14-05-2025
Dhol drumming, cookery, and more at Carlisle's Culture Bazaar
Hundreds of people came together over the bank holiday weekend to enjoy dance, music, and food from around the world at Carlisle's Culture Bazaar.
The event, now in its eighteenth year, took place on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4 at Richard Rose Central Academy, with nationalities from Ukrainian to Nepalese represented and the theme being 'A City United.'
Visitors enjoyed dhol drumming, cookery demonstrations, storytelling, Afghan calligraphy, and a variety of dance styles, including Bhangra, Bharatanatyam Indian classical, clog, line, ceilidh, and Ukrainian.
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Saj Ghafoor OBE, director of strategy and partnerships at Multicultural Cumbria and the founder and organiser of Culture Bazaar, said: "It's an event about celebrating our identities without feeling the odd one out, because it does take courage in an environment that's different to your own.
"But we definitely encourage it.
"I never thought we'd be here 18 years later, and it's bigger and better than ever.
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"Culture Bazaar is about bringing people of all communities together - the diasporas as well as local British people.
"It's about sharing our heritage, our culture, through music, dance, food, art, and craft.
"There's no other event that does this.
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"We can't change the world but we can change Carlisle and Cumbria."
Dhol drummer Davinder Singh, from Punjabi Roots Academy, said: "Yes, we are Punjabi but that doesn't mean to say that's all we do.
"We have a Beyoncé Bollywood mix, a Rihanna Bhangra mix.
"We live in one world and music is a great thing, dance is a great thing, culture is a great thing.
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"It's about bringing all this culture and these communities together, and this is a way we can connect with everybody."
Stallholder Cynthia Waggah, whose home country is Kenya, said: "My favourite part has been the exchange of different cultures and enjoying the diversity and getting to learn more about how different we are and how equal we are.
"The different food, the different people."
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For Lauren Exley, chair of Multicultural Cumbria, Culture Bazaar was a tonic for events in the wider world.
She said: "It's really positive.
"There's a real sense of community here.
"All the communities together, having fun, learning about each other, spending time with each other in one space.
"It's really refreshing to see, and I think that everybody feels that the minute that they walk in."
Janet Cresswell, CEO of Multicultural Cumbria, added her thanks to Richard Rose Central Academy for hosting the event.
She said: "It's the most diverse secondary school in Carlisle, and being able to use such a fabulous space really enabled us to showcase different cultures from around the world."
Culture Bazaar's sponsors included The National Lottery Community Fund, Wragg Mark-Bell Solicitors, and Align Property Partners.
