Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Same Sky Arts

  • Wrotham Festival of Light wows for its 12th year of celebrations

    Wrotham Festival of Light wows for its 12th year of celebrations

    Wrotham Festival of Light wows for its 12th year of celebrations

    The much-anticipated Wrotham Festival of Light returned on Friday 10th October, bringing the communities of Wrotham together once again, lighting up the village with colour and community spirit. Now in its 12th year, the beloved annual event continues to draw hundreds of attendees from Wrotham and the surrounding areas.

    Supported by Kent Equality Cohesion Council, the festival was delivered in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Saint George’s Primary School, and Same Sky Arts, with additional support from Arts Council England and Wrotham Parish Council.

    The spectacular lantern parade was led by the Deputy Lieutenant Louise Bryant, and Saint George’s Primary School Headteacher Elizabeth Rye. They were joined by hundreds of children, parents, and guardians as the parade journeyed from Saint George’s Church to the village cricket ground.

    The evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks display by local business Phoenix Fireworks, lighting up the night sky to the delight of all in attendance.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus commented
    “The Wrotham Festival of Light is always a special event for us to deliver as it not only marks the launch of our autumn and winter programme, it also allows us an opportunity to deliver community activity in the heart of a rural setting. It’s a joy to create opportunities for children and their families to take part in these unique celebrations. As always, I’m deeply thankful to our partners and to everyone who came out to support the event.”

  • St Georges Day 2025

    St Georges Day 2025

    St George’s Day 2025

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council, in partnership with Cohesion Plus, and Dartford Borough Council, brought the communities of Gravesham and Dartford together for a joyful celebration of Saint George’s Day on April 23rd.

    The annual festivities are a much-anticipated and beloved tradition in the local calendar, celebrating the patron saint of England as well as what it means to be British in modern day Britain.

    In the lead-up to the day, some 1200 pupils participated in creative arts workshops led by Same Sky, producing Saint George-themed shields, dragons, and banners featuring messages of friendship, unity, and community. These artworks were proudly displayed during the parades, bringing colour and joy to the town centres.

    Alongside the parade, crowds were treated to an elective and culturally diverse programme of entertainment, which was reflective of the diverse communities in the towns.

    Speaking about the event, Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL, CEO of KECC and producer of the celebrations, said:

    “St George’s Day is an opportunity to highlight all that brings us together and to celebrate who we are as a nation. The celebrations provide an opportunity to promote inclusion, welcoming all regardless of ethnicity, faith and background. We are stronger together than divided and it’s important to amplify this message especially amongst young people.”

  • Wrotham Festival of Light brings colour for another year

    Wrotham Festival of Light brings colour for another year

    Wrotham Festival of Light brings colour for another year

    The coming of another autumn marked the return of the annual and much loved Wrotham Festival of Light on Friday 11th October. The festival, which every year attracts hundreds of attendees from the local village and surrounding areas is now in its 11th year is still popular as ever.

    The event was organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Saint Georges Primary School and Same Sky Arts. It was supported by Arts Council England and Wrotham Parish Council.

    The village was transformed with an array of colourful light installations around the theme of wildlife which attendees were able to interact and take photos with. The main attraction was the vibrant lantern parade which featured musical acts such as the Kings of Dhol, internationally renowned Dhol drumming troupe who are experts in the percussion which hails from North India as well as Bloco Fogo Samba who brought the sounds of the Brazilian carnival to the celebrations.

    The crowds were also entertained by The Charlie Chaplin Show, a popular street act hailing from Covent Garden and usually performed on the South Bank circuit.

    The lantern parade was led by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Steve Hammond and Deputy Lieutenant Louise Bryant and the Headteacher of Saint George’s Primary School Wrotham Elizabeth Rye. They were followed by hundreds of children parents and guardians as the parade made its way up from the Saint George’s Church to the cricket ground. Once at the cricket ground there was spectacular fireworks display provided by local business Phoenix Fireworks which drew loud applause from those in attendance.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “I am so proud of what we were able to achieve working in partnership. As a nation we have had a testing few months with the riots in the summer a recent memory. Events like this show what can be achieved when we all work together for the better good and celebrate what unites us rather than divides us. I am proud of how the Wrotham Festival of Light has developed over the years and how many local residents come out to support it every year regardless of age, background or faith.”

  • Wrotham Festival of Light

    Wrotham Festival of Light

    Wrotham Festival of Light

    The Kent Equality Cohesion Council were delighted to support the annual Wrotham Festival of Light which took place Friday October 13th .Despite the rain the community came together in the rural village of Wrotham in Tonbridge and Malling.

    The Village was transformed and lit up with a wonderful nature themed light installations. These were supplemented by colourful lanterns which were made by the pupils of St George’s Primary School.

    The highlight of the event was the colourful lantern parade which was slightly curtailed by the weather but none the less brought smiles to all who took part. The lantern parade along with school children and their families also featured some wonderful drumming from around the world including, Samba, Djembe and Dhol. The lantern parade finished at the cricket ground were the festival climaxed with a spectacular firework display by Phoenix Fireworks.

    The partners for the Wrotham Festival of Light alongside KECC were Cohesion Plus, St George’s Primary School, Wrotham Parish Council, Samesky and Arts Council England.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “It was so positive to see so many people coming out and supporting this community celebration both young and old. It is important at a time where there is extreme division in the world that we all remember that there is more that unites than divides. I am so proud of how this festival has evolved and it’s a showcase of what can be done when you work at a grass roots level with community partners.

  • Gravesham and Dartford Celebrate St George’s Day Virtually

    Gravesham and Dartford Celebrate St George’s Day Virtually

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Cohesion Plus supported by Same Sky Arts, Gravesham Borough Council and Dartford Borough Council have produced two films to celebrate Saint George’s Day.

    The films featured 13 local schools from the Aletheia Anglican Academies Trust and the Galaxy Trust across Gravesham and Dartford. The films also feature community partners, local artists, as well as the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller and Mayor of Dartford Cllr Roger Perfitt.

    Working with some 800 young people in the build up to the festivities, arts workshops took place and colourful Saint George’s Day flags were created with messages of thanks for the NHS. The films aim to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities of Gravesham and Dartford online.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “I am proud despite the challenges of the pandemic that we were able to work with local schools in Gravesham and Dartford to pull together an online celebration. In a time of division and isolation it is necessary to celebrate our shared values, unity and what binds us together rather than what divides us.”

  • Swale Fusion Festival of Light wows again

    Swale Fusion Festival of Light wows again

    Despite the wet weather Sittingbourne Town Centre was awash with colour and lights with over 2,500 participating in the 3rd Swale Fusion Festival of Light. The aim of the festival was to use the arts to bring communities together and celebrate the values of respect, excellence, friendship and equality.

    The celebrations were organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Swale Borough Council.

     

    The Festival kicked off on Sittingbourne High Street with spectacular performances from a host of culturally diverse acts as well a large scale mobile art installation that wowed and interacted with the crowds. Then the parade, featuring 13 local schools made its way along the High Street, through Roman Square and climaxed at Albany Park. Along the way the parade collected hundreds of new people who joined in to create a powerful mass of colour, noise and light. Albany Park was specially decorated for the evening with winter themed lights and installation. The festival climaxed with a spectacular firework finale.

    In the build-up KECC worked in partnership with Cohesion Plus, Same Sky, Ideas Test, Big Fish Arts and Platforma Festival around community engagement, providing opportunities for free arts activities across the borough.

    Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “The weather may have let us down but the communities of Swale certainly did not! I’m so grateful to everyone who attended and not only celebrated the Festival but also our shared values that bind us together as a community. The Swale Fusion Festival of Light continues to grow year upon year and we are already looking at more ambitious plans for next year funding permitting. Events like these are so important as they celebrate what unites us rather than what divides us.”

  • 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.”