Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Cohesion Plus

  • 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
  • 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

  • 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. 

  • Record Numbers Attend Launch of Gravesham Christmas Celebrations

    Record Numbers Attend Launch of Gravesham Christmas Celebrations

    It is estimated that over 5000 people enjoyed the Christmas Parade of Lights which was organised by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council and the Christmas Light Switch On which was led by Gravesham Borough Council.

    The Christmas Parade of Lights featured 14 local schools and some 600 children from across the Borough who benefited from workshops in the build up to the event which were delivered by Same Sky Arts along with a number of culturally diverse artists including the Premier Brass Band, Crocodile Style Brass Band, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Bloco Fogo Samba. They were joined in the parade by parents and guardians of the young people taking part. 

    The Christmas Parade of Lights which was led by the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor John Caller and invited guests set off from Saint George’s Shopping Centre before going onto New Road, Windmill Street then climaxed on the Community Square with the spectacular Christmas lights being switched on along the route. 

    One of the highlights of the parade was the performance of the “Dancing Santa’s” who performed a special bhangra dance routine to Jingle Bells which had been produced jointly by Cohesion Plus and Four by Four Bhangra Dancers at the junction of New Road and Windmill Street. The Parade finished on the Community Square where there was entertainment by the cast of the Pantomime before the giant Christmas Tree was lit up by the Mayor of Gravesham and Jamie Foreman one of the stars of Aladdin.

    Gurvinder Sandher who organised the Parade commented “The response that we had to the Parade was beyond what I expected. We are very lucky that the local schools are so committed to getting involved in local community events and our strong partnership with Gravesham Borough Council allows us to produce celebrations like this which bring all the communities together as one to celebrate not only the start of the Christmas festivities but also the values of friendship, respect and tolerance which unite us as citizens of the borough. I believe that what we have delivered here with this event is unique and is a model which could be replicated by other towns across the Country” 

  • 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.” 

  • Fusion and Light Festival Enjoyed in Wrotham 2014

    Fusion and Light Festival Enjoyed in Wrotham 2014

    The Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light which took place on October 17 proved to be a great success attracting record numbers. Organised in partnership by Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Cohesion Plus and the Four Schools in the Pilgrims Way Partnership; Saint George’s Primary School, Platt Primary School, Trottiscliffe CE Primary School and Stansted CE Primary School the festival took part in 2 distinct phases. The lantern parade element through the village launched the celebrations. The parade was led by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Sasha Luck and the Vice Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Mike Harrison along with invited guests. They were followed by the schools who had been working hard with arts organisation Same Sky on the lanterns which were based on the theme of harvest. The parade also featured stilt walkers, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Under1Sun Samba Group.

    Once the Parade reached its conclusion at Wrotham Cricket Ground there was a fusion Stage Show featuring performances by leading culturally diverse artists and emerging local artists including comedy duo Danny and Dan, Four by Four Bhangra Dancers, Reel Eire Irish Dancers and vocalist Ryan Bennett. The event climaxed with a short fireworks display organised by Phoenix.

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “We were very pleased with the how the Festival of Fusion and Light was received in Wrotham. The event has made great strides from last year and this was testament to the hard work put in by all the different partners. We hope next year to build upon this success and continue our partnership working in Tonbridge and Malling.” 

  • 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.” 

    Poster_Front2014
    Poster_Back2014
  • Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light (2014)

    Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light (2014)

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus and the Four Schools in the Pilgrims Way Partnership; Saint George’s Primary School, Platt Primary School, Trottiscliffe CE Primary School and Stansted CE Primary School have organised the Wrotham Festival of Fusion and Light which takes place on October 17th in the village of Wrotham.

    The Festival will take place in 2 distinct phases. In the first part between 6.15pm and 6.45pm there will be a lantern parade through the village involving around 250 young people which will be led by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr. Sasha Luck and the Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Peter Homewood. The lanterns will be created by the young people in special workshops in schools which are being delivered by the leading arts company Same Sky. The parade will also feature stilt walkers, Four by Four Dhol Drummers and Under1Sun Samba Group. 

    Once the Parade reaches its conclusion at Wrotham Cricket Ground there will be a fusion Stage Show between 7pm and 8.30pm featuring performances by leading culturally diverse artists and emerging local artists including comedy duo Danny and Dan, Four by Four Bhangra Dancers, Reel Eire Irish Dancers and vocalist Ryan Bennett. In addition there will be locally produced refreshments available.  

    According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “We are looking forward to this community celebration in Wrotham. A lot of hard work has gone into this and we are grateful to all our partners for their help and support. We believe that events like this are an excellent way for communities to come together and to celebrate all that unites out regardless of age, faith, ethnicity or social background.”  

    Click on poster for larger view

    Poster 2014

  • 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.