Three community organisers from across Northern Ireland came together in Hilltown, March 11 to put on an immersive event to celebrate Holi, the iconic Indian festival of colour welcoming the arrival of Spring.
The trio met last October during a lifechanging weekend at the Eden Project in Cornwall, where they attended a Community Camp along with over 50 others from across the UK. Immediately striking up a connection, Martina Clarke, Mollie Cummins and Sanjay Ghosh found they shared a love of music, dancing and bringing people together, and came home determined to collaborate.
Having continued to build connections with each other and people in Eden Project Communities’ network across the country over the last few months, the group are now combining their years of experience making a difference where they live to put on Holi in Hilltown – the midpoint between their hometowns.
Holi in Hilltown aims to immerse local people in authentic Indian culture, with Mollie, Martina and Sanjay invited the community to join in with a celebration filled with music, dance and delicious food. Combining Indian and Irish traditions, attendees had the chance to dance to the beats of Chenda drums and Kerala mixed with traditional Irish music, enjoy a Bollywood dance performance, dress up in colourful Indian costumes and henna body art. The event culminate in families and friends playing Holi together at a colour party where the arrival of Spring was celebrated by a scattering of powder in every colour of the rainbow.
Accompanying the vibrant mix of activities, Holi in Hilltown also saw the community coming together for an Indian Big Lunch, full of delicious sweet and savoury treats, in anticipation of Eden Project Communities’ annual Big Lunch weekend on 6-8 May, when people across the UK are invited to share food, friendship and fun in a nationwide act of community.
Organiser Martina lives in Hilltown where she founded Hilltown’s Woman of Clonduff, and is hosting co-organiser Sanjay’s community group ImageNation NI.
Martina Clarke said: “We are all living in different areas, but wanted to do something really special that links us all together. We realised there were so many Indian festivals and that a Holi celebration would be a perfect way to welcome in Spring to our community, as well as marking International Women’s Day (8 March).”
Sanjay Ghosh said: “Holi in Hilltown is a chance to embrace community, to be open to opportunities, and find a fresh new way to come together. We’re so looking forward to immersing the whole community in the culture and traditions of India with an afternoon filled with Holi music and dance.”
With each organiser bringing something unique to the table, Mollie is part of the Rooney O’Malley Maguire School of Irish Dancers. She’s excited to be able to share her passion for performance and bringing people together to inspire others to become active in their community.
The Eden Project’s Community Camp, made possible by The National Lottery, aims to equip people with the skills and knowledge they need to put their dreams into action. Available to attend in Cornwall or from home several times a year, Community Camp’s jam-packed, fully-funded programme offers a mix of practical activities, workshop sessions and network opportunities.
Funding for this event was partly sourced through NMDDC ( Newry, Mourne and Down District Council) & Tbuc (Together: Building a United Community). Tickets at £8 and include lunch, with free entry for children (up to 12yrs old).
Get involved with The Big Lunch by ordering a free digital pack full of ideas and inspiration from TheBigLunch.com. To join the Eden Project Communities network, contact Kathy Black, Community Network Developer for Northern Ireland, at kblack@edenproject.com
About The Big Lunch
The Big Lunch is the UK’s annual big date to celebrate and give thanks to our neighbours and communities. Started in 2009, it’s an idea from the Eden Project that each year brings 6 million people together, made possible by The National Lottery and supported by Iceland and The Food Warehouse, PG tips and the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust.
People meet, chat and have fun in their neighbourhoods, annually fundraising £8m for local causes they care about. This year, The Coronation Big Lunch will form part of the celebrations for His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort’s Coronation Weekend between 6-8 May 2023.
Find out more at TheBigLunch.com
News by Martina Byrne and Sanjay Ghosh (Northern Ireland)
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