Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Tonbridge

  • 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.

  • 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.” 

  • 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