Kindred launches the TogethernessFest 12 – 17 June… Here’s what you can expect from the festival addressing loneliness | My London Times

“Human beings do better when they feel connected to each other” – Anna Anderson, founder of Kindred

London is one of the most bustling cosmopolitan cities in the world, yet rates of social isolation are higher than anywhere else in the UK, and a staggering 700,000 Londoners feel lonely ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’ according to research. To mark Loneliness awareness week (June 12th – 18th), Kindred – the events, restaurant and co-working space in Hammersmith, is hosting the first ever TogethernessFest offering a week-long celebration of curated events, aiming to bring together the local community and provide an antidote to isolation.

We caught up with the founder of Kindred, Anna Anderson, recognised in CODE Hospitality’s 30 under 30 list, for a heads up on what to expect from London’s newest fest championing togetherness!

What can we expect from TogethernessesFest, and what would you like attendees to take away?

Kindred’s TogethernessFest (12^th to 17^th June) marks Loneliness Awareness Week, and offers a message close to our hearts; that human beings do better when they feel connected to each other. We’re offering a week of events designed to bring people together, encourage connection and celebrate the IRL. 

TogethernessFest includes day time events like our signature Kindred Coffee Social, Writers’ Hour with London Writer’s Salon, a group dog walk, and a fireside chat with the George Taktak, founder of How Mental, about how to build meaningful relationships, all of which include a day of coworking with us. In the evenings, we have talk events with Ben Saunders, the record breaking polar explorer and incredible story teller, our ‘come as you are’ supper club with the West London Queer Project, and our signature ID8 event, co-hosted with Head of TED, Chris Anderson. Towards the end of the week, we have an incredible evening of live music, poetry and mingling with Voices in Power and Miss Yankey, and a closing party soundtracked by KissFM DJs, Ellie Prohan and Henrie. We wrap things up with a 50% off celebration brunch in our restaurant Cellar! 

However people choose to engage with the week, we want people to leave having met other like-minded folk, having had at least one inspiring conversation, and feel like they can be part of something bigger than themselves. And have fun, most importantly. 

Who’s TogethernessFest for?

TogethernessFest is for all of us. For those of us who feel worried about loneliness being termed ‘the new pandemic’ and the implications this has on our society, for those of us who are tired of online life and crave more of the IRL, for those of us who experience loneliness in our lives in one way or another, either in ourselves or someone we know. There are a reported 700,000 Londoners who feel lonely ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’, and whether someone identifies as lonely or not, we can all acknowledge how hard it is to create new and better connections. 

Which events are you most looking forward to?

The event I curate and host myself is ID8 which is happening on Tuesday 13th June, and something I’m really proud of. It’s where we hear from eight speakers, who have eight minutes to tell us about an idea that can change the world. At previous ID8s we’ve had speakers like Rory Stewart, Peter Gabriel and Chris Sheldrick, the founder of What3Words, to name a few. This one is specifically focused on ideas that can tackle loneliness, and we have an incredible speaker lineup. I’m also really looking forward to Wednesday where I get to go on a group dog walk (my tiny poodle Chutney is excited to make some new friends), and to hear Ben’s talk in the evening. The closing party on Friday night is not to be missed either! 

Talking about Mental health and loneliness can be a taboo subject. What key advice would you offer anyone feeling isolated?

Sadly, there’s a lot of shame associated with feeling lonely. It feels like we’re lacking in some way, that people don’t want us, and we’re not needed or relevant enough. Being lonely tells us that we’re the problem. Firstly, this is not the case. There’s a reason loneliness is on the rise, and it’s not because we’re terrible people and no one likes us. It’s a structural problem. The way we’ve designed our super productive, commercially driven societies has enabled this problem to grow and grow, and it’s not down to the individual. So first tip, stop blaming yourself for your loneliness. It’s not you. 

Second, until governments and businesses take collective action to make wider changes in society, we’re going to need to take matters into our own hands. We also need to accept that working through our loneliness might take a little bit of commitment, and might not be a quick fix. It can feel like an intangible, unsolvable crisis that hums away in the background, but my advice to anyone who feels lonely is to tackle it like a problem they want to solve. It takes dedication to find and engage with a community they feel aligned with. And it’s important to stick with it. Keep showing up, engage, and ask how you can take part. The connections will follow. 

What’s your personal experience with loneliness, and what steps did you take to overcome it?

Mine is a pretty dull story about loneliness; and one probably all too familiar for many. I was 18, living in a new city on my own, with all of my friends either on exciting gap years, or starting university, posting pictures on facebook of all their new friends, amazing parties, and saying nothing that would indicate anything was missing from life whatsoever. I felt unbelievably dull by comparison, struggled to make new friends, and found it hard to feel happy. It was like a fog that settled around me. Nothing dramatic, just a faded version of the kind of life I thought I should be having. I was embarrassed that I’d totally failed at having an amazing, formative gap year like my other friends seemed to be having. I was lonely, and ashamed to be

Truthfully? I’m not sure I did overcome it consciously at the time, as I probably couldn’t even admit to myself what was happening. I eventually returned home, surrounded myself with the comfort of old friends and family and went off to university. I didn’t realise until later when I was building Kindred that this was a truly lonely chapter for me. I understand better now that what I craved were the more meaningful relationships that I felt others had, but that I lacked. I can now happily say that I am for the most part now, not lonely, and I am lucky. I now refuse to have sub-par relationships with friends, family and colleagues, and I am careful with who (and what) I give my time to. I am also part of the growing Kindred community which makes me feel more at home than anything else. 

Can we expect a TogethernessFest 2024?

Oh, absolutely. We’re in this for the long haul. 

I’ve said a lot, but I’ll emphasise this point. Loneliness is an incredible unsexy topic. No one really wants to talk about it, especially if it points to themselves. My argument is this; it doesn’t need to be complicated. We can, and should, tackle this head on, and make it as fun as humanly possible. The trick is to show up. You might be surprised what can happen.

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