Synopsis

The black-and-white handheld video of the E1 Festival 1975 edition features a short recording of a young adult’s skit, followed by footage of the celebratory outdoors events. The E1 Festival was a community run event that took place throughout the 1970s on vacant land in Stepney, East London. Originally set up to raise money for the Junior Football League, it was a weekend long event of music, performing arts, stalls, and activities for people of all ages.

We see young children in dress-up walking around, teenagers who run up to the camera and pose playfully, adults and older people milling around and dancing. Lady Marmalade can be heard playing in the background at one point.

The video zooms in on various stalls with titles such as ‘See yourself on TV’, or ‘Alternative Arts Tent’, or even ‘Blood Transfusion services’ for blood donors. The video ends with a short recording of a children’s choir.