THOUSANDS TURN OUT FOR BELFAST MELA

Junior Minister Jennifer McCann joins thousands of people celebrating this years Mela in Botanic Gardens. Organised by Arts Ekta, the Mela is the annual, and arguably the biggest, intercultural festival in Belfast with food, music, dance and arts from across the globe. Also pictured is Nisha Tandon and Pamela Ballantine from Arts Ekta. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye .

Junior Minister Jennifer McCann joins thousands of people celebrating this years Mela in Botanic Gardens. Organised by Arts Ekta, the Mela is the annual, and arguably the biggest, intercultural festival in Belfast with food, music, dance and arts from across the globe. Also pictured is Nisha Tandon and Pamela Ballantine from Arts Ekta.
Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye .

THOUSANDS of people have turned out today for the cultures of the world which have come together in colourful, noisy, fun-filled collaboration and celebration in Belfast’s Botanic Gardens for the 9th Belfast Mela in association with Turkish Airlines.

More than 30,000 people are expected to attend the annual extravaganza, stepping into a freshly created world of diversity where the sights, sounds, smells and cuisine from around the globe come to life for one amazing day.

Long queues developed outside the Gardens even before the event started.

Tibetan tradition, Bulgarian dance, Andalucian flamenco, African drumming, Afro-Caribbean funk and reggae, Punjabi folk, Chinese lion dancing, Irish trad … a garden of flowers, magically has come to life;  an international souk and Little Bollywood for the tiny tots …there’s a whole world of entertainment for the whole family today.

Presenting that wealth of nations is ArtsEkta, Northern Ireland’s multi-award winning ethnic arts organisation.

ArtsEkta Director Nisha Tandon OBE, spoke of the importance of the venture, not only as a highlight of Northern Ireland’s entertainments calendar, but also as a symbol of the city’s growing confidence as a diverse and culturally-aware destination.

“Communities across the city and beyond are the lifeblood of the Mela and we are proud to provide this exciting, exuberant showcase for such a vast range of ethnic groups.  Our minority ethnic communities look to Mela as a platform to express their cultural identity, experiment creatively and introduce others to their inner world.

“That core community strength, and the integrity which flows from it, have enabled us to reach out and attract artists from around the world to join with us in our celebrations.  The 2015 Belfast Mela programme reflects an extraordinary variety of internationally acclaimed artistes, most of whom will be bringing their talents to Northern Ireland for the first time.

“As the artistes focus their attention on Belfast, so do visitors and we are proud that Belfast Mela is also growing in stature as a ‘must-see’ event for tourists, and is contributing significantly to the local economy.”

Junior Minister Jennifer McCann joins thousands of people celebrating this years Mela in Botanic Gardens. Organised by Arts Ekta, the Mela is the annual, and arguably the biggest, intercultural festival in Belfast with food, music, dance and arts from across the globe.Also pictured is Nisha Tandon and Mukesh Sharma from Arts Ekta. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye .

Junior Minister Jennifer McCann joins thousands of people celebrating this years Mela in Botanic Gardens. Organised by Arts Ekta, the Mela is the annual, and arguably the biggest, intercultural festival in Belfast with food, music, dance and arts from across the globe.Also pictured is Nisha Tandon and Mukesh Sharma from Arts Ekta. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye .

Welcoming that positive impact on the city, Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Arder Carson, said, “Every August, Belfast Mela is guaranteed to bring a little bit of sunshine to the city as tens of thousands of people gather in Botanic Gardens to have fun and experience music, dance, theatre, sport and food from around the world.

“Mela means “to meet”, and while it is inspired by traditional Indian festivals, Belfast’s Mela is an even more international affair, mirroring the ever-evolving cultural make-up of our city.

“Now in its ninth year, Belfast Mela is the creation of local organisation ArtsEkta, whose many awards are testimony to its trailblazing in both arts and good relations.  This is also a particularly huge year for ArtsEkta as on Saturday 24 October, they will be transforming the city centre for “Nine Nights” – an outdoor theatre spectacular retelling centuries-old Hindu folklore as a thrilling, contemporary Belfast celebration.

“Funded by Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through the Creative Belfast programme, I would encourage everyone in Belfast to take part and celebrate our vibrant, diverse, creative city.”

Belfast Mela runs from 12 noon – 6pm.

On the day tickets are £5 for Adults, £4 for Concessions or £15 for Families.

 

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