THIS summer will bring the latest in a series of artistically-themed festivals to Thurrock.

Thurrock Walking Festival 2020 – T100 Calling – will run from 5 to 19 July and its theme will be 'Walking, Talking and Making.'

Creative arts company Kinetika is once more behind the event and says T100 Calling is a call to action in response to the climate emergency and an opportunity for communities to make changes to their local area and to creatively re-imagine their futures.

Communities across Thurrock - and also Southend - are invited to get involved and make the festival their own by leading walks or helping to create artworks.

A key element of this year's festival will be the creation of a series of mandalas (a geometric configuration of symbols) made from found items and specially collected materials, specific to each location.

Kinetika will welcome visiting artist Therese Muskus to work with each community on the design and making of the mandalas.

T100 Calling will launch at High House Production Park in Purfleet, the home of Kinetika, on Sunday, 5 July. There will be a procession of silk flags from Purfleet town to High House Production Park where a giant mandala will be made from produce, locally grown within a 15 mile radius of Purfleet. The theme of sustainable communities will be explored during the day.

The T100 walks will link the sites of the mandalas which include:

· Saturday 11 July, Grays –T100 is working with Thames 21 local volunteers to collect plastic items taken from the river to be transformed into a beautiful mandala. In preparation, monthly litter picks take place at 10:30am until 12noon on the 1st Sunday of the month, meeting at Thurrock Yacht Club, Grays. Contact [email protected] for more details.

· Sunday 12 July, Little Belhus Country Park - Working with Rural Arisings on the creation of a new insect habitat in a mandala made from recycled bricks, rubble and broken-down ceramics.

· Saturday 18 July, Tilbury Beach - Claiming community space with a glistening mandala made from gems collected on the foreshore

· Sunday 19 July, The finale of T100 Calling will be at Shoeburyness East Beach in Southend where a natural mandala of shells and pebbles will be created with local communities coming together to celebrate diversity.

Once again all T100 walks and events are free and open to all. Walks vary in length and time of start and are led by experienced walkers and stewards.

T100 is made possible by funding from Thurrock Council and the The National Lottery Community Fund and the commitment of dedicated volunteers who recce, lead and steward walks.

Kinetika is inviting more volunteers to join the team for T100 Calling, helping to recce walks, collect materials and design mandalas. No experience is needed. Training will be given and equipment provided if needed.

The next T100 planning meeting is on Thursday, 12 March at the Kinetika Studio at the High House Production Park between 2 and 5pm. To find out more and get involved, contact [email protected] or click on the red additional information link below.