Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Festival of light

  • 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