Family-friendly festival returns to Whiteknights campus

Members of the local community are invited to join a free one-day, family-friendly festival hosted by the University of Reading on Saturday 18 May.

Following the success of last year, the Community Festival returns to the University’s Whiteknights Campus between 11am and 5pm. On offer will be a variety of activities for people of all ages to enjoy – including live music, theatre, research talks and interactive workshops/activities, plus a range of fantastic street food.

Featuring multiple indoor and outdoor venues, there will be a packed programme of hands-on activities for children and grown-ups to get involved with throughout the day. This will include: 

• The main stage, located in the Meadow, will feature performances from local artists, ranging from an alumni Morris dance group, a Ukrainian choir, indie-folk songwriter One Eyed Man, upbeat afro-fusion group Limpopo Groove, a collaboration between a rap group and the University’s big band, and more!

• Workshops held throughout the day, including: family yoga, painting, improvisation, various dance styles, meditation and African drumming. All workshops have limited spaces so must be booked online in advance of the day – see event programme for booking details.
• A selection of sports taster sessions and demonstrations will also be taking place on the Sports Field, including: football, netball, volleyball, badminton, rowing, rugby, martial arts and bubble football. Plus, this year Kidical Mass will be organising a family-friendly campus bike ride starting at midday. 
• Research talks and activities for both children and adults covering a range of topics, hands-on science experiments, and the opportunity to engage with Reading’s top academics. 
• New for this year is the Community Zone, where a wide variety of family activities are on offer, run by local organisations as well as the University. Spread across campus, the Community Zone will include puzzle games, block paint printing, henna tattoos and face painting to market stalls and much, much more – there is something for everyone!
• Alongside the activities and talks, visitors will also be able to explore the beautiful lakes and gardens that the campus has to offer, and sample some street food from a range of different vendors. 

A free shuttle bus service will be provided from three areas around Reading, including: Reading Station, Tilehurst and Whitley. In addition, people using the Leopard 3 bus from Arborfield will be able to use this service for free on the day. Details of all the routes and timetables will be available on the Community Festival website soon. Limited parking is also available on campus.

Molli Cleaver, Community Engagement Manager at the University of Reading, said: “We are excited to bring back the Community Festival for a second year. It’s a great opportunity for the local community to come to our beautiful campus and find out more about the University and the world-changing research that takes place here.

“It’s also a chance to showcase some of the incredible talent we have here in Reading, from local dancers and musicians to artists, craft-makers and street food vendors. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to campus for what promises to be a fun-filled day.”

The Festival is being hosted by the University and Reading Students’ Union, in collaboration with partners from across the town. Find more information about the Community Festival and view the full programme of activities.