marketplace arts Archives

Below, you’ll find our full programme of events, including the infamous St George’s parade.

During the Parade – Starting at 10am from Robingoodfellows Lane

Same Sky puppets – An extraordinary procession of magnificent giant puppets! Witness the legendary St George and an enchanting princess puppet come to life in a vibrant community celebration. In the weeks leading up to the Fayre, Same Sky will be hosting local workshops to craft and prepare more extraordinary parade elements with the community for them to proudly display during the parade.

Enchanted Flower Globe – Meet Floris, the joyful flower nymph who lives inside this magical and unique mobile microclimate. Her magical world is filled with butterflies and charm, magic and wonder. The globe will also be at the market place when not performing in the parade – come and meet Floris and the creatures she lives among.

Plus – Look out for the giant March Hare created by local artist Cary Outis!

Drop-in activities in the Dome, 11am – 4pm

Potting and Planting workshop – Learn how to start a herb garden on your windowsill. Discover the pleasures of using home-grown herbs in your cooking while learning about growing your own food.

Wildflower Seed ball creation – Create your own wildflower seed balls. Perfect for enhancing your garden’s biodiversity, supporting community green spaces, or giving as thoughtful, sustainable gifts.

Herbal Tea Tasting – Try a selection of naturally grown herbal teas while learning about their various health benefits. Learn about how these natural remedies can lead to a healthier body and mind.

WiseUp RiseUp DJ Workshop – On-the-day bookable sessions, with 15 slots available on a first-come, first-served basis. Hands-on interactive sessions learning the basic of DJing on industry standard equipment with experienced industry professionals.

Selling vintage fabrics (outside the Dome) – Browse the sustainable fabrics by ‘byKatyMac,’ an eco-conscious designer specialising in slow fashion. Discover unique garments and theatrical costumes crafted from vintage and pre-loved household textiles.

Plus – More free, drop-In activities to be announced!

I wanted to explain these changes and share how we’ve arrived at this point as well as celebrate the brilliant support we’ve had getting here. Since I joined the organisation in January 2024, I have been deeply inspired by the projects with our communities and the growing of new relationships across Fenland and West Suffolk.

MarketPlace is currently in its third phase of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places Programme which by spring 2026 will mean 11 years of co-creating a diverse range of activities, events and projects with communities across Fenland and West Suffolk. Since the beginning we have been supported by a consortium of partners, led by Babylon Arts who all invest a huge amount of time and resources into our programme.

Following the decision by trustees of Babylon Arts to close the organisation by September 2025, we were informed that reluctantly Babylon would be stepping away from the MarketPlace programme as of 31st March 2025. In order to secure our funding from Arts Council England and to continue delivering our programme, MarketPlace Arts has constituted as a charity in its own right.

As well as moving our administrative office from Ely to March, the team will be working more frequently in each of the market towns across Fenland and West Suffolk year round. We are especially grateful to the town councils of Chatteris and Wisbech, and our partners in Brandon and Mildenhall for helping us look for a base and are keen to find workspace in Whittlesey and Newmarket by spring 2026. Our small but dedicated team already travels across the region, working on a series of projects year round and we can’t wait to have even more of a presence as the year progresses.

For any of you who have been following the past 12 months of our work, you hopefully have seen some of the incredible events our communities have co-created. We’re on a mission to meet more people, produce larger, more surprising and diverse activities and can’t wait to get stuck into the next year. This is an exciting time for culture in Fenland and West Suffolk and we are looking forward to being useful in supporting everyone who lives, works and studies here access high quality creative activity.

Rob Drummer

Creative Director & CEO

Tag: marketplace arts

St George’s Fayre 2025

During the Parade – Starting at 10am from Robingoodfellows Lane

Drop-in activities in the Dome, 11am – 4pm

MarketPlace Arts, the new name for MarketPlace, a statement from Creative Director and CEO Rob Drummer

During the Parade – Starting at 10am from Robingoodfellows Lane

Drop-in activities in the Dome, 11am – 4pm

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