Just days after they’re treated to a free four-day music extravaganza Newham residents canenjoy another free community festival.

Starting on Friday, the Making a Difference Festival features three days of music, theatre, film, dance (watching or doing), debate, reflection, social action and engagement, all designed to help improve the community.

The action will be happening at a variety of venues along Barking Road in Plaistow and East Ham. There will also be a mobile music studio and all events will accessible by public transport so no one need worry about parking.

Organisers will convert churches into theatre spaces and caf�s into debating venues, use cinemas to screen films and stages to present theatrical shows, plus there will be workshops, discussions, food for sale and more.

Ann Easter, one of the steering group members, called the festival “the church’s gift to the borough” and added: “We wanted it all in Barking Road because there is so much focus on Stratford at the moment.”

The festival is being run by a group of Newham-based organisations crossing barriers of denominations, gender and race.

The event will also seek to look beyond the constraints of poverty, intolerance, disability and alienation through celebration while also addressing how the community can bring about the changes it desires.

For details go to www.makingadifference.org.uk