THE WAIT for the highly-anticipated Estuary 2021 festival is now over, with more than 90 artworks and events scattered along a 107-mile trail of the Thames Estuary.

Taking place across the Essex and Kent shorelines – including in Southend, Pitsea, Chalkwell and Shoebury – the three-week festival has been themed around the estuary’s past, present and future.

The festival launched on Saturday, and guests can now plan an estuary pub crawl, go on a GPS treasure hunt around the Essex coast, or embark on an audio walk at Wat Tyler Country Park.

An array of visual art, storytelling, performances, literature, music and film are also at hand to keep visitors entertained.

Christine Absalom, from Rayleigh, joined in on the celebrations by visiting the Waiting for Climate Change installation on Chalkwell Beach.

She said: “It’s fascinating, very witty. The whole festival makes you take notice of something you might otherwise have passed by.”

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Simone French, Tom Halls and Francis Heil, who visited from London, also enjoyed a powerful performance with an important message at Wat Tyler Country Park.

They said: “This was a really powerful way to communicate the issue of climate change and make people stop being complacent and in denial. It was emotionally charged and very moving. 

“It brought the issue to the here and now rather than it being a distant problem for others to worry about.”

The launch coincides with the unveiling of eight 'Watermarks' plaques at venues along the Thames, including one at the Shoebury Hotel, created by artist Maria Amidu.

She had taken inspiration from Thames Estuary Trail, a book written by former Echo journalist Tom King.

Echo:

Tom King and Maria Amidu at the Shoebury Hotel with the plaque. Photo: Jules Easlea

Colette Bailey, co-artistic director, couldn’t have hoped for a better opening weekend – except perhaps for a bit more sun.

She added: “Our online live streamed events went without any technical hitches and the conversations were so interesting and diverse around the themes and histories that are thrown up by thinking about the river. The works in the landscape also look stunning. 

“I’m so grateful to the artists, the local artisans and makers who helped to make these creations a reality.

"They really do bring something extra to a walk by the water.”

Estuary 2021, which will run until June 13, is led by a partnership between arts organisations Metal, in Southend, and Cement Fields in Kent.