Happy new year Croydon, and hello 2025! If you’re a regular reader you’ll know we begin each January with a group feature on thoughts for the year ahead, to whet our appetites for what’s coming up on Croydon’s cultural scene.

We’ve asked ten notable Croydon people what they are looking forward to in the borough in 2025 and what their new year’s resolutions are.

Ameena Rojee, photographer and writer

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Ameena: Last year, I wrote that it felt like we were at the beginning of something. In the past year this feeling has slowly begun to manifest. Exciting things are happening here in Croydon, and since launching a new photography + copywriting studio I’ve had the absolute pleasure of getting to know so many cool local creatives. Connection is the most important part of all this for me – as a solo business owner it can be lonely out here, so meeting and being introduced to more and more local artists, writers, makers, nature and land workers, and so many more has been the best part. I’m really looking forward to how all this is going to start to come together in the next year!

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Ameena: Walking has always been an important part of my photographic practice, and in 2024 I’ve discovered more and more of Croydon through walking. In spring, I walked the Vanguard Way trail which starts at East Croydon station and continues all the way to the south coast. I hosted guided creative microadventures in the autumn across Farthing Downs and Happy Valley. Last weekend, I ventured out to the southernmost point of Greater London which is in Croydon (photo above). I’ve found walking to be a powerful exercise in discovering or rediscovering places we think are so familiar and known to us. It’s not so much a resolution as an idea or a dream, but it’s my hope to create a more formal archive and start sharing what I see and find on these walks, with the goal of encouraging more of us to head out into Croydon’s wilder edges and discovering how much more there is to our hometown.

Follow Ameena on Instagram.

Shaniqua Benjamin, Croydon Poet Laureate 2020-24

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Shaniqua: Since my time as Croydon Poet Laureate has come to an end, I’m looking forward to just being Little Shaniqua from Thornton Heath again, doing more in depth work with the community by empowering individuals through coaching, mentoring, and poetry of course.

I’m excited to see how culture continues to develop in Croydon as the Borough of Culture legacy ripples on. A new monthly spoken word night by The Croydon Ramblers Organisation will also be taking place at Riffraffs, which I think is great and very much needed for Croydon – I’m looking forward to getting down at some point.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Shaniqua: Write more (as always).  Continue developing the Shaniqua Benjamin brand (real key in this new chapter of my life). Get more temperate and disciplined to be the healthiest Shaniqua possible – I think this is most important of all, as it’s the foundation of all I’m able to do.

Follow Shaniqua on Instagram.

Photo by Ameena Rojee

Will Noble, author of Croydonopolis

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Will: I’m interested to see what happens with the Amplifying Surrey Street project. The money’s been secured so has to be spent, and this is a chance to embellish what is already a fantastic location, and make it even more of a destination. There’s so much potential for Exchange Square too, which is in desperate need of TLC. It seems some Surrey Street traders weren’t happy with how the last lot of money was spent, so here’s hoping it’s used in a clever but inspirational way. Al fresco drinking/dining spots in the summer months would be an easy win.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Will: To get out and about in the wider Croydon borough more often. The Tuesday Night Music Club in Coulsdon has been on my list for ages. Watching a Crystal Palace Women’s game is also something I need to get around to.

Follow Croydonopolis on Instagram.

Katie Hurley, Associate director of Croydonites Festival

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Katie: After the success of 2024’s fringe and festival, I’m looking forward to bringing lots more innovative theatre and performance work to the borough during Croydonites 10th anniversary year!

As one of the Co-Chairs of Culture Croydon, I’m looking forward to lots of socials, celebrations and collaborations with talented local creatives.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Katie: My new year’s resolution is to not work as much, make art and spend more time with family and friends!

Follow Croydonites on Instagram.

Carolyn ML Forsyth, Executive Director & (joint) CEO of Talawa Theatre Company

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Carolyn: In 2025, I am thrilled about the creative and community-centered projects that lie ahead. Foremost is Home Song, our exciting co-production with the Unicorn Theatre. This marks a significant milestone for us – our first-ever baby show, developed in collaboration with an inspiring local artist and resident. This interactive musical adventure, created by the incredibly talented theatre-maker and composer Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong, takes audiences across continents. It’s been deeply enriched by the involvement of Daffodils Day Nursery, Crosfield Nursery School in Thornton Heath, Selhurst Children’s Centre, and the many families who joined our parent-baby groups facilitated by Talawa Theatre Company.

I look forward to a new commission by the dynamic duo FUBUNATION Rhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada and the thought-provoking Sonia Hughes. FUBUNATION’s dedication to amplifying Black culture and creating visibility for dancers of color in contemporary dance aligns beautifully with our vision for inclusive and impactful storytelling. Sonia Hughes’ ability to distill complex global themes into disarmingly simple yet profound artistic expressions promise to bring a unique depth to the year ahead. These collaborations embody what I find most inspiring: artistry that resonates with local communities and speaks to universal experiences.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Carolyn: My resolution for 2025 is simple: to live fully in every moment and to cherish the people and causes closest to my heart. With a year filled with meaningful collaborations and innovative projects, I’m reminded of the importance of being present—not only in my work but in my personal life as well. I’m committed to carving out space for the relationships, values, and ideas that matter most, ensuring they remain at the center of everything I do.

Follow Talawa on Instagram.

Maddy Duxbury, founder of East Croydon Cool

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Maddy: Continuing to develop East Croydon Cool into a bigger platform. I took a year off (from Sept 2022 to Sept 2023) so this past year has been a bit “make or break” in terms of being able to keep it going financially. The move to running larger events (we hosted 3 big parties in 2024) proved popular so the plan is to run a wider event programme in 2025.

I’m also (and you’re hearing this hot off the press) taking over as Editor of ‘The Croydon Edit’ (the Substack newsletter set up by Londonist) which I’m feeling excited/daunted about in equal measure!

At a wider level, I’m (tentatively) excited about seeing some improvements to the High Street. Whilst the long-awaited “Westfield” plans might not be what anyone first envisaged (and won’t be completed for another 15 years) I’m cautiously optimistic about seeing some tangible signs of change (or at least, some more solid plans for change).

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Maddy: To get off my phone! I’m grateful that digital technology has enabled me to work for myself but keeping my use of it to a “healthy” level is an ongoing battle. I set up The Switch Off at the start of last year in a bid to help other women get into the habit of regularly turning off devices – so I need to lead by example!

Follow East Croydon Cool on Instagram.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Matthew: It’s a tough one to answer. Real change often happens on such a large scale that it requires strong partnerships, a lot of hard work, and maybe even a touch of luck. So for me, 2025 is about working alongside positive, like-minded businesses, community members, and partners to generate greater momentum, identify opportunities, and deliver meaningful changes – whether that’s improving safety, enhancing the look and feel of our town centre, or simply greater energy and activity. On a more personal note, I’m hopeful we’ll see Croydon take significant steps to attract new investment and create an offering that really strengthens and sustains our local economy. It’s ambitious, but why not aim high?!

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Matthew: Honestly, it’s to make more time for my family. My kids are growing up so fast, and I don’t want to miss these moments. It’s also about taking a moment to breathe, reflect, and be thankful for everything that I have been blessed with.

Follow Croydon BID on X (Twitter).

Caterina Loriggio, Creative director of the legacy programme for This is Croydon – London Borough of Culture 2023

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Caterina: I am looking forward to another great year of culture in Croydon during 2025. The year kicks off immediately with the launch of our Gigs Grants programme which we hope will inspire and support live music across the borough in the winter months – we already know that LMP has a new multi-genre spectacular planned for February which should be exciting. Created as a reflection on the climate emergency, Changing Seasons mixes Vivaldi’s classic work with new commissions from four local arts groups and really builds on LMP’s London Borough of Culture legacy.

Also in February, we are working with Norwood Junk Action, 31% Wool and Croydon Urban Room on an interesting LGBTQ+ History Month exhibition and programme, Liberating Love. The project looks at passion and protest. The planning of it has already made me reminiscent of those critical days in the 1980s and 1990s when I was out on the streets with so many others demanding equal rights and justice for the LGBTQ+ community.

In March, for Women’s Day, we will be asking 100 women to join us for workshops with The Subversive Stitcher to make a new ‘domestic art’ installation for the borough using subverted tea towels, that’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s plenty planned for later in the year too – The National Gallery will be coming back to the borough; our Creative Health programme will launch; a new exhibition, Forge, will open in the Museum of Croydon; in summer our partners Surrey Hill Arts will be working with communities from New Addington to present Nature Calling as part of a national programme connecting people to landscape; and there’s also Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s 150th Anniversary to celebrate. We hope to revive some of our favourites from last year too such as The Queen’s Gardens Party and Croydon Harvest incorporating The Walnut Fair.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Caterina: I never seem to have much success at keeping resolutions so do not generally make them. I am determined however to get my fitness back. I lost it in 2020 with a nasty dose of Covid-19 which left me with a grim long Covid. Finally, I feel like I am (mostly) out of the other side of it, so there will be less sitting at my desk, more walks, and back to the gym for sure. My garden also is desperately overdue for a bit of work so that’s going to get a bit of love too. Please remind me to do these things!

Follow Caterina on Instagram.

Photo by Rachel Adams

Flynn Le Brocq, CEO of London Mozart Players

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Flynn: As Croydon’s Resident Orchestra, I’m particularly excited for our genre-fusing spectacular Changing Seasons at Fairfield Halls on the 15th February. This unique production mixes Vivaldi’s popular Four Seasons with new commissions and performances from four talented Croydon groups – Club Soda, Subrang Arts, Queer Croydon x Stanley Arts and Croydon Music & Arts – which have all been created as a response to the climate crisis and add a powerful new perspective to a timeless classic. We’ve partnered with local poet Jeremiah Brown to create original poetry for this event and produced new videos for the night which showcase each of our amazing performers. Before the main show, we’re also holding a free afternoon showcase in the foyer of Fairfield Halls which shows off the incredible local artistic talent in the borough. Fairfield is at the heart of our community work and I can’t wait to welcome everyone to the building in February.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Flynn: Aside from finally making it from the couch to 5k, my New Year’s resolutions focus on making classical music more accessible to everyone. I want to continue bringing our music into Croydon, breaking down as many barriers as we can to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy it. Throughout the year, our ‘LMP on the Move’ series takes our orchestra out of the concert hall and into the Croydon community and we’ll be popping up in various public spaces throughout the year in free performances. By doing so, we hope to show people that classical music is not only relevant but might also resonate with them, even if they initially think it’s not for them.

Follow London Mozart Players on Instagram.

Carole Roberts, President of Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society (CNHSS)

Croydonist: What are you looking forward to this year?

Carole: I am looking forward to the talks in our CNHSS 2025 winter programme – our speakers include Dr Tom Bolton and local author Will Noble. In May there will be a talk on North End (we may think it’s all modern buildings but as a tip – look up!). We are planning five postcard exhibitions for this year too.

As we were founded in 1870, in April we will have our 155th anniversary of people coming out for our talks and events. Now Zoom talks are available as well and it is lovely to see such interest from our members and others in our borough which has such an interesting history. And we are not just about the local history but Croydon’s ecology, archaeology, industrial history, geology, ornithology and entomology as well.

Croydonist: Any new year’s resolutions?

Carole: There are at least two speakers we particularly hope to secure for CNHSS’s spring/ summer programme and we have exciting plans to develop for our annual Focus meeting in November. Watch our website events page for updates.

Follow CNHSS on X (Twitter).

A big thank you to our Croydon friends who shared their thoughts. Wishing you all a very happy 2025. 

Keep up to date with us at the Croydonist as we showcase lots of local culture over the coming year. You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, and/or follow us on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Images: courtesy of the contributors

Posted by Julia