rock n Roll Nature Revelation (by vaudevillian upstarts Timberlina and Dan de la Motte).

Tim: What sparked your idea and how was it initially received by stakeholders?
 
Ellie: The idea of how to support action towards a greener future has been developing for a couple of years. Personally I look a couple of FutureLearn courses during lockdown and not so long ago moved from theatre and festival producing to working at a BID (Business Improvement District) called Team London Bridge. As a not-for-profit they have been working for 15-years on supporting the area to be cleaner, greener and more sustainable. I have learnt a lot from the communities approach here to working together to improve things. We have the great privilege of working with organisations like Cityscapes, Putting Down Roots and St Mungos who recently created an award winning garden for the Chelsea Flower Show which was replanted into the area.
 
As the Director of Arts, I build partnerships with local communities and businesses to pilot new projects. So far this idea has been very well received.

We have started by commissioning a couple of shows including yours - Rock n Roll Nature Revelation.

Ellie: Why were you interested to make a new show around permaculture?
 
Tim: I loved the St Mungo’s Garden at Chelsea!

As with many new interests, I tend to dive right in at the deep end and then wade my way out. I had found Permaculture a few years ago through a friend and dabbled in it. The word is an amalgam of the two words Permanent and Agriculture. Fundamentally it’s a system of creating sustainable and abundant yields while making the most of land with the lightest touch. It’s holistic gardening, but within it are principles that can be applied to so many other aspects of life. The fundamental ethics are Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share and this really speaks to me. Having dabbled I did an introductory course during lockdown and now I’m basically obsessed.
 
For Timberlina, I’ve always written songs about environmental issues, eco anxiety and inevitable environmental catastrophe- like you do. The best thing about Timberlina is that, being a clown lady you can deliver the sincere passion without making it too serious. Now, weighting songs around principles of Permaculture, I think, is a fantastic way to draw on themes that bring people closer to their natural environment, raise greater awareness, offer facts without being too emotional. There’s a lot to be emotional about right now, so I think making entertainment that invites learning engagement might be useful right now.

Tim: What are the challenges and rewards of bringing together such a diverse mix of local communities and economies?
 
Ellie: As a maker and producer I love bringing different communities together. Spotting an opportunity to support real change. There’s always a puzzle of where an idea meets practicalities and ambitions. I guess supporting artists in their personal journeys and investigations and finding great local delivery partners to bring projects to life is something I really enjoy. We work our way through challenges as you find with every project as you do with any new production or as its being realised, the usual - costs, staffing, resources or different points of view. For me it’s important that everything we make and present is authentic and connects to this place. That’s why I’ve put together The Family Dayz festival which combines fun, exploration and learning about nature – it also includes Plot 17 which we supported – a mobile bloc party by rapper Kenny Baraka, produced by Apples and Snakes.

Ellie: What did you discover while working with Dan de la Motte on the new show?

Tim: I love working with Dan. I think ultimately we share the same values so you don’t have to second think, you can be honest and most importantly be who we are. We’re both fanatical about sustainability in a really common sense way. Also- I’m very good at making things more complicated than they need to be, while Dan is very good at responding with clarity.  And we both love to learn from each other. It’s a bit like working with a new, upgraded version of myself- and I think that added element of Queer heritage and history of the Queerness and environmentalism is something we both love
 
We’re both very reflective people who see the world from the outside and kind of want to help where we can- I come with the slightly jaded long form, while Dan bring wild enthusiasm, then  together we turn it into something credible and (hopefully) fun, informative and super engaging.
 
I think the crucial thing is we make each other laugh and love what each other do when we make work, which for me is a match made in heaven. A bit like working with Team London Bridge. I’ve worked with other Bids on and off for decades, starting with Coin Street through Waterloo Quarter and Better Bankside and I find it all so fascinating getting a glimpse into these sort of social / professional working environments and dynamics. It’s always fun to bring work to these envirnoments.

Tim: As a creative person, what do you consider is your super power, for working in the context of BID, community/ business hybrid?

Ellie: My super power is imagination, and determination – can I have 2? I work to support great artists make great work. I have a blue plaque at home from a community project delivered at the Elephant and Castle shopping centre more than 20 years ago – it says ‘dreamer’. Creative people make magic happen and I hope I support them to do that. We all know that great experiences with the arts can really shift thinking and behaviours. Producers and artists see the world and what’s possible by creating interventions and responses to it. In the BID and Community spheres you need to be creative but also super flexible being able to spot, match or grow opportunities. Often it’s about knowing when and how to support different groups in the most helpful way.

Ellie: If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

Tim: That’s such a great answer!

Crumbs, 3 wishes? OK, I wish that-
1. Compassionate sharing would replace capitalism rendering currency (and capitalism) redundant
2. People would manage their expectations
3. One day I’ll get to drive a 1978 Porsche 911 Turbo down the Napoleon route to Nice.

FAMILY DAYZ – A weekend of fun and adventure
Sat 23 and Sun 24 July, 11am – 5pm
FREE
Potters Fields Park
189 Tooley Street
London SE1 2UD
atlondonbridge.com

timberlina.co.uk - The World's No. 1 Environmentally-Friendly Bearded Drag Lady