Dance Performance at
The Great Court, British
Museum
Musical Play, Indoor
Auditorium,
The British Museum
John Orna-Ornstein,
addressing the audience,
The British Museum
Dance Performance, Indoor
Auditorium,
The British Museum
Laura Philips – British
Museum
THE MELA
COMMITTEE
2011
KING'S CROSS
BRUNSWICK
NEIGHBOURHOOD
ASSOCIATION
Harun Kaji
(Chair)
CAMDEN
COUNCIL
Councillor
Abdul Hai
MARY WARD
CENTRE
Maddy Fisk
(Secretary)
LONDON
DESIGN HOUSE
Sadia
Jafreen
(Creative &
Media
Planning)
BRITISH
MUSEUM
Laura
Phillips
SOUTH CAMDEN
COMMUNITY
SCHOOL
Colleen
Maybin
Tia Clarke
CAMDEN YOUTH
& CONNEXION
SERVICE
Mukith Miah
Karim Ullah
HOPSCOTCH
ASIAN WOMEN
CENTRE
Lucky Khan
'Mela' is a
Sanskrit word meaning
'gathering' or 'to meet' or a
Fair. It is used in the
Subcontinent for all sizes of
gathering and can be religious,
commercial, or cultural.
Traditionally Mela means
'Village Fair'.
Camden Bangladesh Mela held each
year in the heart of London
celebrates and shares the
culture of Camden's biggest
ethnic minority. It is a feast
of sights, sounds, smells and
tastes featuring bazaars, folk
troupes, traditional and
contemporary British-Bangladeshi
music and dance.
Started in 1992, it is the first
of its kind to be held in London
involving local organisations,
community groups, schools,
colleges, and institutions such
as the British Museum and the
British Library.
The Mela has grown to such an
extent that it represents an
opportunity for the wider
communities to get together,
regardless of their background,
and work towards a festive
occasion through involvement in
various educational and arts
projects that promote
appreciation and understanding
of various cultures in one of
the world's greatest
multicultural city.
The Mela uses
arts to challenge the negative
perceptions of the multicultural
society; it aims to breakdown
the barriers to give way to
social inclusion, integration,
and harmony whilst appreciating
diversity for a healthy society.
Serving as an ideal outlet the
Mela showcases the outcome of
activities carried out
throughout the year by the
schoolchildren and their parents
as well as the youth
organisations and community
centres in Central London.
All in all, it culminates into a
spectacular event for all ages
to enjoy in the height of the
British summer organised by the
Mela committee in association
with Camden Council, Royal
Parks, British Land and the
British Museum.
