Crawley International Mela, July 30/31, 2011

 
We're back! Oh yes we are! And with a hot new programme and more community stage, stalls, fantastic international foods and workshops for the whole family. And it's still free for anyone because it's run by local volunteers for our community.

What else is on the calendar for 2011? Get a copy of our new programme flyer (PDF). We've already done our bit for the very successful Langley Green Festival on July 9th, with a Parade Arts Workshop by Parade designers SameSky, organizers of the Brighton “Burning the Clocks” festival among many others. And "Four Roads Meet", our annual multifaith School Parade on July 13th, was a hit with not one but two street bands - our favourite Bloco Fogo Street Samba and this year something new in honour of our "Mysterious East" theme: the Polish Gypsy Stars band. They're all on the Community Involvement page.

So what's up for the Mela Festival? The marquee certainly is but keep reading to see what's going inside.

Crawley Mela - Main Stage Marquee waiting for decorations from School Parade.

New Community Stage Programming for All

With VIYC running the show again things just had to get better. From Bhangra to Zumba via Grime, HipHop, Roma and Salsa, it's all there - check out the Community Stage page for details.

More Great Professional Acts

It's all about the beat, and this year we have more of everyone's favourite toe-tapping Bhangra beats with Jugnu Bhangra, Iffy-K and Navin Kundra, the return of massively popular Khan Bros. Qaawali and Ghanaian drum wizards Kakasitsi:

Kakasitsi: Master Drummers of Ghana

Also back by demand are Sunday Driver, that wild Victorian Raj/Steampunk fusion recently voted world's best Steampunk band:

For 2011 we have several new acts, including the Gypsy Stars, a 15-piece Eastern European band; and a special dance feature, a stilt dance production from the ancient story called the Ramayana, an episode called "Deception in the Forest" (you know what I'm talkin about)- a magical production with 9-foot tall dancers interacting with the audience.

For more Main Stage information please see the Main Stage page.

More Family Workshops

For 2011 we have a new Eastern European Exhibition and Polish/Gypsy/Iranian Workshops in the Spotlight Room. Also featuring an expanded Health Expo area, a Far East area with Japanese calligraphy and Origami; a special "Road to Crawley" A/V Exhibition in the Chaucer Room with childhood pictures and stories, an African slide show from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in the 60s and 70s; the powerful Diego Garcia film "Exiled", Bollywood titles and Black History films. Upstairs there's Children's Arts and Crafts in the Elgar Room and Indian and African Zones - details on the Workshops page.

Information for Small Businesses, Charities and Sponsors

Small Business On Display

Our stall holders are back in force with more of what you like: authentic Sikh, Indian, Caribbean, and Nepalese food, popular services like Henna painting and massage, retail goods and more. We treasure our retailers because they make it possible for us to bring the festival to you, so make sure you visit as many as you can!

If you would like a stall but have not booked yet, now is the time. Pitch fees are the lowest they've been since 2006 and there's a non-food retail discount of 10%. To apply for a pitch please see the Business page.