Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Cohesion Plus

  • Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light 2016

    Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light 2016

    Colourful lights, a lantern parade, music and fireworks will come to the rural village of Wrotham which plays host to the 4th Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light on Friday October 14.

    Organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Saint Georges Primary School and the schools in the Pilgrims Way Partnership, the Festival takes place in 3 distinct parts.

    During the first phase there will be a fusion performance by Phase 5 Steel Band outside St. Georges Church as the children prepare for the lantern parade.

    The second phase begins with the lantern parade between 6.15pm and 7pm involving some 500 people as well as entertainment by the Bloco Fogo Samba Group, Four by Four Bhangra and Uzambezi African Arts.

    The festival will climax with a fireworks and lights finale by Phoenix.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “Much of our work takes place in the urban area of Kent, so it is great that we are able to work in a rural area to promote cohesion and bring communities together. We are grateful for all the local schools taking part and the on-going support provided by the local community.”

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  • Mela Sunshine in Calverley Grounds

    Mela Sunshine in Calverley Grounds

    Sunshine, music, food and dance from around the world was the order of the day at the 11th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival which took place in Calverley Grounds on July 17. The Mela was organised by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England.

    Gurvinder Sandher the Mela Festival Director commented “I have been involved with the Mela in Tunbridge Wells since its inception and am really proud of how we have managed to develop it over the years. This year despite the funding issues we have managed to deliver an excellent culturally diverse stage programme which showcased a number of local acts alongside internationally renowned artists like Jassi Sidhu. I am very grateful to everyone who attended and supported this community celebration. The Mela Festival is unique to Tunbridge Wells and I am determined to keep it going.”

    The Mela Festival stage programme featured a range of culturally diverse acts including local artists Sean Fennessey and Friends and the renowned Paul Dunton Orchestra, Kent based African ensemble Uzambezi, Bulgarian folk dance group Kitka, belly dancing troupe Anaconda and Phase 5 Steel Band. The headline act was International Bhangra Superstar Jassi Sidhu who had the crowd up and dancing with his unique fusion of bhangra and pop music. The Mela Festival was climaxed by Stevie One who sang the hits of Stevie Wonder.

    According to Jassi Sidhu “It was a great privilege to perform in Royal Tunbridge Wells. In recent months I have been performing in North America, Africa and India, so to come to an event like this where many in the audience are not familiar with my catalogue of hits and have them up and dancing was a great experience. I believe events like this are a great way to expose audiences to new styles of music and established artists in particular genres like me to new fans”

    Alongside the exciting stage programme there was a creative arts zone where Same Sky Arts delivered workshops, Four by Four Dhol Drummers taught members of the public how to play the popular Indian Percussion instrument and Nutkhut who performed with their special stilt walkers and had the audience up, laughing and dancing. There was also an array of food, craft and information stalls including Kent Police who were represented along with members of the Tunbridge Wells Independent Police Advisory Group.

  • Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival July 17

    Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival July 17

    The 11th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival which celebrates the diversity of the borough through music, food and dance will be taking place on July 17 at the Calverley Grounds between 12.30pm and 6.30pm. The Mela has been organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England.

    A range of culturally diverse artists will be performing at the Mela including Bulgarian folk dance group Kitka, local band Sean Fennessey and Friends, popular Bhangra star Jassi Sidhu, African ensemble Uzambezi, the Paul Dunton Orchestra, belly dancing troupe Anaconda, Phase 5 Steel Band and Stevie One who will be performing Motown classics.

    Alongside the exciting stage programme there is also going to be a creative arts zone where Same Sky Arts will be delivering workshops and Nutkhut will also be performing with their special stilt walkers who will get the audience up, laughing and dancing.

    In the food zone there will be dishes from around the World for everyone to enjoy and there will also be a licensed bar serving alcohol from around the Globe.

    Gurvinder Sandher the Mela Festival Director commented “It has been very challenging this year to raise the funds to deliver the Mela Festival, I am delighted that with the support of Arts Council England, local businesses and community groups that we have been able to pull together the event. I believe that the Arts is an excellent way for bringing communities together and the Mela Festival over the years has proven to be very popular with the local communities. We have an excellent line up made up of local and international artists as well as a wide array of local food and trade stalls which showcase the diversity of the borough.”

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    Please feel free to viev last years Mela

  • Gravesham celebrates HM Queen 90th Birthday

    Gravesham celebrates HM Queen 90th Birthday

    Birthday cake and bright skies was the order of the day as Gravesham celebrated the 90th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen. Cohesion Plus, working with Gravesham Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council organised a special street party on the Community Square on Friday June 10 which was attended by over 400 people. They were entertained by Elton John and One Direction tribute acts while enjoying specially prepared packed lunches sitting in the sun.

    This was followed on Saturday June 11 by the fourth Gravesham Fusion Festival at the Fort Gardens. The theme was Britain and the Commonwealth and was headlined by leading Queen Tribute act Real Magic. They were supported by local Kent based acts including Four by Four Bhangra, Phase 5 Steel Band, Uzambezi, Gemma Moore, Confident Queen Genny Jones, Chuckle Singh’s and Shadow of Doubt.

    In addition to the stage programme Same Sky Arts delivered creative arts workshops for young people who made union flags and crowns.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I was really pleased that the weather held out and we were able to be involved in 2 great community celebrations to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday. She has been a beacon for this nation since her coronation in 1953 and we can all learn from her commitment to public service. I have had some real positive feedback and hope that we created some great memories for the young people who were able to take part in the celebrations.” 

  • Waving the Flag for Saint George

    Waving the Flag for Saint George

    Friday April 22 and Saturday April 23rd saw the communities of Dartford come out in force to celebrate Saint George’s Day. The festivities which were organised by Cohesion Plus, Dartford Borough Council and Kent Equality Cohesion Council were some of the biggest in England.

    The annual Saint George’s Day parade took place on the Friday and featured 500 children from 8 local schools. The parade was led North Kent resident Russel Palmer who was dressed up as Saint George and started outside the Civic Centre in Home Gardens before going over the footbridge, through Orchards Shopping Centre, into the High Street and then finishing at Central Park. The Mayor of Dartford Cllr Armitt also took part in the parade along with the Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr Kite, Dev Sharma the Chair of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gareth Johnson MP.

    The parade was greatly support by members of the local community, many of whom waved the flag of Saint George proudly. Entertainment in the parade included the Premier Brass Band, Bollywood Brass Band, Stilt Walkers, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, West Hill Morris and comedy duo Payne and Pearce.

    Once the parade reached Band Stand in Central Park the children sang happy birthday to HM The Queen before seeing entertainment from some of the different groups involved. The event concluded with the National Anthem and the waving of Saint George’s flags.

    On Saturday there were performances by the Premier Brass Band around the town centre and opportunities to take photos with Saint George as well as flags and badges being given out by Dartford Borough Council.

    Dev Sharma MBE, the Chair of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council which is organising the celebrations commented, “We are really pleased with the positive response we received to the Saint George’s Day celebrations. Months of time and planning go into events like this but all the hard work is worth it when the local communities come out and support it like they did this year. I am also grateful to the support provided by our partners Cohesion Plus and Dartford Borough Council and we look forward to doing something even bigger next year.”

    John Varah Artistic Director of Same Sky Arts who worked with the local schools commented “We always look forward to working in Dartford as the schools are such a joy to work with. I believe this year’s Saint George’s Day celebrations are some of the best yet that we have been involved with.”

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  • Gravesham Saint George Day 2016

    Gravesham Saint George Day 2016

    The annual Saint George’s Day Parade and celebrations took place in Gravesham on Friday April 22. 700 Children from 15 local schools took part in the event which was organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Gravesham Borough Council in what were some of the biggest celebrations taking place in England. The aim of the event was to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in Gravesham to celebrate this important day.

    Before the procession started there was entertainment in the town centre with performances by the Premier Brass Band and the Bollywood Brass Band which warmed up the gathering crowd. The parade led by Saint George himself who was played by Gravesham resident Russel Palmer started outside Saint George’s Church. Along with the schools the Parade also featured special guests the Lord Lieutenant of Kent The Viscount De L’Isle and the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Wenban as well as performances by the Brass Bands, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Stilt Walkers and comedy medieval jesters Payne and Pearce. The Parade went up the High Street into King Street, through Saint George’s Shopping Centre and then head back through town before finishing on Community Square. Throughout the parade members of the public waved their flags of Saint George and encouraged the children as the parade went by.

    Once the parade climaxed on Community Square the 700 school children sang Happy Birthday to HM The Queen before listening to the Lord Lieutenant who is the Queen’s representative in Kent thank everyone for their participation. Following some further entertainment the flags of Saint George were raised and three cheers shouted for the Patron Saint of England.

    Gurvinder Sandher who led on the organisation of the celebrations commented “I was very pleased with what we were able to achieve working in partnership with Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England. There is great support for Saint George’s Day here in Gravesham and it was so pleasing to see the local community come out and support the event and to see so many people wave the flag of Saint George made me proud. I really think other towns could learn a lesson from what we are doing here and use events like Saint George’s Day to bring all the different communities together as one regardless of faith or ethnicity.”

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  • 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.”

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  • Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival a Hit

    Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival a Hit

    The 10th Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival which celebrated the diversity of the borough through music, food and dance at Calverley Grounds proved to be popular with the local community. The Mela was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus Kent, Sue Latham Events and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council.

    KECC have been involved in the Mela since its inception and were very proud as an organization to have managed to get the Mela to this important milestone.

    A range of culturally diverse artists the majority of whom were base in Kent performed at the Mela including the Bollywood Brass Band, Four by Four Bhangra Group, Bloco Fogo Samba Group, Bulgarian folk dance group Kitka, local band Sean Fennessey and Friends, popular Bangladeshi star Nurjahan Shilpi, African ensemble Uzambezi, the Paul Dunton Orchestra, bellydancng troupe Anaconda and leading Ed Sheeran tribute Jack Sheppard.

    Alongside the exciting stage programme there was also a creative arts zone where LV21 Arts put together the Changing Audiences piece of art, with members of the public dressing up wooden models to create an additional audience. While Eric MacLennan’s new piece of work “Voyage around my Bedroom”also proved to be very popular with people queuing to take part. In addition the popular Nutkhut Stilt Walkers had the audience up, laughing and dancing throughout the day.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “I was very pleased with how the Mela was received. There has lots of positive feedback which makes all the struggles to raise the funds and the hard work which starts some 6 months before well worthwhile. I would like to pay credit to all our community partners who had not given up on the Mela and supported us and encouraged us to make the Mela happen. If this does prove to be the last Mela that we are involved with in Tunbridge Wells I am glad that we went out on such a positive note. Events like this bring diverse communities together and allow us to promote our shared British values and showcase excellent local talent. “

  • 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.”