Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Four by Four

  • 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. “

  • 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
  • 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”