On Saturday 21 February, residents are invited to gather in the gardens of Hurst Community Centre for The Firewatchers – a ceremonial bonfire event designed to close the borough’s Night Visions programme in dramatic fashion.
Running from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, the free, family-friendly evening promises outdoor fire performances, live music, hot food and drink, and an interactive fire fayre. At its centre will stand a newly commissioned sculptural installation – created to be both admired and ultimately set alight.
The work has been handcrafted by artist Tom James and co-designed with local scout groups through a series of workshops, reviving Bexley’s historic tradition of communal bonfire building. Archive images of past bonfires helped spark the idea, reconnecting the borough with a practice that once lit up its winter nights.
Rather than a conventional fireworks display, The Firewatchers leans into ritual and spectacle: a temporary artwork transformed by flame, shared in real time by the community that helped shape it.
Councillor Cafer Munur, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping, said:
“The Firewatchers promises to be a spectacular conclusion to Night Visions, rounding off an incredible programme of cultural events in Bexley. The event will take place in the beautiful gardens of Hurst Community Centre, a space not usually open to the public. I would encourage local people to come out for this celebration of creativity and experience the warmth of our local community as they gather to behold this exciting work of fire-art, created just for Bexley.”
The event is produced by Three Rivers Bexley, Emergency Exit Arts and Lightfires –organisations known for combining large-scale outdoor art with strong community participation.
Scott Burell, Director of Three Rivers Bexley, said:
“When we found the historic photos of bonfire-building in Bexley’s Local Archives we knew we had to bring this incredible tradition back to Bexley as part of the Night Visions festival. It has been a brilliant experience working with artist Tom James and Scout groups from across the borough to light up these cold winter nights with an evening of spectacular fire performances.”
The Firewatchers forms part of Night Visions, a borough-wide festival of illuminated art made possible by £100,000 of investment from Arts Council England and delivered in partnership with Bexley Culture Network. Additional funding comes through Creative People and Places via Three Rivers Bexley.
The festival sits within #CelebratingBexley, a year-long cultural programme marking major local milestones – including 60 years of the London Borough of Bexley, 500 years since the closure of Lesnes Abbey and 160 years of Crossness Engines.
