On a warm August bank holiday packed with creativity, colour, and culture, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate Colchester City’s diversity at The Freedom Road Street Party at Colchester Arts Centre. Trestle tables lined the road outside the arts venue, housed in a converted church overlooking the remains of the Roman city walls.

Guests enjoyed a sit‑down meal with cabaret entertainment and a livestream recording of Simon Armitage’s Freedom Road poem, which also featured as the weekly poem for Colchester Arts Centre’s national poetry project. Lunch was followed by an afternoon on the dancefloor as people grooved to jazz and swing classics from the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Eric McNeish, aged 98, was the oldest participant on the dancefloor and declared it “the most wonderful day”.

Residents of Balkerne Gardens Trust (a sheltered housing project), many of whom had either served or been children during the Second World War, exchanged memories and stories with members of the Gurkha community. Attendees frequently remarked on how special it was to see “different parts of the community come together” and “how many wonderful stories were shared”.

Colchester’s proud military history and strong ties with the Gurkha community were marked with a candlelit memorial created by Major Udaibahadur Gurung MBE, honouring the sacrifices made by Gurkha soldiers serving Great Britain in conflicts around the world. During the afternoon’s entertainment, children from The Colchester Nepalese Society performed traditional dances.

A distinctive feature of the day was the handmade bunting and decorations. Local artist Clare Marsh was commissioned by Colchester Arts Centre to run a series of workshops ahead of the street party. Working with community groups including African Families UK, Colchester VI Form College, and members of the Nepalese and Gujarati communities, Clare and the workshop participants created bunting inspired by themes of freedom and its meaning to us both then and now. The traditional party decoration took on a deeper significance. As the Evening Gazette noted, “The event embodied a different sort of national pride compared to the flag‑painting which has taken place in Colchester in recent days.”

“Freedom Road Street Party was about bringing Colchester’s different communities – of all ages, genders, sexualities and ethnicities – together in a day of celebration,” said Project Lead Vijay Patel.