Community Involvement

Getting Involved

We introduced the Community Stage in 2003 as a companion to the Entertainment stage in the Main Marquee. The aim was to encourage more community involvement with a dedicated venue and programme.

With active participation by more than two dozen local artists and groups, the Community Stage immediately became a runaway success and a focus for talent, beauty and skill.

If your community group would like to contribute to the Community Stage line-up, don't hide your light under a bushel - please let the Mela Committee know: sign up at the Mela Forum or email us at: community@crawleymela.org
or write and tell us about your plans. Stardom could be as near as your next email!

Warm-up Events in July

Langley Green Festival, Saturday July 9

This year's event was as popular as ever, with stalls, music, activities for children and food from around the world on offer.

The Crawley Mela Association sponsored Parade Arts wizards SameSky to give workshops on how to make the magical figues they parade each year for Burning the Clocks night in Brighton, among others. Here's our tent while SameSky staff were setting up for visitors:

Childrens' Parade: Four Roads Meet in Crawley, Wednesday July 13

"FourRoads Meet" is the annual multifaith parade created by Crawley Mela with the support of local schools, the Arts Council and Creative Director Same Sky. It presents the four founding cultures of the Crawley Mela - Afro-caribbean, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist.

This year the parade assembled in the Memorial Gardens behind County Mall at 1330 for a 2pm start, parading behind the Bloco Fogo street Samba band and Gypsy Stars through Queen's Square and the High Street before returning to Memorial Gardens at 1445 for refreshments and a Parade Art workshop with SameSky artists. If you want to see more of Gypsy Stars, they'll be playing on the Mela festival Main Stage on Sunday, July 31st.

School and Community Outreach (May/July)

The Mela Association with support from our sponsors encourages local communities and artists to visit schools and community organisations to create opportunities to better understand and appreciate the varied and culturally rich society we live in.

This year we are providing Hindu dance; African storytelling and culture, Japanese calligraphy and other workshop activities throughout the year. Most African performances include support from the Crawley Afro-Caribbean Association including fashion, arts & crafts, hair and beading.

We also provide speakers on basics of Faith for schools including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and other faith traditions, with the support of local community leaders from the mosques, Gurjar Hindu Union, Soka Gakkai UK and other local faith groups.

The Crawley Mela is a multicultural association, not an interfaith organisation: we have no opinion on matters of faith and make available speakers for schools in order to provide an essential added dimension to the understanding of any culture. All our outreach offerings are fully funded and come at no cost to schools or community organisations.

Last year, eight schools participated in the Outreach programme including Southgate Primary, The Oaks First and Middle, Waterfield County First, Thomas Bennet Community College, Bewbush Primary, Mill Primary, Langley Green Primary and Manor Green College. The feedback from schools and students has been universally excellent.

If you would like to book any of these activities for your school, please get in touch at community@crawleymela.org stating your requirement and preferred times and dates.