Huge support for ‘Trail of Destruction’

The Trail of Destruction Walk on Sunday September 9th proved an extremely popular and successful event. It took part as part of the E17 Arts Week (www.e17arttrail.co.uk). The Council had stopped publicising the Art Trail because of critisism they felt was levelled at them in the Trail of Destruction walk.

The walk was a great success, approximately 125 walkers joined the procession, on average there were two speakers at each stop covering topics from the Gang Show, drama, dance, adult education, to art provision and the disappearance of places to meet. There was a big emphasis on the community bonding that comes about through clubs, groups, classes etc. Star speakers included Trish Wilcox from the Arts Club on the corner of the High Street and Yvonne Bailey from Kreative Culture Klub at stop six,  on how the arts are being pushed out because rooms are being closed or too expensive too hire. We spent some time in front of the Library without books, while parents from St James Street Library campaign read out quotes from children about how much they missed the closed space. The scale of the Council’s ‘Trail of Destruction’ meant the begin of the walk had a very sombre mood, this was lifted with a performance on the grass outside Vestry House, with a cool drink and with Bach being played by members of the Forest Philharmonic, (who have two final concerts before being forced out of the Borough), then some songs finishing with Other Theresa and Russ Chandler doing a custom built version of Big Yellow Taxi, incorporating the Rap for William. It went from anger and despair at the cuts to the empowerment and ability of art to lift the spirit, to resist and to fight back.