Moda brings community together at Brighton Festival
Moda Living invited local residents, community groups and councillors to The Riwaq in Hove for an exciting day of food, drinks and live entertainment as part of its sponsorship of Brighton Festival 2022.
Guests flocked to the beautiful venue designed by Marwa Al-Sabouni and Ghassan Jansiz, which is named after the Arabic word for colonnade, on Saturday 28 May.
Build-to-rent operator Moda, which is regenerating the former Sackville Road Trading Estate in Hove, is supporting this year’s Brighton Festival as part of its long-term strategy to back local arts which help bring people together.
James Blakey, Planning Director, Moda, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Moda’s Hove neighbours, community groups and local councillors to The Riwaq for an afternoon of Festival fun and of course delicious food and drinks.
“This year’s Festival theme of Rebuilding comes as people are reunited once again and we realise how fundamental to our happiness it is to have the freedom to be able to see our friends, family and neighbours. Community is paramount to Moda’s neighbourhoods so supporting an arts space that puts togetherness and interaction at its heart has been an honour.
“We love working with our local community and it was a privilege to use our sponsorship of Brighton Festival and Dome to show them a good time and to thank them for their ongoing support.”
Moda is sponsoring Brighton Festival Guest Co-Director Marwa al-Sabouni’s incredible flagship project, which has been taking centre stage at this year’s Festival on Hove seafront. Built from reclaimed timber, the horseshoe-shaped Riwaq is built on the idea of exchange and community, delivering a space which reflects Moda’s own passion for creating places that people want to spend time in and build communities within them.
Moda set up its own area at The Riwaq, bringing along a gazebo for guests as they enjoyed catering from Alfriston’s Rathfinny Wine Estate against the backdrop of the eye-catching venue.
Meanwhile they could also take in work by learning disabled performers including Carousel Chorus, Beat Express, The Black Bawlerz, Dima Zouchinski and spoken word artists, Eleana Re, Yass Zelestine and Charlie Hatton, as well as a collection of Blue Camel Club DJs and Carousel artists.
James added: “When complete, our development will give people a place where they can make new friends, join in with group activities and access wellness support services. We all know that renting an apartment in Brighton & Hove can come with a level of uncertainty when the landlord decides to sell or move back in, but with our build-to-rent community in Hove, residents will know that their rental property is there to stay, giving them a place they can call home for as long as they need it.”
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival CEO Andrew Comben said: “The theme of this year’s Festival is Rebuilding, chosen by our guest co-directors Marwa Al-Sabouni and Tristan Sharps.
“As we welcome audiences back to Brighton Festival for the first full scale programme since 2019, we are very grateful for the support from Moda which has helped us to stage amazing performances from local and international artists at The Riwaq.”
Moda is delivering a new neighbourhood of 564 homes for rent, transforming the rundown former estate into a thriving new multigenerational neighbourhood in the heart of Hove across six new buildings, interspersed with new landscaped green spaces, pedestrian routes and public realm.
The 564 new homes, ten per cent of which will be affordable, will cater to all ages and requirements, ranging from studio apartments to three-bedroom homes.
The neighbourhood will also include a range of best-in-class amenities, including a 24/7 gym, roof terraces, communal lounges and co-working spaces, as well as 260 care community homes.
For more information, please visit: https://modaliving.com/live/location/brighton-hove