Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Arts Council England

  • Dartford Festival of Light 2015

    Dartford Festival of Light 2015

    Preparations are well underway for the Dartford Festival of Light which will take place on Friday October 23 between 6pm and 8pm. Organised by leading arts organisation Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England the Festival is now in its 7th year. The aim of the Festival is to bring the communities of Dartford together through the arts and promote key values of respect, excellence, friendship and equality.

    The Festival this year is the biggest to date and is split into 3 distinct parts. Between 6pm and 6.30pm there will be entertainment on One Bell Corner as local vocalist Mark Lees sings some popular chart tunes.

    11 local schools will then take part in a lantern parade starting around 6.30pm involving some 550 young people which will also involve the Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Crocodile Brass, Same Sky Arts and Stilt Walkers. The parade will be led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Ian Armitt and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Jeremy Kite MBE and will start on One Bell Corner in the High Street. It will then go via Hythe Street, the Orchard Shopping Centre and Market Street to Central Park where it will climax by the Band Stand.

    Once the Festival reaches Central Park after a series of short performances and presentations there will be a spectacular fireworks display to climax the celebrations delivered by the awards winning Phoenix Fireworks.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who is co-ordinating the event “I am really pleased with the positive response that we have had to date for the Dartford Festival of Light. It is a great showcase of how the arts can be used to bring communities together and a perfect showcase for Dartford Town Centre and builds upon the success of our Saint George’s Day celebrations and High Street Carnival. We have also added a firework element this year which we hope will prove popular.”

    A3 Poster dartford Festival_sm
  • 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.”

  • 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
  • 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. 

  • Dartford lit up by Community Festival

    Dartford lit up by Community Festival

    Dartford Community Lights Spectacle

    Dartford Town Centre was spectacle of noise and colour as over 700 people took part in the Dartford Festival of Light on Friday October 24. The Festival was organised by local arts group Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England.

    The first part of the evening was the lantern parade which featured 10 local schools as well as a number of culturally diverse artists including Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Crocodile Style Brass which started at One Bell Corner before heading towards the Orchard Theatre where the parade was joined by Bloco Fogo Samba Group who had been entertaining commuters outside Dartford Train Station. The parade then went through the Orchard Shopping Centre and Market Street to Central Park which was specially lit up by lanterns by leading creative arts organisation Same Sky where it climaxed by the Band Stand. 

    Once the parade got to the Band Stand there was a programme of entertainment which included Steel Ambition and vocalist Ryan Bennett. All the schools that took part were also presented with a special award for their participation by the Deputy Mayor of Dartford Cllr Ian Armitt and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite. 

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who organised the event “I would like to thank everyone who came along and supported our Festival. This was such a wonderful showcase for Dartford and highlighted not only the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough but also some of the fantastic talent and hard work of the young people who were involved in the parade. This was our most ambitious festival to date in terms of lighting and the route and I look forward to working with our partners Dartford Borough Council on making next year’s one even bigger and better.” 

  • Dartford Festival of Light 2014

    Dartford Festival of Light 2014

    Preparations are underway for the sixth Dartford Festival of Light which will take place on Friday October 24. The event this year proves to be the biggest to date with a longer route and some exciting entertainment at the end for the local community to enjoy.

    The Festival of Light has been organised by local arts group Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England. 

    The first part of the event is a schools parade through Dartford Town Centre between 6.30pm and 7pm. The parade featuring 10 local schools and some 500 children who will all have made lanterns especially for the event will start on One Bell Corner on the High Street. It will then go via Hythe Street, the Orchard Shopping Centre and Market Street to Central Park where it will climax by the Band Stand. In addition to the children the parade will feature Crocodile Brass, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Bloco Fogo Samba. The parade will be led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr Avtar Sandhu MBE and the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Jeremy Kite. 

    Once everyone is at the Band Stand there is a free programme of entertainment between 7pm and 8.30pm which will feature Steel Ambition, vocalist Ryan Bennett, Bloco Fogo Samba, Crocodile Brass and Four by Four Dhol Drummers. 

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council who is co-ordinating the event “I hope that the local community will come out and support the Dartford Festival of Light. The whole purpose of the event is to bring the whole community together and celebrate important values such as friendship, respect, determination and excellence and to showcase the positive community relations enjoyed in the borough. I very much appreciate all the support that Dartford Borough Council has provided in the build up to the Festival.” 

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    Poster_Back2014
  • Maidstone Mela 2014 Video

    Maidstone Mela 2014 Video

    See some wonderful footage of the 12th Maidstone Mela which captured the colour, fun and artistic quality.  The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Maidstone Borough Council, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Maidstone Mela Advisory Group with the support of Arts Council England.

    The Film of Maidstone Mela 2014 can be viewed below.