The first six events from the full RAIF 2025 programme have also been announced, each reflecting the festival’s commitment to exploring the intersections of art, nature, and identity
Richmond upon Thames is set to host the highly anticipated Richmond Arts and Ideas Festival (RAIF) from 13 to 29 June 2025, with this year’s theme, “Cultural Reforesting,” promising a summer of creativity, dialogue, and connection in response to the climate crisis. The festival, which follows Earth Day, aims to showcase the value of the arts not only as a form of entertainment but also as a powerful force for climate action, social change, and community engagement.
In a time when arts funding is being significantly reduced across the country—with London facing a £56 million cut in public cultural investment since 2022—Richmond upon Thames is taking a different approach. The council is committed to fostering a space for collaboration, reflection, and bold new thinking through the arts. John Coombs, Richmond Council’s Spokesperson for Arts, emphasised the importance of the arts in addressing the climate crisis, stating, “Earth Day reminds us that responding to the climate crisis requires imagination, empathy, and urgency. Richmond Arts and Ideas Festival shows that the arts have a vital role to play. While others are retreating from cultural investment, we’re growing a space for collaboration, reflection, and bold new thinking. Cultural Reforesting is our invitation to the borough, the city, and beyond to reconnect with each other and with the planet—and to do so creatively.”
As part of the Earth Day celebrations, the council is excited to announce a special preview event ahead of the festival: Wisdom Conversations: River Ecologies. This thought-provoking conversation will take place on Sunday, 27 April 2025, at Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham and will also be available online. The event, which runs from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, is free to attend, though booking is essential. It will bring together poet Lucy Neal, researcher Dr. Lisa Mullett, and local voices to reflect on what rivers can teach us about ecology, care, and community. This event invites audiences to reflect on nature, community, and renewal and offers a unique preview of the concepts the festival will explore.
The first six events from the full RAIF 2025 programme have also been announced, each reflecting the festival’s commitment to exploring the intersections of art, nature, and identity. Highlights include Paterson Joseph’s Sancho & Me, a powerful performance reflecting on Black British identity, belonging, and justice, and Beuys’ Acorns, inspired by Joseph Beuys’ vision of social sculpture and forest regeneration. The full programme will be revealed on Tuesday, 6 May, and will feature a diverse range of events, including exhibitions, installations, performances, workshops, and talks taking place across the borough from mid-June.
RAIF is an evolving cultural ecosystem that is deeply rooted in collaboration. It brings together artists, scientists, educators, communities, and local organisations to explore how communities live now and how they might live better. Every event responds to the theme of Cultural Reforesting, a growing movement that asks how we can repair our broken relationship with nature and with one another. In line with Earth Day 2025’s global theme—Our Power, Our Planet—RAIF harnesses the creative power of communities to spark dialogue, renew hope, and imagine more sustainable futures. Across parks, theatres, galleries, libraries, and unexpected spaces, the borough will become a place where climate ideas take root and grow.
The Richmond Arts and Ideas Festival is not just a series of events; it is a movement that aims to inspire and engage the community in meaningful conversations and actions. With its focus on Cultural Reforesting, RAIF 2025 is poised to be a transformative experience for all who participate. The festival invites everyone to join in the journey of reconnecting with nature and each other through the power of the arts.
