Get ready for the 26th edition of the Deptford X free festival, now in a bold new biennial format. Over 18 days, from 11-27 July 2025, we’re transforming the streets of Deptford with an incredible showcase of contemporary art. Featuring more than 500 artists, 100+ artist-led Fringe projects, 8 exciting new commissions, and a street parade in collaboration with Lewisham schools, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
At Deptford Lounge, we’re bringing you a dynamic lineup that promises to challenge, inspire, and surprise.
Brian Francis
B the Quantamist 2
Touching on the world of Quantum Mechanics through the mediums of abstraction, painting and animation. The work will consist of a supported painting and a visual piece that will be played on TV. The self portrait will have background images of abstract depictions of particle accelerators. The visual on the TV will be an animation and still images relating to the subject of Quantum Mechanics.
Fernvyn
Wandering Tales
Exploring nostalgic responses to art in an interactive space. The display will be a series of watercolours, exploring folklore and escapism. Often when viewed, people tell me a story that my art reminds them of fondly, a nostalgia for something they haven’t seen before. So to celebrate this, the work will be alongside a space to host pubic response. I welcome all to write a recommendation when viewing the wandering tales, so we can record our community knowledge as we share media and stories.
Gail Dickerson
Layers of Deptford
Art and Geology amongst our Everyday. A large artwork on paper using earth pigments ground from London’s layers of geological strata. Collecting drawn and written Thought Fragments from our everyday at a market stall at Deptford Station to be added to the artwork displayed in the Deptford Lounge window. Ending with an Art and Geology walk along the Ravensbourne as it passes through Deptford to the confluence of the Thames.
I will be leading a walk for this part of the project with the geologist Diana Clements from London Geodiversity Partnership on 27 July.
You will be able to view Gail’ work from the 10th July
Gill Houghton
Diary Inventory
This work is a photographic Diary Inventory. It continues the artists project seen in Deptford Lounge last year of her daughter reading, writing and drawing. The Diary Inventory details the work and play items of women and children. It develops the long running collaboration that the artist has had with the local community retailers in particular from Deli X and Lai Loi where the artist has shown an ongoing film and photographic projects.
Hui Zhang
Climbing around a table
Climbing Around a Table is a participatory performance and playful climbing event. Everyone is welcome to interact with a specially designed wooden table—built for movement, balance, and exploration—with safety care.
This project uses climbing to activate public space and encourage collective engagement, particularly among climbers.(Climbers—bring your climbing shoes if you have them)
Performances will be on Giffin Square 18th and 19th July between 4pm and 7pm
John Griffin
Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII, was a controversial figure in Dante’s ‘Inferno’ as he was still the head of the Catholic church at the time of publication. Dante openly accused the pope of ‘Simony’; the buying and selling of ecclesiastical privileges.
Any similarity in this portrait to Donald Trump is purely coincidence!
You will be able to view John’ work from the 6th July
Jooyeong Moon
Voices of the Island
Islanders of Fuerteventura answer, “If you could become anything in nature, what would you be?” Imagined metamorphoses reveal where they’d dwell, how senses shift, and what they’d miss as non-humans. Their voices, interlaced with desert-and-sea imagery, explore identity, memory, and more-than-human belonging.
Karmeta Clarke-Newman
The Inbetween Movements in Deptford
The Inbetween Movements in Deptford is a moving-image project using animation and editing to explore the energy of Deptford’s streets. Blending real footage with subtle motion graphics, it captures culture, community, and overlooked moments—inviting viewers to look closer at everyday textures and uncover the hidden stories within them.
Kate Murdoch
Fabric of Life: 20/25
Swatches of fabric, gathered together to honour Kate Murdoch’s late grandmother, will be displayed, mounted on painted embroidery hoops. The audience is invited to respond by bringing a swatch of their own fabric to create an alternative installation, celebrating all that Deptford encompasses, with its diverse social and cultural history
Thanks to Deptford Lounge for letting me use their venue.
Sarah Fassold
Wossa
“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence.” – Kahlil Gibran
Protecting our waters is now important than ever. We are facing a global water crisis, that threatens food security and ecosystems. While water covers 70% of the planet, only a small fraction is freshwater, and a significant portion of that is unavailable for human use. Through my images I meditate on the future whilst showing our earth‘s staggering beauty, what people do to preserve it. With the hope to raise awareness of something everyone takes for granted. Water is life
Thanks to my friend Alvaro in Merida, who flew me across the North of Yucatan to take aerial pictures.
You will be able to view Sarah’ work from the 2nd July
Stephanie Chung, Sim Orme, Studio Biped
You are here – Zine-led walk around Deptford
Date: Sat, 26 July 2025
Time: 11am-1pm
Meeting Point: Outside Deptford Lounge
You are here is a zine, guide, space for collective reflections, grown from a collaborative map installation for the ‘Rhizomizing en route’ exhibition at Deptford Lounge last summer. We’ll take a walk to explore traces, leave traces, and share thoughts on the interplay between walking, archiving and collective memories.
Free event, booking required here.
The zine produced from the collaborative map installation for the ‘Rhizomizing en route’ is available at Deptford Lounge as well as the Deptford X hub.
Usva Inei
Rebuilding and Reclaiming Roots
This is a communally created quilt-like textile piece created during a workshop lead by Usva Inei at the 2024 Deptford X Artist Weekender. The artpiece consists of small relief prints onto fabric placed onto a large canvas. The inspiration for the workshops and the prints was traditional textile patterns from participants’ own heritage. Participants were individuals of all ages visiting the festival, mostly local to Deptford.
Arti Dillon in Collaboration with Deptford Library Cinema Club
Don’t Mention the 47 Film Screening and Discussion
Date: Thurs, 17 July 2025
Time: 6pm
Don’t Mention the 47 tells the inspiring story of 47 Liverpool Labour councillors who, between 1983 and 1987, defied Margaret Thatcher’s austerity cuts. Instead of accepting reductions in public services, they built 5,000 homes, created jobs, and established essential working-class community support. This documentary reflects on some of their remarkable actions and the political consequences they faced.
Co-created by Arti Dillon, self-described neurospicy transmedia artivist, the film screening is part of a wider month of neurodivergent-coded film screenings in celebration of Disability Pride month. Join us for a post-screening discussion that will have a particular focus on the inspiration we can take from the film when it comes to advocacy for ourselves and others in times of drastic cuts to benefits and public services.
Book your free ticket here
Credit to Lisa Lonsdale (co-creator of Don’t Mention the 47) Dave Sinclair (B&W Photographs) Suzanne Muna (House painting).
Credit to Dave Sinclair (B&W Photographs) Suzanne Muna (House painting).
In our sister venue – The Albany, just 2 minutes walk across the road on Douglas Way
Meet Me is a partnership project between the Albany and Entelechy Arts
Exhibiting from 22 to 26 July
Their Opening Hours are:
Mon – Fri : 9am – 3pm
Sat : 10am – 3pm
Meet Me is an arts and social club for Over 65s, where older people come together to work with artists to learn or rediscover creative skills, make friends and have agency over their social lives. This exhibition showcases artworks created by members during weekly sessions facilitated by artists Usva Inei and Zoë Gilmour.
