Rather than building the day around a stage or a single headline activity, we created lots of opportunities for people to get involved. We started with rounders, relay races, tug of war and classic sports day games, with teams formed on arrival. This meant people could participate whether they came with a group of friends or arrived solo. As the afternoon moved into evening, the energy shifted from competition to celebration. DJs Pretty Privilege, WrayPressPlay, Misan and Mayowa provided the soundtrack while attendees ate, danced, made things and spent time together.

And importantly, the community made the day their own. Alongside the programmed activities, Nourishers created their own games, organised football matches, played cards, started races and brought out the double dutch. The structure gave people enough to participate in, while leaving enough space for them to create their own experiences.

Why we do it?

Young people do not only need professional networks and cultural opportunities. They also need places where they can play, meet people, express themselves and simply belong. Community Day is part of how Nourish East CIC works to reduce isolation and build stronger peer networks among young people from underrepresented backgrounds. It is also an opportunity for us to learn from our community in practice: what brings people together, what makes participation feel easy, and what happens when people are given the freedom to shape a space themselves.The result is less about a single day's programme and more about creating the conditions for connection.

Community Day has become one of the ways we bring the Nourishment community together outside of galleries, theatres and professional spaces. It reflects our wider approach to community building: create the conditions for people to connect, give them reasons to participate, and allow the community to shape what happens next. For us, community is not something that happens around an event. It is the reason for the event.

Photography by Pointing & Shooting Photography Collective, led by Ade Yusuf.
Catering by Jay's Kitchen.
Photography and event sponsorship from C.I.M.E Lab and Project, supporting the sports day prizes with disposable cameras and free film development.