07 Genevieve Christie on the cultural and environmental values of a free-festival at the coast

In her home in central Suffolk, First Light Festival director Genevieve Christie chats about the reinvention of Lowestoft around the free festival held at the summer solstice. Once famed fishing town, then seaside resort, like many coastal places Lowestoft had struggled to invent a third way for contemporary times. It is the place in the UK where first light appears, and the idea of first light led to the establishment of the summer-solstice free festival on the South Beach and promenade. First Light works on the idea of place as an asset, on creating pride, on bringing all people together. Says Genevieve, “It has to be free.” Regeneration is a story with “a long arc.” Genevieve recommends "Gardens of the British Working Class" by Margeret Willes. And "A Tonic to the Nation" by Hugh Casson, Director of the 1951 Festival of Britain. Casson says, “The real achievement? It made people want things to be better, and no was taught to hate.” Genevieve’s recommended action: “Be interested in things be curious. Look and listen.” First Light Festival (20-21 June, 2026): https://firstlightlowestoft.com/ My new book will be supporting this podcast, and will be published in March 2027 by Unbreaking/5m. It’s called "Bamboo and Butterfly: Transformative Stories for Climate and Nature Recovery."