Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Four by Four Dhol Drummers

  • Dartford Saint George Day 2017

    Dartford Saint George Day 2017

    The annual Saint George’s Day Parade and celebrations took place in Dartford on Friday April 21. 500 Children from 10 local schools took part in the event which was organised by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Dartford 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 Dartford to celebrate this important day.

    Before the procession started there was entertainment on the High Street with performances by the West Hill Morris, Premier Brass Band, Big Fish Arts and the Bollywood Brass Band which attracted a large crowd.

    The Schools gathered outside the Civic Centre where the parade led by Saint George himself started. Along with the schools the parade also featured special guests the Mayor of Dartford, Cllr Burrell and Gareth Johnson MP as well as performances by the Brass Bands, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Stilt Walkers and comedy medieval jesters and Shakespearian actors.

    The parade climaxed in Central Park by the Band Stand where the 500 school children sang Happy 91st Birthday to HM The Queen before watching a short programme of entertainment which climaxed with the Premier Brass Band playing Land of Hope of Glory and the National Anthem.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council who led on the organisation of the celebrations commented “I am proud of what we were able to achieve working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council. We use the celebrations as a source of promoting unity and cohesion rather than discord and segregation and believe this work is a beacon that other parts of the Country could learn from.”

  • Gravesham Saint George Day 2017

    Gravesham Saint George Day 2017

    The annual Saint George’s Day Parade and celebrations took place in Gravesham on Friday April 21. 600 Children from 11 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, Big Fish Arts and the Bollywood Brass Band which warmed up the gathering crowd. The parade led by Saint George himself played by Gravesham resident Russel Palmer started outside Saint George’s Church. Along with the schools the Parade also featured special guests the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Dr. Bhargwara Vasudaven and the Mayor of Gravesham, Cllr Goatley as well as performances by the Brass Bands, Four by Four Dhol Drummers, Stilt Walkers and comedy medieval jesters and Shakespearian actors.

    The Parade went up the High Street into King Street, through Saint George’s Shopping Centre and then headed 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 600 school children sang Happy Birthday to HM The Queen before listening to the Deputy 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 over Community Square.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council who led on the organisation of the celebrations commented “I really do believe that other parts of the Country could learn from what we are doing here and how we use Saint George’s Day to bring diverse communities together, to celebrate our shared values. We use the celebrations as a source of promoting unity and cohesion rather than discord and segregation. I am grateful to all the young people who worked so hard in the build-up and our partners including Gravesham Borough Council and Arts Council England for their on-going support.”

  • Christmas Celebrations Prove Popular in Gravesham

    Christmas Celebrations Prove Popular in Gravesham

    After months of hard work thousands of people filled Gravesend Town Centre to enjoy a Christmas inspired celebration.

    Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council supported by Arts Council England organised the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Light element of the Gravesham Christmas Lights Switch on. This featured 12 local schools and a parade of over 1200 people from across the borough. They were accompanied by Christmas Mime Elves, Santa and his helpers on stilts, Bloco Fogo Samba, Crocodile Brass Band, the Black Knights and the Four by Four Dhol Drummers.

    In the build up to the event some 550 young people from across the borough benefited from free creative arts workshops working with Same Sky Arts on the Christmas Lanterns. The schools who took part in the celebrations were Ifield, Kings Farm, St Botolph’s, St Johns Primary, St George’s, Northfleet Girls, Holy Trinity, Cecil Road, Riverview Infants, Riverview Juniors, Northfleet Technology College and Painters Ash

    The parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Greta Goatley started off from the St George’s Shopping Centre and went through New Road, up Windmill Street and culminated on Community Square where the Christmas Tree was switched on following performances by the Gravesham Pantomime Cast of Jack and the Beanstalk.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council said “I am really pleased with how the celebrations went. The event was a great spectacle and an example of how the arts can be used to promote cohesion and bringing diverse communities together. I strongly believe that Christmas should be celebrated widely and should be used like we have done with this event as a way of celebrating our positive community relations.”

  • 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.

  • 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.”

     St George

  • 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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  • 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.  

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    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.”