Tunbridge Wells Mela 2010
Thousands enjoy the Tunbridge Wells Mela
Thousands of Tunbridge Wells
residents and visitors to the town attended the Mela in Calverley
Grounds on Sunday 18 July. The event was organised by Tunbridge
Wells Borough Council and Cohesion Plus, and was supported by the
Kent and Sussex Courier and BBC Radio Kent, with the help of the
Mela Steering Group. The Mela was designed to bring together the
communities of Tunbridge Wells through the mediums of music, food
and dance.
During the first part of the
day, visitors were treated to a range of acts, including the
popular Phase 5 Steel Band, the She’Koyokh Klezmer Ensemble
performing a variety of European folk music, The Camden Road Choir
and performances from local schools who took part in special Mela
education workshops in the weeks leading up to the event.
Performances in the second
half of the day included popular Bangladeshi music star Kaya, the
Carmen Souza Quartet bringing their unique Afro-Latin Jazz, the
very popular Bangra star ADH, and the final act of the night, Kent
based tribute band, Abba Magic.
Whilst
listening to the music, visitors could browse a range of stalls
from jewellery to clothes and sample food from India, Thailand,
America and Eastern Europe. On the bowling green, there were
children’s activities ranging from an archaeological dig, craft
making, face painting and more. All provided by the Tunbridge Wells
Arts Partnership.
Cllr Frank Williams, Portfolio Holder for Policy and
Partnerships, said:
'Over 10,000 people had a
really good time at the Tunbridge Wells Mela. The Borough Council
enjoyed excellent publicity. It appealed to people from all walks
of life and was a very successful event.'
Gurvinder Sandher the Director of Cohesion Plus said:
‘I have been overwhelmed with the positive
response we had to the Mela. This was our biggest and most
ambitious Mela to date and I am pleased that all of our
efforts have been rewarded. I have always aimed for the Mela
to be a celebration of the diversity of Tunbridge Wells and I feel
that we achieved this via both the stage programme and the stalls
and activities which were available. I hope we can try and
make the Mela even bigger and better again next year with the
support of our partners Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Arts
Council England.’
Supported by
BBC Radio Kent Editor, Paul Leaper, said:
'Leading up to July 18th we'll bring
you the latest news as the county prepares for the Mela - and on
the big day we're live in Calverley Park. BBC Radio Kent
96.7FM for the Mela - and more!
BBC Radio Kent
- tune in to John and Clare at Breakfast - officially, BBC
Local Radio's biggest breakfast show across England.'
Courier Editor, Ian Read, said:
'The Mela has established itself as a
popular festival which celebrates the diverse culture we enjoy
in Tunbridge Wells. The Courier prides itself on championing
local life and is proud to be supporting such a wonderful
event.'
John Webb, Sainsbury’s Tunbridge Wells store
manager, said:
'It’s really important to us that we show
our support for the Mela – this is such a great event and the local
community always get behind it. As a store, we do all we can to
support families and kids and our working with the Mela reflects
this. We’re really pleased to be backing this activity and hope to
work with the Mela more in the future.'
In partnership with
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