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SWALE – A CELEBRATION
OF CULTURES
Swale – A Celebration of
Cultures was initiated by Diversity House in Swale in
October 2007. The initiation of this festival coincided
with the bicentenary of the abolition of Slave Trade Act.
At the time of planning
the first ever celebration of cultures, Christine Locke, the
project leader of Diversity House stated that:
“the term of reference
of the festival is to promote the various cultures within
the Swale Borough. It is hoped that the epoch of the
bicentenary of the abolition of Slave Trade Act is the right
time to celebrate the rich Black artistic cultures
(particularly, music, literature, arts & crafts, etc.).
Also, unlike most parts of England where Black History Month
is celebrated, Swale Borough has never held any event to
raise the profile of resident minority ethnic communities
(in particular, people of black origin). Rightly because
prior to now, the Borough was predominantly made up of the
host community, but the recent influx of minority
communities into the area means that the former ways of
living and thinking have had to change in order to allow for
an inclusive community. Therefore, 'Swale - a celebration
of cultures' is the first of its kind in this part of
Kent”.
Swale – A Celebration of
Culture’s aims are multifaceted and these are:
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To promote the
image/profile of minority communities (BME) resident in
and around Swale;
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To create cultural
understanding and acceptance which will inadvertently
lead to community integration, inclusion and cohesion;
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To educate and inform
residents of the Borough the rich and varieties of Black
arts and technologies;
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To create an
appreciation of music of black origin within the
different people in the community starting from the
schools to the wider community, amongst others;
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To encourage people
to challenge cultural preconceptions or misconceptions
and celebrate not just cultural diversity but cultural
commonality;
In its third year
anniversary, Swale – A Celebration of Cultures lived up to
one of its crucial aims; to promote inclusion and cohesion.
According to “Inside Swale” (Issue 11 Winter 2010):
“Sittingbourne proved in October that it is a community
where people from different backgrounds get on well together
and have a sense of belonging. The town certainly knows how
to enjoy itself!”
The festival has set the
scene for other festivals to follow. Diversity House only
initiated this festival in the absence of an appropriate
event which could promote inclusion and cohesion. However,
it is time for the festival to be mainstreamed into the
cultural strategy of the local authority and be commissioned
or delivered by the council.
The project lead of
Diversity House had this to say: “Swale – A Celebration of
Cultures is an attempt to promote community cohesion through
bridging cultures and promoting cultural dialogues. Now, it
is time for Diversity House to hand over the festival to the
local Council. This decision is a painful one but with the
recession and lack of funding, it has become imperative for
Diversity House to plan a low keyed event in 2010 with Swale
Borough Council organizing the carnival aspect of the
festival”.
Diversity House would
want to use this opportunity to thank all those that have
participated in one way or the other in the festival. Long
live the ‘celebration of cultures’!
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