Bridgwater Together brings together community groups that celebrate the towns diversity and for several years has organised a public event in the Autumn in the Engine Room. This year the group chose to make the event bigger and better and held the event in Bridgwater Town Hall . The date ,Saturday November 13th, featured live music on stage, talks and films in the Charter Hall and a range of more than 20 stalls staffed by various community groups. The theatre was turned into an international cafe for the day with free food from around the world available so that people could enjoy the many things the event has to offer. The doors opened from 11am to 3pm. It was a free event and everybody dropped in and out as they wished. Some 3-400 people were involved during the day.
The Bridgwater Together event has been supported and sponsored by Bridgwater Town Council, Somerset Film, Bridgwater Trades Union Council, Unite the Union, Fuse Performance, Bridgwater International and Somerset Diverse Communities.
The event was organised by newly elected Chairperson of Bridgwater Together Vivian Rybertt . Vivian, who comes from Chile said ” Our program was a diverse cocktail from food to music, from talks to community engagement activities tailored for our community.
You can find Bridgwater Together on Facebook here or on Instagram here or on Twitter here.
Programme for the day
Stalls in the main hall included Diversity Voice, Bridgwater United, SARI, Healthwatch, Credit Union, Bridgwater Pride, Ukelele Club, Sea Cadets, Town Council, Bridgwater International, Glade, Fire & Rescue, Friends of the Quantocks, SEED, Mental Health First Aid, Second Step, Somerset Film, Polonia & Friends, Intercultural Communications, Somerset libraries, Hidden Voices, Titanias Dance plus Goszia’s Kids area.
International Kitchen- included food from Bulgarian, Syria, Poland and the UK was served from 12.30 and co-ordinated by Anna from the Engine Room.
Scenes from the day
Setting up the event- Brian Smedley, leader of town Council
Michae; Wheatelele fronts the Bridgwater Uke strummers club
Young Syrian boy tries the face painting
Polonia and friends
Diversity Voice making lanterns
SARI -standing against racial inequality
rufty tufty bouncers throw people in off the streets
Friends of the Quantocks
I see Sea Cadets
the general throng of diversity
people wore masks , on the whole. Well, the mouth.
Stepladder
Healthwatch, watching
Lianne Vessier sings
Town councillors Leavy and Pearce
Mayor Leigh Redman opens the event
The Police lead a discussion on ‘hate crime’
Sian from Hidden Voices
John Maybey on stage. Well, in fact he is.
Fire and rescue
Credit Union shark was popular with the audience
talks in the charter hall
Steely D with his steeley drums
Heard about Bulgaria?
2BU
Bridgwater Football
The Credit Union stall
face painting
Mariusz on stage
The interesting Duck and Fennec band
Performers, films and speakers
| Theatre Stage | Charter Hall | |
| 1100-1115 | Quayside Festival on Film | |
| 1115-1135 | John Maybey | |
| 1135-1150 | Bulgaria on film | |
| 1150-1210 | Lianne Vessier | |
| 1210-1225 | ‘Hate Crime’ talk by Sarah Norman | |
| 1225-1245 | Steely D |
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| 1245-1300 | Lockdown films by SEED | |
| 1300-1320 | Mariusz | |
| 1320-1335 | ‘Black History’ talk by Susan Savidge
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| 1335-1400 | Bridgwater Ukelele Strummers Club | |
| 1400-1415 | “The Quantock Landscape” talk by John Barrett | |
| 1415-1445 | The Interesting Duck and Fennec Band | |
| 1445-1500 | “Glade” (Global Learning)talk by Lynne Cutler |