One of the important goals of the Maidstone Mela project is to educate young people about the diversity of the area and how arts can be used to promote positive community cohesion. Local schools are encouraged to join and participate in the Mela Education Programme which takes place in July before the summer break. This year 5 local schools will benefit from the project encompassing just under 300 pupils who will work with arts company Samesky and Cohesion Plus to create visual elements for the Mela parade which takes place on Friday September 9 to formally launch the Mela weekend.
The Mela school’s programme commenced in 2004, and is delivered by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Arts Council England. Over the past years, the programme has evolved greatly and this year will be one of our biggest to date.
The programme has 3 distinct aspects to it:
- Arts and Crafts Workshops which are being delivered by Samesky www.samesky.co.uk
- Launch event in Maidstone town centre which will take place on September 9
- Children’s Parade at the Mela
According to Gurvinder Sandher the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus Kent “Despite the challenging economic environment we have managed to secure enough funding to be able to deliver the Mela Education Programme this year. I would have liked to have expanded it further this year and get more schools involved but this is not possible due to our limited budget. Nonetheless around 300 pupils in Maidstone will benefit which is a positive achievement.”
The programme is funded and co-ordinated by Cohesion Plus Kent through its “Kent Mela Festival Diversity” Project which is part supported by Arts Council England.
