The SELFestival Continues to Inspire!

This morning we were joined by Sarah Drummond who shared her experience of co-founding Snook then leading it to scale and it becoming an award-winning service design agency and moving into a new career as a film-maker. Throughout the conversation, Sarah’s commitment to creating people-focused change shone through along with a sense of placing communities at the heart of her work. She shared her feelings of loss and grief when she learnt about Section 28 at the age of 30, and how this inspired her to create a film archiving its impact. Themes of connecting, collaborating, creativity and inclusion were apparent throughout her conversation and we were left feeling inspired by her optimism and fueled by her activism.

In the afternoon we had a provocative conversation led by Sara Flay, CEO of the Ani Group. Sara delighted us with discussion of how getting to know herself and owning who she is as a business owner, CEO and now co-founder of an agency, has led to a self-awareness and self-belief she previously never thought possible. Sara also discussed her diagnosis and the ways in which systems are not built for helping communities persevere. She spoke at length about how some people might not even have access to perseverance, and how it is the responsibility of those with access to be disruptors and barrier breakers, making the world accessible for everyone.

In the early evening we welcomed John Newbigin to discuss the creative potential of our High Streets with the London Borough of Culture and his experiences globally and locally of the positive impacts of creativity. A traversed storyteller, John used the stories that his work has taken him to, giving insights into some of the histories of communities and spaces. Under the view of the Borough of Culture, he spoke of how place is something to be celebrated. He spoke of young people taking ownership and creating podcasts about the truth of COVID for their area. In another tale, he spoke of how to give a town a makeover, and how it is so important to look at things differently. The summaries were to remember that new perspectives and finding the gems or the assets of the community are the keys to rejuvenating our neighbourhoods. To use ambition, creativity and ideas of reinvigoration to think and build long term, to set up the future for the next generation. We were finally reminded that with the climate crisis we need to think and work differently, to make sure there is a change. That there is such potential – we need to push and collaborate to ensure it is reached.