Brixton House and Bush Theatre have announced that the award-nominated Holly’s Angels and award-winning West-End theatre producer Ameena Hamid will be hosting a Festive Market to celebrate the upcoming festivities and help bring cheer to their communities on Thursday 22nd at Bush Theatre and Friday 23rd December at Brixton House from 11am until 4pm.
We caught up with founder Holly Adomah to find out more about Holly’s Angels Festive Market and their mission.
Q&A
-What is Holly’s Angels Festive Market and who is it for?
Holly’s Angels is a voluntary food distribution service and it’s for communities, food and shelter charities and arts freelancers who may need a little bit of support during tough times.
– How long have you been supporting communities in this way for and how did this work start for you?
My amazing volunteers and I have been supporting communites since December 2020, so just during the COVID-19 pandemic and we started Holly’s Angels Food Hub at Park Theatre after having many conversations with Andover Estate Community Centre and Elizabeth House, two organisations which help people living in Finsbury Park who are facing hardships. I used to work at Park Theatre and had noticed how vibrant the community of Finsbury Park are and I wanted to do something to help.
– Why was it important for you to partner with Theatre spaces in London this year to support your work?
As Holly’s Angels, we aim to reconnect communities with the arts by offering a new, holistic way to invite people who may not have stepped into a theatre to receive our support but to also highlight the creativity which takes place in these spaces. As myself, it’s important to mention that theatres are civic services; therefore theatres have a responsibility to respond to their community, for instance Lambeth have a Food Poverty Policy which means the borough are working to minimise food poverty, especially for young children. We’ve partnered with venues such as Park Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and Theatre Deli and last year, we held a residency at the Albany for about four months. Altogether, we’ve helped over 500 people and we’re continuing to support the fantastic 999 Club, a homeless charity based in Deptford which we’ve been supporting since 2021.
– This year with worries about cost-of-living and energy bills are a hot topic among communities this year – How will Holly’s Angels Festive Market help to bridge that gap of resources some people might be experiencing?
We understand that we can bridge all gaps but we are aiming to provide assistance with the donations kindly donated and those will be chosen by community members and arts freelancers on the day of the Festive Market. We also want to bring festive joy this season by inviting performers to donate their time for the Festive Market and we want to celebrate this time with communities in a holistic, empathetic sense. One thing to highlight is that we can all take time to make ripples of kindness for others and as an industry, we can do more of that.
– What is your hope for Holly’s Angels Festive Market this year, and in the future?
I hope for success, for further support, for theatre venues to reach out and for us to work on ways to help support communities further. Plus I very much would love to have Holly’s Angels as a registered charity so we can do more to help others. Oh, and a website too!
– If someone is interested in supporting your cause, what are some ways they can help?
You can help us by making a donation to Holly’s Angels Festive Market at Brixton House on Tues 20, Weds 21 and Thur 22 from 9am until 2pm and to spread the word! If you know of anyone who may need a little helping hand, please get them to email me here.
Here’s how it works
Patrons are invited to make donations at Brixton House (385 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8GL) on 20th, 21st and 22nd December from 9am until 2pm or at Bush Theatre (7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ) on 20th December from 9am until 2pm and 21st December from 1pm until 7pm.
Community members and arts freelancers are invited to attend either Festive Market to collect donations of their own choosing. There will also be carol singing, performances from musicians and magicians and light refreshments served.
The following donations will be welcomed:
– Non-perishable foods: Long-life non-dairy milk (oat, soya, rice), pasta, rice, oats, tinned soup, foods, beans and other pulses, lentils, cereal
– Pet food: Food pouches for dogs, cats and smaller household pets, dried biscuits/food, tins of pet food
– Pet accessories such as warm beds and blankets
– Gift-wrapped toys for children (with a gift tag attached to notify what’s inside) – colouring books, small toys, soft toys, board games
– Gift-wrapped presents for adults (with a gift tag attached to notify what’s inside)
– Toiletries: Deodorant, toilet paper, shower gel, shaving gel, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes,
tooth paste, hand wipes, children’s toiletries
– Household items – laundry liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing up liquid
– Sanitary towels and tampons