Two films have been produced to celebrate Saint George’s Day featuring 13 local schools from the Aletheia Anglican Academies Trust and the Galaxy Trust across Gravesham and Dartford. The films also feature local artists, community partners as well as the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller and Mayor of Dartford Cllr Roger Perfitt.

In the build up to Saint George’s Day some 800 young people participated in arts workshops in their school creating colourful Saint George’s Day flags with messages of thanks for the NHS. The online films were created as a way of marking the patron saint of England in the midst of lockdown with mass outdoor gatherings still not permitted.

The project was led by Cohesion Plus and Kent Equality Cohesion Council supported by Same Sky Arts, Gravesham Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England. The films aim to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities of Gravesham and Dartford online.

Cohesion Plus have been organising large scale festivals to celebrate Saint George’s Day in both Gravesham and Dartford for over a decade. Although Cohesion Plus was unable to hold the annual celebrations this year due to the pandemic it is hoped that the positive message of the films underlines the community spirit that has existed locally amidst the pandemic.

Gurvinder Sandher, Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus commented, “We are a year into the pandemic and still unable to meet outdoors in mass gatherings. That being said we believe it was necessary to keep celebrating Saint George’s Day the only way we know how, which is by bringing diverse communities together albeit online. Regardless of the medium in which we connect, it is important that as always, we use the arts to celebrate community cohesion, shared values and everything that connects us rather than separates us.”