Take part in Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2025

Wandsworth Arts Fringe (WAF) is back from Fri 6 to Sun 22 June 2025 and Wandsworth Council is calling out for established and emerging artists take part. Expressions of interest and applications for WAF Grants of up to £2,000 per project are now open.

The borough’s 2025 flagship festival of arts and culture will be the most ambitious yet, as Wandsworth has been chosen as The Mayor of London’s London Borough of Culture for 2025.

Every Summer, WAF brings together hundreds of creatives in a bold and boundary pushing annual line-up of cutting-edge theatre and dance, brand new music, exhibitions, comedy, performance art, outdoor extravaganzas and everything in between, taking place across the borough. And this year it will be even grander as WAF becomes one of the highlights of our London Borough of Culture programme.

“We know that culture is powerful – sparking joy, connecting people, and transforming lives to improve our health and happiness. We are bringing the energy of our annual celebration of arts and culture to a full year of extraordinary events and grassroots interventions, opportunities and long-term transformations for Wandsworth’s artists and residents” said Councillor Kemi Akinola, Wandsworth Council’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for the voluntary sector, business engagement and culture.

Each year, the WAF Grant scheme awards up to £2000 (per project) to support the realisation of creative projects that engage meaningfully with Wandsworth communities and meet the strategic themes for Wandsworth’s London Borough of Culture. For Wandsworth London Borough of Culture year, the available WAF Grant funding is £88,000 – representing up to 44 supported projects. Grant applications close on October 30.

The programme will focus on five key themes, harnessing the power of culture to:

• Connect: Connect people to life-changing experiences – opening the doors to creative jobs, discovering heritage and meeting people where they are, so that we can fall in love with arts and culture.
• Unite: Because we are better together, united by or aspiration to imagine a brighter future for people, communities, and our borough.
• Heal: Because building arts and culture into healthcare helps us thrive. By approaching wellbeing holistically, culture can support people body and soul, to live better.
• Nourish: Creating the conditions for young people to express their creativity and be part of their communities.
• Activate: Inspiring people through culture to take real steps to reduce pollution and their carbon footprint; reconnecting people with sustainable living and the natural environment.

In 2025, WAF will be teaming up with the Wandsworth Heritage Festival. The annual festival of talks, walks and events celebrating Wandsworth’s heritage usually kicks off in May each year and lasts for three weeks, but during Wandsworth’s year as London Borough of Culture it will take place from 13 June – 13 July. For one week (13 – 22 June) Wandsworth Heritage Festival and WAF will overlap with a double helping of cultural events. WAF Grant applications are therefore also open to local heritage events and projects with an arts element which can take place during this week.

WAF offers 50 per cent off registration fees for artists under 26 or for artist collectives with over half of their members aged under 26. Artists also benefit from a £5 artist ticket scheme, plus a series of networking and professional development workshops for creatives taking part in the festival.

Find out more