NEWS

Kinder Exeter community festival brings compassion and colour to city centre

Week-long event bringing artists, academics, students and communities together for online and outdoor activities was first of planned annual festivals facilitated by Maketank artists’ collective.

Jenna McGill

The first community-led Kinder Exeter festival ended on Sunday after a week of online activities and COVID-safe outdoor events in city centre green spaces which explored the theme of “Compassion Through Play”.

The festival was a collaboration between the University of Exeter Communities and Students Together Education Incubator programme and Maketank, an artists’ collective which has transformed a vacant three-storey building on Paris Street into a creative, rehearsal and performance space.

It was inspired by the Kinder Leeds event which took place last September.

Kinder Exeter festival origami workshop in Southernhay Kinder Exeter festival origami workshop in Southernhay

Like Kinder Leeds, Kinder Exeter was based around three core themes: kindness to self, to others and to the planet. The festival aimed to promote compassion and well-being through acts of collaborative play as well as joining with local artists to bring colour to the city’s streets.

The event was organised by Olya Petrakova, artistic director and founder of Maketank and a University of Exeter MA Creativity lecturer.

She said: “I think artists have a really important job. Our job is to elevate, our job is to transform.

“Our job is to give space, give voice, realise moments in life that are very dear to us where we never have time, we never have space, we never have capacity, energy, but that’s what artists do.

“I think we are well-being warriors, actually.”

Co-organiser Maarten Koeners, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, was inspired by his academic research into the effects of play on the human brain to found the Playful University Club, which supports “learning through joy, engagement and play”.

He said that by working with Kinder Exeter he hoped to turn his research into something “we really want to experience”.

He added: “Along the way, with all the rules and restrictions and society, we sometimes forget how joyful learning is and compassion flows out of it so it’s a very natural connection to make.”

University of Exeter drama student Kindness Ninja Harry University of Exeter drama student “Kindness Ninja” Harry

During the week-long festival a series of online workshops encouraged participants to break out of their comfort zone and foster kindness through improvisation-based activities.

Workshops included “Micro Moments of Positivity”, which invited participants to complete seven acts of caring over seven days, and “Playful Leadership and Kindness”, which explored the ways in which leaders can improve their skills by focusing on empathy.

University of Exeter drama student Harry was one of a band of “Kindness Ninjas” who spent the week performing altruistic acts around the city, including litter-picking and giving flowers to strangers.

He said he was pleasantly surprised by the response: “It’s something that I’ve learnt a lot [about], that infectious kind of kindness that does get spread when you do a small thing like give someone a flower.”

Kinder Exeter community festival on Cathedral Green Kinder Exeter community festival on Cathedral Green

The festival culminated in an outdoor celebration on Saturday, with yoga and an origami workshop for kids and their adults in Southernhay Gardens, followed by a picnic and quiz on Cathedral Green.

Trish Oliver, Lord Mayor of Exeter, made a guest appearance at the festival via mobile phone, with her words relayed by a participant through a megaphone.

Members of Birmingham theatre company Stan’s Café - performing as parody sports pundit characters “The Commentators” complete with sheepskin jackets and trilby hats – streamed continuous commentary on Saturday’s proceedings live on the festival’s own Compassion Radio webcast.

The Commentators, who have previously covered a Scalextric race and the World Gurning Championships, said that while they were disappointed not to have been invited to join their peers in the commentary box at the Euro 2020 football tournament, they were “much happier” broadcasting from the Kinder Exeter festival.

Japanese ceremonial drummers Tano Taiko playing beside Exeter Cathedral Japanese ceremonial drummers Tano Taiko playing beside Exeter Cathedral

Japanese ceremonial drummers Tano Taiko brought Saturday to a close with a resounding display beside Exeter Cathedral.

Maketank’s Olya Petrakova says that Kinder Exeter will become an annual event in the city, and will also take place in other towns in Devon. So far Exmouth and Totnes have both expressed an interest in becoming “Kinder” places.


Democracy doesn't work when people don't know who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.

Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the independent public interest journalism our local democracy needs.

Upgrade to a paid Exeter Observer subscription to support our work and get access to exclusive premium content and more.

More stories
Eutopia Homes Exmouth Junction build to rent development rear elevation

First Exeter build to rent flats marketed at £1,375-£2,350 per month with “affordable” units costing £1,080-£1,800 plus bills

Eutopia Homes rents in Exmouth Junction block would leave many workers with substantially lower income than Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum for a socially-acceptable standard of living.

Northbrook Swimming Pool campaign demonstration Exeter Guildhall 13 May 2025

Campaigners compel Exeter City Council to reconsider Northbrook pool closure with 2,250-strong resident petition

Pressure on council intensifies after freedom of information request responses confirm £3.5 million budget cuts included potentially unlawful decision to close swimming pool without public consultation or impact assessment.

Wild camping on Dartmoor

Supreme Court rejects Dartmoor landowners’ attempt to prevent wild camping on their land

Judges unanimously dismiss appeal by Alexander and Diana Darwall against 2023 ruling upholding Dartmoor Commons Act as campaigners call for enhanced public rights to access nature pledged by Labour when still in opposition.

Child on park bench

Ofsted finds Devon County Council children’s services remain “inadequate” with rating unchanged since 2020

Inspection report highlights “serious weaknesses” that are “leaving children at risk of harm” as failings echo poor Special Educational Needs & Disabilities provision.

Mid Devon District Council headquarters at Phoenix House in Tiverton

Mid Devon District Council mischarged 2,865 social housing tenants £15.5 million in rent over twenty years

Housing regulator identifies “serious failings” in application of rent standard as council discovers dozens of evictions in which “rent arrears were the sole, or contributory factor”.

Dartmoor wildfire on 5 May 2025, photo by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service

Dartmoor National Park warns of continued high fire risk after wildfire destroys 1,230 acres of moorland

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service took nearly 24 hours to extinguish bank holiday weekend blaze that followed warning of uncontrolled moorland fire risk.

On Our Radar
Exeter Respect Festival

SATURDAY 7 & SUNDAY 8 JUNE 2025

Exeter Respect Festival 2025

The annual celebration of Exeter diversity returns for its 28th anniversary with live music and performance, food stalls, community and campaign groups.

BELMONT PARK

Exeter City Of Literature literary map

SUNDAY 8 JUNE 2025

The Book Market 2025

Exeter City of Literature event features independent booksellers from across the county with author talks, stalls, food and drink.

CATHEDRAL GREEN

Exeter Custom House

SUNDAY 8 JUNE 2025

Heritage Harbour Festival 2025

The maritime-themed event returns for a third year with steam boats, exhibitions, talks, live music, film screenings and more.

EXETER QUAY

Art Week Exeter 2025 graphic

MONDAY 9 TO SUNDAY 15 JUNE 2025

Art Week Exeter 2025

Festival returns with exhibitions, film screenings, talks, workshops, performances, social events and an art car boot sale.

EXETER CITY CENTRE

Pipe organ keyboard in St Mary's Church, Throwleigh by Andrew Abbott

SATURDAY 14 JUNE 2025

Lost and Found (Keyboards Revoiced)

Exeter Contemporary Sounds and Ian Summers perform works on rescued, repurposed and reimagined instruments.

EXETER LIBRARY

Exeter Philharmonic Choir in Exeter Cathedral

SATURDAY 14 JUNE 2025

A Feast of English Choral Music

Exeter Philharmonic Choir performs works by English composers.

EXETER CATHEDRAL