This year, LIVE + BREATHE are organising events on 20th and 27th July and 2-4th of August at various venues across South London, including, Burgess Park, and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Residents can get involved in a roll and stroll’ skate event, a football tournament and a three-day festival of arts and performances.

LIVE + BREATHE 2024 brings together community groups from the world of art, music, dance, sport and culture to celebrate South London, enjoy the outdoors, raise awareness of the health impacts of air pollution on our communities and to advocate for cleaner air.

Air pollution in London is constantly higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended limits. Lambeth and Southwark have some of the worst levels in the city and communities of colour are disproportionately impacted.

Founded in 2022 by acclaimed singer, artist and activist Love Ssega, it is hoped the festival will encourage more young people to share their concerns and fears around environmental issues.

Love Ssega said he is delighted to see how the event has grown over the last two years:
“It’s incredible to see the talent in South London and how everyone is coming together to make more noise about the poor air quality that residents are forced to live with. Each event at this year’s LIVE + BREATHE festival calls for the new government to listen to the passionate voices of young people from the area and act on their demands.”

20th July CeCeRollerSkates Roll ‘n’ Stroll Skate Event 11 am -4 pm – a peaceful protest around Burgess park and lake, in loving memory of Ella Kissi Debrah, a nine year old girl who died of an asthma attack in 2013, caused by air pollution. Meet at Burgess Park (Trafalgar avenue entrance) where the roll-n-stroll peaceful protest around the park will begin.

During the community picnic there will be activities and a performance by new artist Seyi, her track ‘Closer ‘, available on Spotify. At 1- 3pm a ballroom rollerskate workshop hosted by Alan and Korane then at 3pm skaters will gather at Albany road entrance, for the first ever Street Skate to Parliament, (due to the busy roads, this is designed for intermediate /advanced skaters only). There will be a photo opportunity at Parliament. To attend, reserve from your free spot by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roll-n-stroll-2024-tickets-935962297427

27th July Peace Ballers Football Festival 12pm – a talent showcase spotlighting the undiscovered footballing talent in Southwark. Players need to be in prime health to achieve their full potential, and the toxic air in Southwark puts these players at a disadvantage. The event will showcase the potential that local players have and challenge the most prominent environmental health obstacle to their success – toxic air pollution. The festival is open to young football players aged 13-18 and includes an exciting series of games, talks and food. Footballing talent attending the festival have the opportunity to appear in the Peace Ballers campaign video. An online football campaign will run from 29th July – 2nd August.
Register to attend here

2nd – 4th August Colours & Cultures by NeonElevate, a three-day indoor and outdoor festival celebrating South London’s diverse community and green spaces in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Produced through collaborations between local young people and established artists, it will include
live performances; workshops; DJ sets, plus local food markets. The event provides a platform for underrepresented voices and aims to empower those experiencing inequality. Special events will develop an actionable future strategy to transform neglected spaces into dynamic green areas. There will be performances from Petic Unity, Code7, Flawless, Orii Community, Uncss, Thick & Tight with Corali Dance, On da Beat, Brixton Chamber Orchestra and VIP Special Guests Surprise.

Cece Bernard a roller skate coach and founder of cecerollerskates wants to use LIVE + BREATHE as an opportunity to keep the memory of Ella Kissi Debrah alive. “The quality of life is dependent on the air we breathe. This should never be taken for granted. It breaks my heart to know that people in my city are unknowingly endangered, whilst enjoying nature and the outdoors because of the poisonous effects of our city’s air pollution. Roll n Stroll is an opportunity to pull on your skates, grab your pushchair and scooters and show the Labour Government we won’t settle for such poor-quality air, and they need to do more.”
as a response to the surge in youth
Zion Zachary, director at Peaceballers a football and mentoring project founded as a response to the surge in youth crime in London, is looking forward to seeing the new sporting talent the event attracts. “We want players to come and show their skills off and play against new teammates. This is an amazing opportunity to get your ball skills on camera and support a cause that affects our whole community.”

NeonElevate uses performance to empower young people from disadvantaged communities across South London. Emanuela Pagliei, director at NeonElevate wants to empower people to celebrate their neighbourhoods and shape a sustainable future. “Colours & Cultures is about celebrating diversity, amplifying marginalised voices and fostering inclusivity for those facing inequality. We’re hosting a mix of performances and styles celebrating cultures and heritage in South London. We’re an international team who speak many languages and represent all ethnicities so there is something for everyone to get involved in. Through art and outdoor activities, we will raise awareness about air pollution in engaging, joyful and positive ways.”

Also as part of LIVE + BREATHE, Brixton based charity Poetic Unity, who support young Black and marginalised people through poetry released a video about their campaign ‘Clean Air For The Ends’ which promotes alternative travel such as riding bikes and roller skating for young Black people from the ends. The poem was written by Blaize Alexis-Anglin and highlights how the younger generation feel about air pollution. It had an exclusive screening at Theatre Peckham event in June to mark this year’s Clean Air Day.

Visit weliveandbreathe.co.uk for more information about the event, the line-up, and the campaign. Watch the campaign video featuring artists and community groups involved in the LIVE + BREATHE 2024 event.