Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Author: susan

  • Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    There were big smiles and lots of sun at the first ever Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer which took place on July on Friday July 10. The Carnival organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Dartford Borough Council with the support of Arts Council England commenced in Central Park by the Bandstand between noon where the children gathered to have pack lunches and enjoy entertainment by the Steel Ambition Calypso Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group, Rhythm of the City Samba and children’s entertainer Ant Payne.

    At the same time there was a programme of entertainment around the High Street where the same performers also brought the High Street to a standstill with their colourful performances.

    The Carnival parade set off from Central Park just after 1.30pm led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Ian Armitt, Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite MBE, Gareth Johnson MP and Chairman of Kent Equality Cohesion Council Dev Sharma MBE.

    The children from Our Lady’s Catholic Primary, Fleetdown Primary, Westgate Primary and Temple Hill Primary who had been working with the Great British Carnival Company in the build up to the event showcased some colourful creative art which focused on the history of Dartford and in taking pride in the Borough. The Carnival got bigger as it collected people along the way as it went from Central Park, via the High Street before returning to back to Central Park.

    Once the carnival arrived back each child was presented with a special medal to thank them for their participation.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “This was the first year that the High Street Carnival of Summer took place and I was really pleased with the positive impact it had. It was a great pleasure to see all the smiling faces not just of the young people taking part but parents and onlookers as the carnival parade went by. I very much appreciate our longstanding partnership with Dartford Borough Council and would like to thank them for all their help and support both in the build-up and on the day itself. I believe the Carnival showcased the positive community relations in the borough and showed how arts can be used to bring people together and celebrate the rich heritage of Dartford.”

  • Gravesham Fusion Festival 4th Jul 2015

    Gravesham Fusion Festival 4th Jul 2015

    The Fusion Festival which was organised by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Gravesham Borough Council and KCC Arts Development Unit provided to be popular and saw a number of new and emerging acts performing. These included local band What, a drama by young children from Gravesham especially prepared for the festival by 2B Scene Theatre Company, leading African vocal ensemble Uzambezi, emerging female bhangra star Sarika Gill, popular Bulgarian Folk Group Kitka and Slovakian band Gejza.

    The Fusion Festival took place alongside the 169th Town Annual Town Regatta, Gravesham Summer Queen and the Northfleet Carnival.

    The festival also say the premier of “Samba Bhangra Beats” an exciting new performance co-produced by Cohesion Plus working with the Bollywood Brass Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group and Bloco Fogo Samba. This proved to be a particular highlight and underlined the theme of the Fusion Festival to use the arts bring communities together and promote cohesion and understanding.

    Headline acts bhangra star Jassi Sidhu and Sam Smith tribute Joe Scripps also proved very popular and had the audiences up and dancing with their repertoire of hits.

    In addition to the stage programme there was some exciting creative arts taking place off stage which was delivered by LV21 Arts which proved to be very popular while Nutkhut performed a series of walkabouts dressed as Bollywood stars on stilts.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I was very pleased with the support that we received form the local community for the Fusion Festival. It was a great family day out and the performances by all the artists were really enjoyed by the audience. We are committed to promoting our shared values and events like this bring the community together as one to celebrate all that unites us. I am also very grateful for all the support provided by our partners both in the build and on the day itself and look forward to working with them on creating an even bigger and better festival next year.”

  • Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer

    There will be lots of colour and noise coming to Dartford on July 10 as the first ever Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Dartford Borough Council with the support of Arts Council England takes place. The Carnival will feature 4 local schools and some 250 children who have been working with leading carnival company The Great British Carnival who delivered workshops in the build-up to the event.

    The aim of the Carnival is to celebrate the rich heritage of Dartford, to celebrate the High Street and the positive community relations in the borough and provide an opportunity for children to learn new skills around costume and prop making.

    There will be entertainment on One Bell corner between 12.30pm and 1.30pm which will include performances by Steel Ambition and Rhythm of the City Samba. The Carnival parade will start at the Band Stand in Central Park at around 1.35pm and will then head towards the High Street going past One Bell Corner before heading back to Central Park. Once back at Central Park the Mayor of Dartford Councillor Ian Armitt along with the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Councillor Jeremy Kite and representatives from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council will make a presentation of medals to the pupils taking part in the Carnival.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC “We are delighted to be involved with the Dartford High Street Carnival of Summer and believe it fits in really well with our other events in the borough namely the Saint George’s Day celebrations and the Dartford Festival of Light. I am very grateful for the on-going support of Dartford Borough Council who like us want to celebrate not only the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough but also the positive impact that the High Street has on the residents of Dartford.”

    Carnival of Summer
  • Gravesham Fusion Festival 2015

    Gravesham Fusion Festival 2015

    BBB 3Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus with the support of Gravesham Borough Council and Kent County Council Arts Development Unit has arranged the Gravesham Fusion Festival. The event will take place on July 4 at the Gravesend Promenade, Riverside Leisure Area between 12pm and 6pm. The aim of the free festival is to showcase new and emerging culturally diverse artists and to celebrate music and dance from around the world.

    There will be a range of culturally diverse artists performing on and off stage and the event is being headlined by bhangra star Jassi Sidhu who will perform alongside the Bollywood Brass Band, leading African ensemble Uzambezi, Bulgarian dance troupe Kitka as well local band What and Sam Smith tribute Joe Scripps. In a change to the published programme Slovakian band Gejza will be performing rather than Rebel.

    The festival will also feature the premier of “Samba Bhangra Beats” a new performance put together by Cohesion Plus working with Bollywood Brass Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group and Bloco Fogo Samba.

    There will be drama also for the first time on the Fusion stage with Cohesion Plus working with 2Bscene Theatre Company on a new production working with young people from the borough.

    Fusion Festival poster 2015The event is being hosted by popular comedy duo Payne and Pearce. There will also a food zone which is being delivered by the Cheese and Chilli Festival.

    In addition to the Fusion Festival the Promenade will also play host to the Gravesend Town Regatta, a fun fair and the climax of the Northfleet Carnival.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We are pleased that our months have hard work have paid off with a fantastic day planned for the Fusion Festival. This event underlines what we are trying to do, namely to bring communities together and celebrate all that binds us. We hope that this event will build upon our recent very successful Saint George’s Day celebrations in the borough. With all the other activities taking place at the Prom at the same time this promises to be a great day out for the communities of Gravesham with the Regatta, Summer Queen and climax of the Northfleet Carnival.” 

    Fusion Festival Poster 2015
  • Gravesham Saint George’s Day 2015 Short Film

    Gravesham Saint George’s Day 2015 Short Film

    Gravesham Saint George’s Day Celebrations 2015 Short Film

    The Gravesham Saint George’s Day celebrations which took place on April 23rd were some of the biggest in England. The event featured 19 local schools as well entertainment including the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Medieval Court Jesters Payne and Pearse and Saint George himself. The schools parade was led by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller. 

    The celebrations were organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Same Sky Arts and Arts Council England. 

    Copyright © 2015 Cohesion Plus Kent, All rights reserved.

  • Dartford Saint George’s Day 2015

    Dartford Saint George’s Day 2015

    Dartford Saint George’s Day Short Film

    The Dartford Saint George’s Day celebrations took place on April 23rd and featured 11 local schools as well as a number of performers including Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Medieval Court Jesters Payne and Pearse and Saint George himself.

    The event was organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Dartford Borough Council, Same Sky Arts and Arts Council England

    Copyright © 2015 Cohesion Plus Kent Limited, All rights reserved

  • St Georges Day 2015 Video

    St Georges Day 2015 Video

  • Waving the Flag of Saint George with Pride 2015

    Waving the Flag of Saint George with Pride 2015

    Some of the biggest celebrations in England for Saint George’s Day took place in Gravesham and Dartford on April 23rd. 30 local schools and some 1600 children took part in parades to mark the national day for England alongside a host of entertainers, community groups and members of the public.

    Entertainment included the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris Dance Troupe, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, a Town Crier, a Saint George in full armor, Stilt Walkers and Medieval Court Jesters. 

    The celebrations commenced in Gravesham in the morning where the streets were filled with members of the public waving the flags of Saint George, who with enthusiasm supported first the entertainment in the town centre and then the schools parade as it marched through. The celebrations climaxed on Community Square where further performances took place before the audience was addressed by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller before the flags of Saint George were raised.  

    St Georges Day 154  St Georges Day 151

    The programme then moved onto Dartford where large crowds gathered at One Bell Corner to see performances by Premier Brass, Bollywood Brass and West Hill Morris. For the first time the parade started outside the Civic Centre in Dartford before heading into the Town Centre, stopping briefly at the War Memorial where flags of Saint George were raised by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Avtar Sandhu MBE. The celebrations climaxed at the Bandstand in Central Park with a rousing rendition of “Land of Hope and Glory” by the Premier Brass Band. 

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented ““I am very pleased with the positive response that we have had today. Events like Saint George’s Day provide an opportunity to bring together our communities young and old, urban and rural regardless of faith or ethnicity and to celebrate our common values. I very much value the support of both Gravesham and Dartford Borough Councils and hope that other local authorities can see what a positive impact events like this can have in promoting positive community relations and showcasing excellent in the arts.” 

    The festivities were organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England. 

  • Vaisakhi 2015 Attended by Thousands

    Vaisakhi 2015 Attended by Thousands

    Vaisakhi Celebrations Attended by Thousands

    Thousands attended the annual Sikh religious celebration of Vaisakhi over the weekend Historically Vaisakhi marked the spring harvest in Punjab in Northern India where most Sikh’s in Gravesham come from, in 1699 on Vaisakhi Day the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji established the Khalsa Panth (the community of committed Sikhs) and created the faith as it is practiced today.

    The centre piece of the celebrations was the Nagar Kirtan procession (nagar means town and kirtan means the singing of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book) on Saturday. Led by religious floats and also involving community floats including Lethal Soundz, Guru Nanak Punjabi School, Kent Kirtan Society, Four by Four Bhangra, Jugnu Bhangra and Guru Nanak Football Club. 

    The parade started on the grounds of the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara before going through the Town Centre where it was well received by members of the public who stopped to see the colorful spectacle and enjoyed free donations (seva) of food and drink as the procession passed. Following a short stop for prayers at the Guru Ravidass Gurdwara the procession headed back to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara where the congregation was joined by Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron on Wellington Street before the Nagar Kirtan entered the Gurdwara complex. Once the prayers had been completed outside the Prime Minister addressed members of the congregation inside while outside there was an open air community celebration on the Guru Nanak Sports Field which included a fun fair, Sikh martial arts and information stands.

    The religious stage programme was headlined by Sukshinder Shinda an internationally renowned artist who performed from his recently released religious album “Langar” During the course of the event thousands also enjoyed free food and refreshments which was served by local caterers.

    The celebrations concluded on the Sunday at the Gurdwara where prayers were read and donations made for the up keep of the running of the Gurdwara. Throughout the services thousands again attended rounding off a memorable weekend.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am so pleased that the months of planning for the Nagar Kirtan and the open air community celebration paid off. None of this would have been possible without the help of a team of community volunteers and the support of Gravesham Borough Council, Kent Police and Kent Highways for which I am grateful. The Vaisakhi celebrations have evolved from being just for the Sikh community to one where Gravesham comes together as one, something which everyone should be very proud off.” 

  • Gravesham and Dartford Saint George’s Day Celebrations

    Gravesham and Dartford Saint George’s Day Celebrations

    Preparations are underway for the Saint George’s Day celebrations which will be taking place in Gravesham and Dartford on April 23. The festivities have been organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England in what will be some of the biggest celebrations taking place in England on the day itself.

    St Georges day 2015

     

    In the build up to the day 29 local schools and some 1600 young people will benefit from creative arts workshops as they prepare for the parades which will be the highlight of the celebrations in Gravesham and Dartford.

    The celebrations in Gravesham will take place between 10am and 11.30am and in Dartford between 12.30pm and 2.30pm in and around the respective Town Centre’s.

    Entertainment will include the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, West Hill Morris Dance Troupe, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, a Town Crier, a Saint George in full armor and Medieval Court Jesters. 

    The aim of the events is to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in Gravesham and Dartford to celebrate this important day. 

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented ““I am very passionate about Saint George’s Day as I believe it is an excellent way for communities to come together and share our common values and celebrate what it means to be English today. I very much appreciate the on-going support of Dartford Borough Council and Gravesham Borough Council who are key strategic partners and their commitment to working with us to promote positive community relations.”