The launch of the Tunbridge Wells Mela will take place on July 1 between 10.30am and 11.30am. This will be our first ever launch event and will be involving 225 pupils from 4 local schools as well as Bloco Fogo Samba and Four by Four Dhol Group. This has been made possible due to the funding we managed to from Arts Council England.

The schools which are taking part are Rusthall St Pauls, St Mathews, Claremont Primary and St Augustine’s. They have all been working with the Arts Company Samesky who have been commissioned by Cohesion Plus to create colourful visual arts displays with the children which will be showcased in the parade.

The launch event parade will form up in Calverley Precinct adjacent to the disused Woolworths store, facing towards the clock on Fiveways.  The Parade will turn left out of the precinct on to Mount Pleasant Road and proceed down the hill towards the railway station, turning left just before the Great Hall and into Calverley Grounds.

The Mela in Tunbridge Wells is now a major event in the community calendar and this year we have a very exciting line up including bhangra stars B21 and Bengali Urban Act Deshi Movement as well as an exciting collaboration of Dhol and Dhaki especially commissioned for the Mela’s in Kent who will all be performing on July 19 between 1pm and 6pm.

The Tunbridge Wells Mela is organised in partnership by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, North West Kent Racial Equality Council and Cohesion Plus.

According to Gurvinder Sandher from Cohesion Plus:

“I am really looking forward to the parade. It has always been my ambition to have a parade linked to the Mela and this year with the support of Arts Council England this vision will come to fruitarian. I hope that the communities of Tunbridge Wells come out and support the parade, and see how hard the young people have been working in the build up to the event”