Come to watch a spectacular kite flying display of colour and movement made by people here in Redbridge.

For hundreds of years, kites have been built and flown across the globe for learning and enjoyment, including as part of the Hindu festival, Makar Sankranti in many parts of India. Kites are synonymous with freedom, the outdoors, imagination, storytelling and possibility. London-based artist and kite-maker Felix Mottram will be flying a series of large-scale and beautiful kites designed by the famous Danish kite maker Jørgen Møller Hansen. Plus there will be a fantastic display of over one hundred kites made during the ‘Fly High Shine Bright’ workshops, and opportunities for you to fly kites made by our creators and artists.

If you’ve been involved in the earlier workshops, please come to fly your creations, meet fellow kite flyers and get some expert tips on making your kites fly high and shine bright!

Who is this for?

This activity is suitable for anyone and is family friendly. There will be restrictions on who is able to fly kites on the day depending on the weather conditions.

What is the format of the event?

Please come along and enjoy a magnificent display. There are also opportunities to fly kites made as part of the project. We ask that you use one of our kites (made during the workshops) rather than buying or bringing other kites to the event.

The Hainault Forest Visitor Centre and surrounding area has a children’s play area, city farm, café, toilets and other facilities, but you can also bring your own picnic and watch the display. The kite flying will be weather dependent, so please check the website on the day of the event for further details.

What will I get out of it?

This is a family-friendly, fun event to see hundreds of different kites flown in Redbridge. It will also be an opportunity to learn about different cultures of kite flying, and meet new people.

How to book?

Booking is not necessary, you can just turn up on the day. However clicking the ‘book’ button helps us get an idea of the number of people coming and we can email you with any updates about this event (such as if the timings change due to bad weather). For more information, email hello@colours.red.

How do I get there?

We are providing a free shuttle service from Fulwell Cross Leisure Centre on both days 12:30-2:30pm and returning 4:00-6:00pm. Shuttles will leave every 20-30 minutes. It will be a London Borough of Redbridge mini-bus with a Colours of Redbridge sign in the window. Alternatively, the 247 (from Fullwell Cross or Hainault) and 362 (From Chadwell Heath) bus routes stop at Fowler Road (on the edge of Hainault Forest). From there it is a pleasant 10-minute walk to the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre and 1856 café (where the viewing field is). Plan your journey at tfl.gov.uk. There will be limited paid car parking available at Hainault Forest and we strongly recommend taking public transport where possible to avoid disappointment. Find the event field using What3Words.

Access

All our activities are step-free with facilities such as accessible toilets. There is also a changing places toilet at Hainault Forest and we will have dedicated viewing areas for wheelchairs and people with access needs. Most activities can be easily adapted for people with varying disabilities or neurodiversity. Please email us at access@colours.red to discuss your requirements.

About the Artist: Felix Mottram

Felix studied Fine Art in London before developing an interest in kite-flying in the 1980s. In 1989, he met the Danish kite artist Jørgen Møller Hansen, famous for his geometric shapes and minimalist designs which have been described as ‘some of the most ambitious attempts at a pure, fine-art approach to kite design’. After Jørgen passed away, Felix began restoring and upgrading his extensive and valued kite collection so that it can still be celebrated in front of audiences today. We are hugely lucky to have these beautiful kites displayed here in Redbridge.

About the Artist: Community Kite Project

Based in the UK, Community Kite Project run both online and in person kite making workshops all over the world. They’ve made kites with thousands of people from London to Lebanon. Their favourite kites are the Indian Fighting Kites and Trapezoid Kites. Community Kite Project was founded by Jo Peel, Christopher Jarratt and Tom Tobia in 2011.

Please arrive 10 minutes before the advertised start time as any empty spaces will be reallocated on the day.