‘ONE OF THE MOST VITAL FESTIVALS WE HAVE’ – The Guardian
Founded by a small group of friends in 2014, Strawberries & Creem (S&C) has rapidly become the biggest music festival in Cambridgeshire – and is now one of the fastest-growing and most exciting events brands in the UK.
With its motto ‘Celebrate Heritage, Champion Future’, S&C combines internationally-acclaimed artists and the biggest names in the business, with cutting-edge homegrown talent – to create an unrivalled showcase of live music.
Previous performers include Burna Boy, Giggs, Skepta, T-Pain, Little Simz, Stefflon Don, Koffee, Nelly, J Hus, AJ Tracey, Kano, Mahalia, Ghetts, Wilkinson, Honey Dijon and many more. For some of these now-superstar artists, it was one of their first ever festival appearances – and for others, it was taking to the S&C stage as legends in their scene already.
THE S&C STORY
The UK’s tastiest festival is back for 2022, and this team we’ve scaled up to a full 3-day weekend celebration of Music and Youth Culture – bringing all the flavours to our beautiful new home at Childerley Orchard, Cambridge.
This year, we have curated our most unique, diverse and gender-balanced line-up ever (with over 60% female artists) – for another signature blend of the best in Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats, Drum & Bass, House and more.
#CELEBRATE HERITAGE #CHAMPION FUTURE
It all started with a group of friends. Like-minded people from different walks of life – brought together by a shared love of music, a shared set of values, and a shared enthusiasm for partying. Our close-knit team is still central to S&C today.
Our mantra Celebrate Heritage, Champion Future started off as a music policy – but over time, this has come to symbolise everything about the festival. It’s our manifesto, the motto that guides us, and a message to unite behind.
CELEBRATE HERITAGE.
Be proud of who you are and where you come from. Celebrate all that heritage contributes to culture.
We are a diverse team of different genders, races and sexual orientations.
We came together from different backgrounds, geographies and cultures.
We stand for inclusivity and equality in music, culture, events and beyond.
Celebrate Heritage is about promoting diversity, and the rich and varied heritage of our artists and audiences. It’s about celebrating everyone we share the festival with – and creating safe and inclusive spaces for them.
It is also about using our platform to raise awareness of issues that matter to us, and advocating on behalf of people who still face discrimination, oppression and under-representation – because of their gender, ethnicity, or backgrounds.
Events over the last couple of years have shone a light on inequality and injustice in our society – and in some places, have even served to widen these divisions within our communities.
Celebrate Heritage is about being proud of who we are, where we are from, and where we are going. It’s about providing equal representation and opportunities – and celebrating the beautiful diversity of our sector.
CHAMPION FUTURE.
Take a chance on, support, and nurture young talent. Provide platforms for growth.
As a young team, we’ve faced challenges that younger generations continue to face – be it breaking into an industry that’s notoriously tough to crack, or navigating a career in the unpredictable creative sectors. The last few years have only heightened these challenges.
For us now, Champion Future is about more than just the music. It feeds into every aspect of our company – from the suppliers that we work with, brands we partner with, creatives we collaborate with. Wherever possible, we want to give young talent the chance to shine.
Strawberries & Creem Festival itself aims to be the epicentre of youth culture in the UK. It brings together music, fashion, food, sport, technology, gaming and more – to create a culturally-significant celebration of life like no other.
As we move forward, young people will remain at the heart of developing this festival – with the Champion Future mantra continuing to drive decisions, and encourage creativity and consciousness across our work.
