Magdalen Road Studios manager Claudia Figueiredo previews Streetlight, a pop-up cultural festival celebrating the community which will take up the whole of the road

I have worked at Magdalen Road Studios for five years, two as manager. As another cafe pops up, an old favourite, The Inner Bookshop, sadly bows out.

The street is constantly evolving. I’ve always known this was a friendly and fascinating part of Oxford, as was proven on my march round to secure venues for the upcoming Streetlight festival I’m organising.

I felt I had the touch of the Southern Electric sales person armed with my clipboard as I marched into uncharted potential venues, “Hello there, my name’s Claudia, are you interested in taking part in a pop-up festival?” Forget emails, being there in person is quick, efficient and very productive.

In short, we are bringing Oxford’s Light Festival out East for one weekend only (November 22-23) with Streetlight, a pop-up cultural festival taking over the whole of Magdalen Road.

Curated by Magdalen Road Studios, together with friendly neighbours Pegasus Theatre, you can expect gigs in the Goldfish Bowl, sculptures in the trees, a family friendly festival of discovery and a celebration of a very special community unfolding in front of you.

Acoustic gigs have been programmed in alternative venues and intimate spaces — Omars the barbers and more traditional pubs — The City Arms, Magdalen Arms and The Rusty Bicycle. Other venues include the Magic Cafe, the very tuneful Roberts Pianos, and Oxfork. We are still hoping to secure what we like to call The-Bench-on-the-Corner from Oxford City Council.

A panel of artists from the studios have selected 10 artists to exhibit work over the weekend, transformative art that celebrates community. There will be large light installations hanging from trees and steel giraffe sculptures. Magdalen Road Church is the art venue for guests from Helen and Douglas House, sympathetic portraits of Cafe Excelsior regulars by Cowley artist Ashley Hale and a window installation by the Stepping Stones project.

There will be lanterns here too. Magdalen Road Studios have sent artists from the studios into schools to make lanterns themed on the Hans Christian Anderson tales including The Snow Queen, Pegasus’s winter production to decorate festival advertising venues. Free lantern making workshops at Magdalen Road Studios will also be available over the weekend to festival-goers of all ages.

As with all great festivals, there will also be dressing up, except at Streetlight it’s the houses and flats which will be decorated.

We are launching an Inaugural ‘Front Window Show’, frontages will be judged and prizes will be awarded for the best-dressed window... so come along and judge for yourselves!

Streetlight runs on November 22 and 23, 11am-5pm, Festival guides will be handed out on the day. For more details: www.facebook.com/streetlightoxford
Magdalen Road Studios, 74 Magdalen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RE www.magdalenroadstudios.com