St John’s Waterloo celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Britain and the church’s heritage as the official Festival Church with an events programme, under the banner – Now I make a leaf of voices.
After being bombed during the Second World War, St John’s was rebuilt and dedicated as the official Church of the Festival of Britain in 1951. For the Festival, award-winning German-Jewish refugee artist Hans Feibusch (whose work was declared ‘degenerate; by the Hitler regime) created murals for St John’s nave, and the church hosted choirs from across the UK to sing daily evensong. 75 years on, St John’s Waterloo remains a thriving home for a growing programme of music and arts and welcomes a wide range of choirs, orchestras, musicians and artists. Today, the church stands at the forefront of promoting social justice through its community voices and programmes via its charity the Bridge at Waterloo, in the spirit of the Festival of Britain’s hopeful themes.
Our Festival of Britain 75th anniversary celebrations started with our own Waterloo Festival in July and will run until December, bringing together different voices and combining music, heritage and community. Through exhibitions, performances, talks and events, we're inviting audiences to reflect on the legacy that the 1951 Festival of Britain came to symbolise, and its enduring themes of culture, inclusion and social renewal.
The next anniversary event will take place on Wednesday 9 September 2026 to explore the overlooked role that immigrants and refugees played in shaping the Festival of Britain.
The day starts with a symposium focusing on the large creative input of those from Jewish and other immigrant families. The symposium is organised by Monica Bohm-Duchen of Insiders/Outsiders, in partnership with St John’s Waterloo, with the support of Counterpoints Arts, the Shoresh Charitable Trust, the Werthwhile Foundation and Jewish Renaissance Magazine. Speakers include Naomi Games, daughter of graphic designer Abram Games, and Sarah MacDougall, Head of Collections and Special Projects at Ben Uri Gallery and Museum. The day ends with a concert by tenor Norbert Meyn and pianist Christopher Gould, telling the story of musicians who fled Nazi Europe in the 1930s.
Running alongside this is a touring exhibition by the Royal College of Music, which traces the journeys of émigré musicians from Nazi Europe and allows visitors to listen to oral interviews via QR codes. The exhibition is free to visit in St John’s Old Crypt space until 9 October 2026.
See full programme of events celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Britain: www.stjohnswaterloo.org/anniversary75
Our Vicar, Cannon Giles Goddard, was also recently interviewed by BBC Radio London where he talks about St John Waterloo’s rich history and our exciting programme of events. You can listen to full BBC interview starting at 2:09 (interview available to listen until 13 September 2026).
You are also encouraged to sign up to St John’s Waterloo newsletter and follow @stjohnswaterlooarts on Instagram account for updates.
