There’s more to Bradford Mela than just the performances on stage.
Bollywood Flash Mob
The dance is led by Zoobin Surty, a professional dancer/choreographer from Mumbai- India. He has been working with Bradford’s Dance for Life instructors who in turn have been teaching the routine to their regular classes. The finished piece will explode at the Mela in a ‘flash mob’ style in front of the Mela Big Screen. A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place to perform.
Imove – Bollywood to Bradford will be performed at 2pm and 4pm on the 12th and 13th June at the Mela, with members of the public encouraged to join in.
imove celebrates and challenges the relationship between people and their moving bodies through a series of exciting and innovative arts projects across Yorkshire. Inspired by London 2012, imove is funded by Legacy Trust UK, Yorkshire Forward and Arts Council England. For more information please see www.imoveand.com
The Mela big screen will also provide up to date information on all activities and programme information over the two days.
Street Theatre
For more information, see our Street Theatre page.
The Bio Dome
The Bio Dome features interactive workshops and performances for children and families led by a team of madcap, crazy scientist. The theme this year is the UNESCO International Year of Biodiversity. This is a year-long celebration of the diversity of life on earth, including every plant, animal and micro-organism.
bcreative Workshops
bcreative is a new arts project which aims to increase awareness of arts and culture to engage more people in the arts in the Bradford district. It aims to encourage active participation by individuals and community based organisations in creative, artistic, theatrical and craft making activities that inspire and motivate.
Alongside music and dance with an exotic, global feel on the Guava Stage, bcreative have programmed a mix of performances and workshops, exhibitions and information inside the b-creative marquee.
Lord Mayor's Carnival Parade Tent
Get creative and make your own colourful carnival costume with the team behind the Lord Mayor’s Carnival Parade. The theme for this year's event is Tigers, celebrating this endangered species as part of the International Year of Biodiversity. Everyone is invited to join a mini parade around the site during the afternoon, and on the following weekend (Saturday 19th June) for the main parade around Bradford City Centre.
www.bradford.gov.uk/events
Bradford Gold Sports Zone
Be active with turn up and play activities in the sports zone featuring cricket skills, rugby skills and climbing wall!
Bradford Gold is a project which aims to showcase and support all the sporting and cultural activity that is taking place in the district as the London 2012 Games approach
www.bradfordgold.com
Sanctuary Tent
In Bradford there are several groups working with those who have come to this country fleeing from persecution of some terrible kind that most of us can't even begin to imagine. Many of the women that we work with have been trafficked. Members of some of these groups have been coming together to plan Refugee Week celebrations for the past three years, and last year in the Sanctuary Tent we were able to bring together a very diverse group of people to make music, sing, dance, and have fun together, while also demonstrating to those who came to visit us that the indomitability of the human spirit shines through grief and anguish, very real trials and tribulations. Those of us committed to working with Asylum seekers and Refugees have the greatest respect and admiration for so many of them, and count ourselves proud to be their friends.
The Sanctuary Tent will host a programme of performances by different groups from the refugee community, over the two days of the Mela, with, if last year is anything to go by, spontaneous happenings erupting from time to time. There will be a cafe and stalls run by Biasan, Horton Housing, Beacon, City of Sanctuary, Centre for Conflict Resolution, and Amnesty International, so that you can learn more about the work that these groups do.
