CommuniTree Festival: Three Festivals, One Growing Community

This summer, CommuniTree Festival travelled across Nottingham, bringing music, creativity and opportunities to take part into three very different community settings.

From Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens in The Meadows, to Bulwell Global Day, and finally our signature festival at Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, each event had its own character. What connected them was a simple idea: creating welcoming spaces where people can experience music and culture, try something new and spend time together.

Starting in The Meadows

Our first CommuniTree event took place at Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens, a community green space at the heart of The Meadows.

The setting shaped the day. It felt local, relaxed and accessible, with families and residents able to move between performances, workshops and creative activities throughout the site.

The programme brought together artists and groups including Mas Y Mas, Leicester Bhangra, Singing Proud Nottingham, Klezmer Tanz, Happy Lady Drumming Club, Shania Del Carmen and Band of Sisters.

Participation has always been an important part of CommuniTree, so the day was not simply about watching performances. People could join drumming, dance and creative workshops, explore activities for children and families, and take part at their own pace.

There were also opportunities to connect creativity with wellbeing, including free health checks provided by Thrive.

Holding the festival within an established community space helped us reach people close to where they live and demonstrated how cultural activity can sit naturally alongside community, wellbeing and the outdoors.

Whoosh! at CommuniTree Festival, Arkwright Gardens

Celebrating Bulwell

The next stop was Bulwell Global Day at Bulwell Hall Park.

Working alongside local partners including One Vision Partnership and ChalleNGe allowed CommuniTree to become part of a wider day celebrating Bulwell's communities.

Artists including TwoManTing, Hit the Dhol, Davina Songbird and Eba Sallah brought different musical traditions to the programme, alongside opportunities for audiences to participate rather than remain simply spectators.

Events like this are important to the wider CommuniTree model. Rather than expecting communities to travel to one central cultural event, we can work with existing neighbourhood celebrations, local organisations and trusted partners.

It also gives us the chance to learn from each area: what attracts people to participate, how different spaces work and how artists can create genuine connections with audiences in relatively short encounters.

TwoManTing perform at Bulwell Global Day, in association with CommuniTree Festival

Our signature festival at Wollaton Hall

The summer programme culminated in our largest CommuniTree Festival at Wollaton Hall and Deer Park on 9th August.

The scale of the setting allowed us to develop the programme further, with live music, participatory workshops, dance, wellbeing activities, and family experiences. .

The programme reflected the range of work at the heart of CommuniTree. Artists included Kelly's Heroes, Batch Gueye, Blu.PrnT with Koko Kolly, Akolá Tambó and Nachda Sansaar, alongside activities including salsa and bachata, yoga and handpan, hula hoop, drumming and participatory performance.

Circus Wunderbar added another element for families, while Shumba Arts' Rhythmic Heart and other participatory sessions gave people opportunities to make music themselves.

Nachda Sansaar performing at CommuniTree Festival 2026 at Wollaton Hall

Akolá Tambó performing at CommuniTree Festival 2026 at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham

Batch Gueye teaching West African Griot songs at CommuniTree Festival 2026 at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham

Pranav Badia teaches Yoga at CommuniTree Festival 2026 n Nottingham

Growing CommuniTree

CommuniTree Festival is still developing.

The three festivals this summer helped us understand more about where the project can go next: stronger neighbourhood partnerships, more participatory activity, greater opportunities for emerging artists and a larger, better-designed festival experience.

What we want to retain is the part that matters most — bringing different people together through music, creativity and shared experience.

A huge thank you

CommuniTree Festival simply wouldn’t happen without the support, time and belief of so many people.

A huge thank you to Arts Council England, The National Lottery Community Fund, Nottingham City Council and People & Places for supporting CommuniTree and helping us bring music, creativity and participation into communities across Nottingham.

We are also incredibly grateful to all of the artists, workshop leaders, partner organisations and community groupswho brought their skills, energy and ideas to the festivals.

And a very special thank you to our volunteers and Friends of CommuniTree. From welcoming audiences and supporting artists to helping behind the scenes, setting up, solving problems and keeping everything moving, you are an essential part of making these festivals happen.

Finally, thank you to everyone who came along — whether you performed, joined a workshop, danced, tried something new, brought your family, volunteered or simply sat under a tree and enjoyed the music.

CommuniTree is made by the people who take part in it, and we’re excited to keep growing it together.